Former Fox New prime-time host Megyn Kelly made her debut Sunday night on NBC with a program of the same name. Yes, Ms. Kelly’s new show is titled “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly,” and her first efforts are robust. She offered an exclusive, one-on-one interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A featured question involved President Trump in the session, which was taped in St. Petersburg.
“Do you have something damaging on our president?” Ms. Kelly asked the Russian leader, who listened to a translator through an earpiece.
“This is just another load of nonsense. Where would we get this information from? Why, did we have some special relationship with him? We didn’t have any relationship at all. There was a time when he used to come to Moscow. But you know, I never met with him,” Mr. Putin replied.
“We have a lot of Americans who visit us. Right now, I think we have representatives from a hundred American companies that have come to Russia. Do you think we’re gathering compromising information on all of them right now or something? Have you all lost your senses over there?” Mr. Putin asked.
As the interview progressed, Mr. Putin also said he had limited personal interaction with former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
“You and I personally, have a much closer relationship than I had with Mr. Flynn,” the Russian president told Ms. Kelly. “You and I met yesterday evening. You and I have been working together all day today. And now we’re meeting again.”
Mr. Putin said of Mr. Flynn: “I didn’t ever really talk to him.”
The leader also mentioned that “a child” could have hacked the U.S. election, and suggested that outside forces were trying to shift the blame onto Russia itself, in the “midst of a political battle.”
NBC describes that new program as “Sharp, strong journalism, reporting the stories of our time”; there is a video footage here.
Most TV critics agree that Ms. Kelly’s new venue is modeled after “60 Minutes” on CBS, featuring a mix of several news stories, an easily recognizable look and some distinct personalities. The new program airs at 7 p.m. EDT.
Sunday’s debut also featured NBC News senior investigative and legal correspondent Cynthia McFadden’s look into “a billion dollar pharmaceutical company accused of pushing a dangerous painkiller into the hands of patients who should never have had it in order to maximize profits,” the network says.
Ms. Kelly — who had some previous issues with Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign — spent 12 years on Fox News as a highly rated prime-time anchor. She announced her sudden departure from the network in January. The moment was not without drama.
“I am starting a new adventure,” she advised the Fox News audience during s farewell moment on the air, calling it a “tough decision.”
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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