Former Fox and current NBC personality Megyn Kelly has been uninvited as host of a Sandy Hook nonprofit’s gala in light of her upcoming interview with Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention organization, released a statement on Monday asking Kelly to step down as host of its upcoming Promise Champion Gala on June 14.
On Sunday Kelly announced she would be airing her sit-down with Jones on her upcoming episode of Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly. Kelly traveled to Austin, Texas, last week to interview Jones for the segment, and posted a preview of the segment to Twitter.
The nonprofit’s decision follows days of criticism denouncing the interview, which many see as an opportunity to give Jones a legitimate platform to voice his conspiracy theories. In addition to parading Pizzagate as fact (which he apologized for considerably too late), and claiming 9/11 was a false flag operation, Jones has long supported the theory that the Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 first graders and six educators were fatally shot in December 2012, was staged. Jones thinks that paid “crisis actors” played roles in the aftermath of the massacre.
“Sandy Hook Promise cannot support the decision by Megyn or NBC to give any form of voice or platform to Alex Jones and have asked Megyn Kelly to step down as our Promise Champion Gala host,” Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director, said in the nonprofit’s statement. “It is our hope that Megyn and NBC reconsider and not broadcast this interview.”
Kelly responded to the boot by sharing that she understands and respects the organization’s decision, but is “disappointed” she won’t be in attendance. Though she maintains NBC will air the interview, Kelly shared in her statement that she finds Jones’ Sandy Hook theory to be “personally revolting as every other rational person does.”
“President Trump, by praising and citing him, appearing on his show, and giving him White House press credentials, has helped elevate Jones, to the alarm of many,” Kelly wrote. “Our goal in sitting down with him was to shine a light—as journalists are supposed to do—on this influential figure, and yes—to discuss the considerable falsehoods he has promoted with near impunity.”
Here is my statement regarding Sunday night’s interview: pic.twitter.com/iS2VfyLt6S
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 13, 2017
H/T the Cut