Megyn Kelly slammed Conan O’Brien for taking shots at Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA during the 2026 Oscars. Speaking on the latest episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, a clip of which was shared on X on March 17, Kelly said she wanted to “spend a little time on the Oscars,” describing the event as “ridiculous.”
She explained that during the Oscars ceremony, host Conan O’Brien “decided to take a shot at the organization” of her “dear friend” Charlie Kirk, adding that TPUSA was currently “fighting right now to save” itself.
Kelly then defended TPUSA’s alternative programming during the recent Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny. She argued that Charlie Kirk’s organization had stepped in because Bad Bunny had made “anti statements” and represented what she described as the “opposite of a patriot.”
She further said this was why TPUSA had “felt the need to offer alternate programming” for “people” like her who “did not want to support” Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl halftime show.
“As he got out there, spoke only in Spanish and talked about the America he loved, which involved all the countries in the Western Hemisphere,” Kelly added.
Megyn Kelly then played a clip from the Oscars broadcast showing O’Brien joking that the ceremony might become political and suggesting viewers uncomfortable with that could attend an “alternate Oscars” hosted by Kid Rock at a nearby Dave & Buster’s.
“I should warn you tonight could get political, okay? And if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock. It’s at the Dave & Buster’s down the street. A lot of tickets for that,” he said in the clip.
Responding to the joke, Kelly argued that Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA lacked the financial resources and star power of Hollywood, adding that it did not have the same “glitz and glamour” as the entertainment industry’s events.
She insisted, however, that Kirk’s organisation’s alternative Halftime show had been successful and even “set records,” adding that O’Brien would know that if he stepped out of his “white privilege” and “woke Hollywood bubble.”
“Turning Point doesn’t have the same money that the Hollywood crowd has. So they don’t have quite the glitz and the glamour for their alternate halftime show, though they put on an amazing show that actually set records, which you would know, Conan, if you would take one step out of your white privilege, woke Hollywood bubble,” Kelly said.
Kid Rock responds to Conan O’Brien’s Oscars joke about his performance at Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA-organized Halftime show
Charlie Kirk became an unexpected flashpoint at the 2026 Oscars, after host Conan O’Brien made a joke referencing Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and Kid Rock, prompting a public response from the singer the following day.
During his opening monologue at the Oscars on Sunday night (March 15), the 62-year-old comedian aimed Kid Rock’s appearance in Turning Point USA’s alternative “All American Halftime Show.” The show had featured Rock, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, alongside several country artists.
Turning Point’s livestreamed concert was widely viewed as a counter-programming move after the NFL selected Bad Bunny as the official Super Bowl halftime headliner. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican global superstar who performed primarily in Spanish, had previously criticized Trump’s deportation policies.
So Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA broadcast its own Halftime performance across social media and conservative networks such as Real America’s Voice and OAN, promoting themes of “faith, family, and freedom.”
After the Oscars, Kid Rock took to X to share his reaction to O’Brien’s joke at the Oscars about him, making clear that he did not find it particularly amusing.
“I love a good joke, even when I am the butt of it, unfortunately this was not a very good one,” Kid Rock wrote on X on March 16.
Despite his criticism, the singer adopted a promotional tone in the same post, pivoting to advertise his upcoming concert tour.
“Either way, if you want to see a REAL good show this spring / summer that celebrates America and 250 years of Freedom – make sure you buy your tickets from (ugh) Ticketmaster for my Freedom 250 tour – The Road To Nashville. There is a reason for this, TRUST ME!” he added.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 while addressing an event in Utah Valley, and authorities charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with the assassination. Robinson now faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
The 98th Oscars/ Academy Awards was Hollywood’s biggest night, unfolding on March 15, 2026, at the iconic Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
Edited by Shayari Roy
