Megyn Kelly sounded a note of caution Thursday about the political fallout facing Republicans in the wake of the shooting of Renee Good and the protests that followed, warning that the public mood reflected in early polling could complicate the party’s prospects heading into the 2026 midterms. Kelly acknowledged that the numbers coming in were unfavorable, calling the data “just not, not good.”
Speaking during an interview with Adam Carolla, Kelly addressed the Minneapolis demonstrations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the broader reaction to the incident. She said the first wave of political data surrounding the controversy pointed in a troubling direction for those defending the agency’s actions. “We’re starting to get political data in on it and it’s not great,” she said. “Not great.”
Kelly specifically referenced results from a recent YouGov poll, which found that 47 percent of Americans believe ICE is making the country “less safe.” Nearly as many respondents, 46 percent, said they support abolishing the agency altogether. Reacting to those figures, Kelly acknowledged the challenge they pose, saying, “I mean, that’s just not, not good.”
She went on to draw comparisons to public opinion trends that followed the unrest after George Floyd’s death, noting that attitudes toward police and law enforcement crackdowns were deeply negative at first before eventually shifting. According to Kelly, that reversal took years to materialize, time that Republicans do not have with midterms approaching. “The polls were terrible on police and the crackdowns on, you know, bad guys in the streets committing crimes after George Floyd, and then they totally reversed,” she said, adding that the current political calendar makes the situation far more precarious.
Kelly also highlighted the difficult decision now facing President Donald Trump, who has publicly warned Minneapolis officials that continued interference with law enforcement could prompt him to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy federal forces, including the National Guard, to protect ICE agents. Kelly suggested that such a move would sharply escalate tensions, saying the situation could quickly become “more real” as events unfold.
The same YouGov poll cited by Kelly showed broader skepticism about ICE’s conduct. Sixty percent of Americans said they believe the agency sometimes or often uses unnecessary force against U.S. citizens who have not broken any immigration laws. A majority, 52 percent, reported holding a somewhat or very unfavorable view of ICE, a figure that was 13 points higher than the unfavorable rating given to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Additional findings underscored public discomfort with the agency’s tactics. Fifty-five percent of respondents said ICE agents should be banned from wearing face coverings, while 48 percent said agents should be required to leave an area if ordered to do so by a state governor.
Taken together, Kelly suggested, the polling paints a challenging picture at a moment when political consequences could arrive quickly, leaving little margin for error as the debate over immigration enforcement intensifies.
[READ MORE: Senate Hearing Turns Tense as Doctor Declines to Acknowledge Basic Biology]
