ADL accuses Megyn Kelly of using ‘antisemitic’ trope against Ben Shapiro, victim-blaming Bari Weiss

The Anti-Defamation League accused Megyn Kelly of using an antisemitic trope against Ben Shapiro and victim-blaming Bari Weiss after Kelly outrageously claimed the two, who are Jewish, are causing antisemitism.

The organization pointed to Kelly’s recent allegation that Shapiro, a prominent conservative commentator, and Weiss, the editor in chief of CBS News, are “making antisemites” by trying to silence criticism of Israel, as well as Kelly’s characterization of Shapiro as being “Israel first.”

“Megyn Kelly’s recent comments cross a dangerous line. Accusing Jews of “making antisemites” blames Jewish people for the hate directed against them — a classic victim-blaming trope,” the ADL wrote on social media on Tuesday.

“Calling Ben Shapiro ‘Israel first’ invokes the age-old antisemitic dual loyalty trope that has fueled persecution and hatred against Jews for centuries,” the organization added.

“ADL has documented time and again how this kind of rhetoric from public figures helps normalize antisemitism and may even endanger Jewish communities. It must stop now.”

Kelly fired back within hours, dismissing the ADL’s criticism and attacking the group’s credibility.

“Nice try but these labels don’t work anymore,” Kelly wrote.

“The @ADL has defanged itself. Instead of attacking me they should listen to me. Or keep on keeping on & create more enemies!”

The clash marks a sharp escalation in a widening conservative media feud that erupted after Shapiro publicly rebuked Kelly at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, accusing her of refusing to condemn conspiracy theories promoted by Candace Owens.

Kelly has said that Shapiro’s attack, which Weiss publicly supported by publishing the speech word-for-word on her Free Press newsletter and then promoting it on her social media feed, “felt like a betrayal by a friend.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Kelly argued that Shapiro and CBS News editorial boss Weiss — both prominent defenders of Israel — are actively worsening antisemitism by attempting to shut down dissent.

“They are making antisemites,” Kelly said, adding, “Tucker [Carlson] is not making antisemites. They are.”

In a thread on X, the ADL said Carlson has been spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories “for years and as recently as this past weekend.”

At AmericaFest, he revisited conspiracy theories surrounding the USS Liberty — a US Navy intelligence ship attacked by Israeli forces during the 1967 Six-Day War.

While US and Israeli investigations concluded the strike was a tragic case of mistaken identity, the incident has long been used by antisemites to argue that Jews cannot be trusted and that they secretly undermine American interests.

“It’s totally fine to ask about why a foreign government tried to sink one of our ships in 1967,” Carlson said from the stage, responding to Shapiro’s defense of the official account.

“That doesn’t make you an antisemite.”

The ADL countered earlier this week that such claims are frequently weaponized to advance antisemitic narratives about Jewish disloyalty.

“Antisemites often claim that the USS Liberty incident proves that American Jews cannot be trusted,” the organization wrote on its official X account.

Carlson has gone further in recent months, devoting podcast time to alternative theories about the attack and interviewing figures who describe it as a deliberate “false flag” operation — claims rejected by historians and US officials.

Kelly has insisted the dispute is about Israel and free speech — not antisemitism.

She has accused Shapiro and Weiss of imposing an “Israel first” purity test on conservatives and weaponizing antisemitism accusations to silence critics.

The feud appears to reflect a deeper fracture inside the conservative movement, as some younger activists seem to be growing more skeptical of US support for Israel.

The Post has sought comment from the ADL, Kelly, Weiss, Shapiro and Carlson.