Have you noticed that as soon as Matt Lauer was pushed out of NBC, the rumormongering around Megyn Kelly kind of faded out? It was no secret that Lauer didn’t like Megyn Kelly that much, and that he was not doing anything to help her. I would argue that, knowing what we know now, he probably tried to lock Megyn in his rape dungeon and she rejected him outright. That doesn’t mean that suddenly we have to like Megyn Kelly, by the way. I still think she’s a vapid Foxbot and I still think she sucks, in general. But I’m also hoping that she grows into her position and actually learns how to be an effective morning-show host because, sh-t, we’re stuck with her for now. So what do you think of this: Megyn Kelly interviewed three women accusing Donald Trump of assault/harassment on Monday’s show?

There were several moments where it felt like Megyn was encouraging the women to second-guess their actions and Trump’s actions. But generally speaking, this was not the absolute worst. I actually hate-respect Megyn for using this moment and platform to spend more time talking about how the #NOTMYPRESIDENT of the United States has been accused of repeatedly assaulting and harassing 16 women that we know about. Here’s more about the interviews:

As the #MeToo movement continues to gain traction and fell powerful men across the country, the over-20 allegations of sexual misconduct against President Trump have resurfaced. Last week, former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy claimed the president tried to kiss her in an elevator in Trump Tower in 2005, and on Monday morning, three women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct appeared on Megyn Kelly Today to share their stories.

Samantha Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, told Megyn Kelly how Trump would come “inspect” pageant contestants while they were changing, before they went on stage. When asked what it was like to watch Trump’s inauguration, she answered: “That was a rough day, a very somber day for me. […] It was just a tough day because it was like the entire country said ‘Meh, we don’t care that he’s like this.”

Rachel Crooks said she was 22 when Trump kissed her on the mouth outside her office in Trump Tower, and that she didn’t tell anyone at her company for fear she would lose her job. Jessica Leeds said that 30 years ago, during a flight back to New York, Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt.

This is not the first time these women have told their stories, and the Trump administration has repeatedly denied their claims. In fact, during the broadcast on Monday morning, the White House issued a statement saying: “These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during the campaign, and the American people voiced the judgement by delivering a decisive victory.”

Now, however, tides seem to be slowly shifting against Trump, and even members of his own administration and party are saying his accusers should be heard. On Sunday, when asked about the three women’s upcoming appearance, Trump-appointed U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley told CBS’s Face the Nation: “Women who accuse anyone should be heard. … I know that he was elected, but women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them.” That same day, Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina told NBC’s Chuck Todd that while the claims have been heard before and it is impossible to relitigate the election: “Should people who have been victimized have an opportunity to have their day in court or their day presenting their information? I have no problem with that issue.”

[From The Cut]

I’m surprised that the official White House statement wasn’t the same line that Trump used in the campaign, which is that none of his accusers are attractive enough to be assaulted. He basically said that over and over during the campaign and now that he’s president, he’s just flat-out calling all of these women liars. As for the on-the-record “reaction” from the White House to the new accusers… it really is just more of the same. But that doesn’t mean that Megyn Kelly and literally every other journalist/news-reader/interviewer should stop what they’re doing. Keep interviewing Trump’s accusers. These women should not be forgotten.

Also: is this Megyn’s future on Today? Will she focus more on these kinds of stories? Life & Style claimed last week that Megyn’s been trying to score the first interview with Harvey Weinstein too, which I think is a terrible idea. No one should interview him.

Screencaps courtesy of NBC.