Madonna's Vile VMAs Performance, the Tom Brady Lesson, Plus How the GOP Can Avoid a Midterms "Nightmare," with Mark Halperin | Ep. 1407

September 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Political journalist Mark Halperin, who has been called "full of shit" by Trump campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita for his reporting, told Megyn Kelly that his inbox has since filled with 45 Republican strategists — roughly half of whom say he has actually understated the problem. "If you're a Republican strategist and you agree with Chris LaCivita and you disagree with my reporting and you're working on any races, contact me," Halperin said. "I'm up to 45 now. And all 45 have said one of two things: either my reporting is spot on, Republicans are facing a tough situation, or about half of those 45 have said you've actually understated the case, the problem's bigger than your sources so far have described it."

What Halperin's Sources Are Seeing

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What you'll learn

1 (01:00) **Welcome & Show Open** - Megyn Kelly introduces the show and teases the major topics: Madonna's VMAs performance, the Tom Brady marriage story, and Mark Halperin's warning to Republicans about the midterms.
2 (05:31) **Halperin: "How Bad Is It?" – The Republican Midterm Nightmare** - Mark Halperin explains that his viral reporting on a potential blue wave is based on conversations with Republican strategists, not public polls.
3 (11:06) **The "Mississippi Problem" & Deep Red States in Play** - Halperin details why traditionally safe Republican seats in South Carolina, Mississippi, and Kansas are now competitive.
4 (13:57) **Trump's Money, Musk's Money, and the "War of Choice"** - The conversation turns to the president's willingness to spend on down-ballot races and the drag of the Iran war and gas prices.
5 (16:51) **The "Panic" Is Real: Iowa and the 2006 Comparison** - Halperin cites a specific report from an Iowa talk show host where GOP pollsters warned that even +15 districts are now within the margin of error.
6 (22:06) **Trump's Media Fight Isn't Working** - Kelly and Halperin analyze Trump's decision to ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House.
7 (27:08) **The "Outrageous" Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads** - Kelly calls out Trump's use of taxpayer money to run ads that sound exactly like his campaign rhetoric, including promises to "expel the warmongers" and "demolish the deep state."

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Mark Halperin Megyn Kelly

Show Notes

Megyn Kelly is joined by Mark Halperin, host of "Next Up," to discuss why Trump’s “worst nightmare imaginable” in the 2026 midterms might come true, the states like Kansas and Florida that could be in play if we see a "blue tsunami," how the Republican party could possibly save some of the seats in the final five weeks, the truth about the terrible Democratic brand in 2026, how the bad Dem vibes could save the GOP from an even worse loss, why President Trump and NYC Mayor Mamdani's bromance doesn’t help the GOP in the midterms, why Trump should stop talking about the Iran war and focus on other issues, and more. Then Megyn discusses the overly weird and sexualized VMA performance from Madonna, how her persona as a 68-year-old is deranged, the bizarre work she's had done, Madonna’s vile VMAs performance that includes lasers sticking out of body parts, her strange decision to sexualize herself still, the “trans” nonsense from Naomi Watts’ teen son, New York Magazine’s first men’s style issue featuring non-man Elliot Page on the cover, the shocking new revelations about why Tom Brady’s marriage with Gisele Bundchen ended, the three words she spoke to him when ending their relationship, the truth about Brady's focus on career over family, star pitcher Justin Verlander and Kate Upton’s relationship over the years and the beautiful family they have built, the inspiring moment between him and his daughter in his final MLB game, and more.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2f0n8G4xqUo8aGxbbbtRjH
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextuphalperin ?sub_confirmation=1

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