Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review, addressed allegations that he used a racial slur to describe Haitian migrants during his appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, insisting it was a mispronunciation. Kelly brought up JD Vance’s controversial and debunked claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating neighborhood pets.
During the show, Kelly said, “He admits they made it up,” referring to Vance’s comments. Lowry responded by likening it to “alternative facts” from Kellyanne Conway, adding that only two residents had complained about Haitian migrants supposedly “taking geese from ponds.”
Lowry’s mispronunciation of the word “migrants” reportedly sounded like a racial slur to some viewers on social media. Lowry later explained that he “simply stumbled” over the word. The reaction to his slip-up was mixed. Madeline Peltz of Media Matters posted the clip on X (formerly Twitter), expressing confusion over Lowry’s wording.
Though Megyn Kelly didn’t react in real-time, she later defended Lowry on X, calling the criticism “disgusting” and saying it was a misunderstanding by people unfamiliar with Lowry. Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy also supported Lowry, saying he obviously got “crossed up” between the words “immigrants” and “migrants” and corrected himself immediately.