Upworthy’s book GOOD PEOPLE is coming this year — pre-order now!

Shop
 Explore 

megyn kelly

Watch Ellen DeGeneres brilliantly explain why she won't have Trump on her show.

'He is who he is.'

If you had a TV show, would you have President Donald Trump on as a guest?

The question sparked an interesting exchange between former Fox News host Megyn Kelly and talk show trailblazer Ellen DeGeneres.

Kelly went on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to chat about her upcoming NBC morning show, "Megyn Kelly Today," when the conversation (inevitably) turned to Trump.

"Would you have him on your show?" DeGeneres asked Kelly, referring to the president.

Kelly answered with an emphatic yes.

[rebelmouse-image 19531647 dam="1" original_size="500x254" caption="GIF via "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"/YouTube." expand=1]GIF via "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"/YouTube.

"Really?" DeGeneres asked.

"Absolutely not," Kelly reiterated. "Would you [say no]?"

[rebelmouse-image 19531648 dam="1" original_size="500x254" caption="GIF via "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"/YouTube." expand=1]GIF via "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"/YouTube.

The studio audience immediately went wild after DeGeneres' quick remark, their loud cheers pausing the conversation for a solid 15 seconds, leaving the two hosts smiling at one another.

DeGeneres went on to explain why she wouldn't allow Trump to be on her program (emphasis added):

"He is who he is, and he has enough attention. And he has his Twitter account and he has ways to get his message across. There’s nothing I’m going to say to him that’s going to change him, and I don’t want to give him a platform because it validates him. And for me to have someone on the show, I have to at least admire them in some way. And I can’t have someone who I feel is not only dangerous for the country and for me personally, as a gay woman, but to the world. He’s dividing all of us. … I don’t want him on the show.”

Watch the full exchange on "Ellen" below:

From Your Site Articles

Serena Williams. Emma Watson. Kerry Washington. These women need no introduction.

By every measure, they are talented, strong, and working at the top of their respective fields. But they didn't achieve their success alone.

That's why they've come together, along with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and athletics, to say thank you to the women who got them there.

Image via Lean In/YouTube.

Together Women Can is a public awareness campaign from Lean In and Makers about the power of women supporting each other.

The campaign kicked off with Williams, Watson, Washington, and other stars — including Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Abby Wambach, Megyn Kelly, and more — sharing their personal experiences about the role of female mentors. Whether it's a director, friend, producer, or even a sister, these relationships boosted their confidence and helped them reach professional heights they never thought possible.

For Emma Watson, the woman in her corner is acclaimed director and writer Sofia Coppola.

All GIFS via Lean In/YouTube.

Eva Longoria Baston gave a warm thank you to All3 Media executive vice president Nina Lederman.

And Selena Gomez couldn't help but thank her whole squad.

Having strong women in your corner isn't a perk of the rich and famous. Female mentors and allies are something women of all stripes can benefit from.

And the data doesn't lie.

In the workplace, women are given less credit for their work and suggestions. Women are interrupted more, (not just by men) and are often given less time to speak. Women's performance is often underestimated, and we're frequently passed over for raises, promotions, and plum assignments. And when women try to assert themselves or speak more confidently and directly, we often receive pushback for being too aggressive or unlikable, feedback most men wouldn't receive for the same behavior.

That's why it's so vital that women work together and support one another.

While popular culture often pits women as rivals, we know better.

Together we are a force to be reckoned with. We are smart, strong, funny, and fierce. Capable of running the boardroom, the backcourt, or the Broadway stage. When women celebrate each other's accomplishments, mentor and support young women on the rise, and encourage one another, there's nothing we can't do.

At the same time, "leaning in" isn't a silver bullet for solving poverty or ending years of institutional sexism, but forging these relationships in the workplace is the first of many tools we can use to support one another and fight for gender equality.

"Lean In" author and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said it best:

No matter your gender or where you are in your career, we can all do our part to ensure women are heard, respected, and promoted in the workplace.

More voices means better ideas, stronger teams, and improved morale. It's a win for all of us. Because when it comes to equality and changing the status quo:

Watch their powerful messages and #LeanInTogether with the women who lift you up.

Journalists really should take note.

In March, North Carolina passed a no good, very bad, anti-transgender law — but you might know that already.

Essentially, it requires trans people to use whichever bathroom corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate, which creates all sorts of problems.

Here's North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. Photo by Davis Turner/Getty Images.

It came in direct response to a Charlotte ordinance about to be enacted that would have actually protected trans people.

But sadly, most of the news coverage about the Charlotte ordinance consisted of news anchors simply repeating the anti-trans talking points.

GIF from Media Matters for America/YouTube.

And while the state of North Carolina received some major backlash after passing the anti-trans law, most journalists continued to present it in a "Who's to say, really?" kind of way.

Well, that stopped last night, when Megyn Kelly of Fox News interviewed North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.

Finally! Someone was ready to directly address these issues. Kelly came away looking like a pro, while Gov. McCrory left flustered, clinging to his talking points about tradition and expectations of privacy.

Here are a couple of the highlights:

On the idea that allowing trans people to use the correct bathroom will somehow be a violation of privacy:

GIFs from Mediaite/YouTube.

McCrory deflected.

On debunking the idea that transgender people are somehow more likely to be sexual criminals:

McCrory's response here? To deny the existence of trans people, saying that he doesn't "use that term." As we all know, if you don't say something aloud, it doesn't exist, right?!

Throughout this and other interviews, McCrory has said that his concern isn't about transgender people, but about "men" sneaking into women's restrooms and claiming they're transgender as an excuse (which, for the record, has never happened in any of the 17 states and more than 200 cities across the country that have trans-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances).

Good for Kelly for not letting him skate by on the usual talking points.

There was one thing Gov. McCrory was right about: This isn't an issue he started.

Anti-trans individuals have been murmuring about this for years. States and cities have tried and, at times, succeeded in passing laws designed to deny transgender people their basic human rights (everybody poops, right?). It's only in the spotlight of increased visibility — which, as this situation highlights, is a double-edged sword — that states have made this a national issue, painting trans people as sexual deviants and a danger to children.

We know what it looks like when trans people aren't allowed to use the correct bathroom, and it'd seem to be the opposite of what McCrory and other anti-trans individuals say they want.

Watching Kelly run circles around McCrory seems to indicate that just maybe this whole thing wasn't thought through.

Well done, Megyn Kelly. Well done.

GIF from "Citizen Kane."

Watch Megyn Kelly's epic interview with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory below.