Megyn Kelly Finds Support From 45 Percent of Americans Who Say NBC Was “Too Harsh”

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg
Published Oct. 31, 2018, 1:05 p.m. ET

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Megyn Kelly may be leaving NBC in the near future, but it seems like she’s not on America’s bad side quite yet. A new poll conducted by The Hollywood Reporter and Morning Consult reveals that 45 percent of Americans think that NBC’s decision to fire Kelly for her comments about blackface was “too harsh.” Despite the scandal, there seem to be more Kelly fans out there than we realize, as only 26 percent of respondents said that canceling Megyn Kelly Today was an “appropriate consequence.”

THR/Morning Consult polled 2,201 adults on October 25 and 26, just a few days after Kelly defended blackface on Megyn Kelly Today on October 23. While 45 percent of respondents felt NBC’s reaction was too swift, the reaction to Kelly herself was more split. Only 21 percent of those surveyed hold a favorable view of Kelly — 5 percent view her very favorably, and 16 percent view her somewhat favorably — while 40 percent of people reported that they have an unfavorable view of the Today host (19 percent somewhat favorable, 21 percent very unfavorable). Plus, a whopping 18 percent of Americans say that they have “never heard of” Kelly, which is practically the kiss of death for a TV personality.

The survey also asked specific questions about Kelly’s blackface comments, including whether her comments changed their perception of her. The most common response was “DGAF”: 48 percent said that Kelly’s October 23 tirade made no difference in their opinion. On the extremes, 15 percent said that they hold a “much less favorable” view of Kelly after seeing her defend blackface, and 6 percent said that they hold a “much more favorable” view of her now (ick).

NBC fared better in the survey. 56 percent of respondents said that they have a favorable view of the network, as opposed to 26 who say that they dislike it, and NBC’s decision to cancel Megyn Kelly Today amid the brewing scandal didn’t seem to shake those opinions. 41 percent of Americans reported that the way NBC handled the situation didn’t affect their views, while 17 percent said that it made them like the network more, and 29 percent said that it made them like the network less.

All in all, Megyn Kelly shouldn’t despair quite yet. At the very least, she’ll have 6 percent of Americans backing her no matter what she says.