Megyn Kelly faced significant backlash on social media platform X following a tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton on Tuesday. Many users expressed outrage, asserting that Kelly's political views clashed with Parton's history of supporting progressive causes.
Kelly had written, "Dolly Parton seemed as close to total goodness as any mere mortal could come." She continued, "She united us all in our love and admiration for her and, now, in mourning her. God bless you Dolly. R.I.P."
Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, was known for her advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality, transgender rights, racial justice, and social inclusivity.
Responses to Kelly's post included one of the most-liked replies stating, "Dolly was everything you aren't: warm, generous, beloved - and good television." Another commenter asserted that Parton "despised everything" that Kelly and other conservatives "represent," adding that she "was actually the things you fake Christians pretend to be."
Throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday, negative responses continued to flood in. Several users accused Kelly of being divisive, with many posts containing expletives and drawing comparisons between the two women. One commenter stated, "Dolly was the example of what a Christian should be: unconditional love for all people," while another wrote, "She was loving, warm, non judgmental unlike you. F@#% off and keep Dolly's good name out of your filthy, hateful mouth!"
Some linked Parton's support for the LGBTQ community and COVID-19 vaccinations to their political leanings. One user noted, "Trump stopped funding to Dolly’s Imagination Library. You sick f**ks are now all in on Dolly? Capitalizing politically on her death!" before declaring an intention to vote Democrat in the upcoming midterms.
Former President Donald Trump called into The Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday to express his sorrow over Parton's passing, describing it as a "true loss for millions of people" and comparing it to "los[ing] a member of the family."
Parton had previously declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice during Trump's first term. The first refusal was due to her late husband Carl Dean being ill, and the second during the pandemic, as she preferred not to travel. She also declined the honor from President Joe Biden to avoid appearing political, a stance she maintained throughout her career.
"Everybody knows I don’t do politics," Parton said in a 2017 interview on Fox News. "My mother was a Democrat and my daddy was a Republican, so I’m a hypocrite." She discussed this tendency on her podcast in 2019, referencing the impact on the Dixie Chicks after their 2003 criticism of then-President George W. Bush and the Iraq War, stating, "You can ruin a career for speaking out."
Kelly, a conservative commentator, has been known for making controversial statements since leaving legacy media after comments in 2018 that defended the use of blackface for Halloween costumes. The Daily Mail approached Kelly for comment on the recent social media reactions.