Megyn Kelly defends free speech after refusing to condemn Candace Owens in Charlie Kirk discussion (Image via Getty)

Megyn Kelly is facing heavy backlash after saying she would not condemn Candace Owens, even as Owens shared controversial claims online involving Charlie Kirk. Negyn Kelly made her position clear during a recent appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored. She said people tried to pressure her into publicly attacking Owens, but she refused. Kelly argued that the demand was political, not moral, and said she would not speak just to satisfy critics.

During the interview, Piers Morgan directly asked Megyn Kelly why she would not condemn Candace Owens for the claims she shared online. Megyn Kelly said the pressure started earlier, during the Gaza war, when Owens strongly criticized Israel.Megyn Kelly explained that people began labeling Owens as unacceptable because of her views. According to Kelly, after online claims involving Charlie Kirk appeared, that pressure only grew stronger.She said,“Candace took a lot of criticism because she was very anti-Israel during the Gaza war. Then it became a situation where everyone demanded that I publicly condemn her.”Megyn Kelly added that critics pushed even harder when Candace Owens began questioning Israel’s influence on U.S. politics. She said those were topics she had personally discussed with Charlie Kirk many times in the past.Kelly made her position very clear when she said,“I refused. I would rather die than bend the knee. It will not happen.”She also said she and Candace Owens have disagreed publicly many times over the years. According to Kelly, their relationship has never been simple, and refusing to condemn someone does not mean agreeing with everything they say.Later, Megyn Kelly addressed critics again after backlash grew online. She said people were forgetting that real humans were involved and that public pressure should not control personal speech.According to HuffPost, Kelly was expected to help arrange a meeting between Candace Owens and Erika Kirk, but that meeting did not happen publicly. Candace Owens and Erika Kirk later met privately instead.Megyn Kelly ended by repeating that she will not speak on command and believes that choosing when to speak freely is part of being American.