Megyn Kelly Embarrassed at Epstein Binder Flop

‘Trainwreck!’ Megyn Kelly and MAGA Influencer Embarrassed at Epstein Binder Flop Torch Pam Bondi
Story by Isaac Schorr

‘Trainwreck!’ Megyn Kelly and MAGA Influencer Embarrassed at Epstein Binder Flop Torch Pam Bondi
‘Trainwreck!’ Megyn Kelly and MAGA Influencer Embarrassed at Epstein Binder Flop Torch Pam Bondi
Megyn Kelly and MAGA commentator Liz Wheeler took turns beating up on Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case on Thursday, with Wheeler referring to a much-maligned White House event at which she and other influencers were handed binders that read “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” as a “trainwreck.”

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Wheeler recalled that after her visit to the White House for the February event, photos of her and her peers started “to catch fire online, and it starts to look like the trainwreck unfolding before my eyes that it was.”

Kelly then told Wheeler that she viewed the group of influencers as “a bunch of innocent victims of the whole thing.”

“I think this is a very loyal group to the president,” mused Kelly. “So there’s no way this White House would willingly want to embarrass this group. So they’ve invited them to the White House, clearly. They’ve given them these binders that read, you know, ‘Epstein file.’ They’ve allowed them to be photographed holding the binders, and those photos hit the internet. And then within, you know, a very short time after the photos hit the internet was, I don’t even remember how it came out, but it was like, there’s nothing new in there. There’s nothing new, there’s nothing new. And then the narrative kind of caught hold like, well, they’ve been like embarrassed. They’ve been embarrassed because now here they are holding up the binders, and there’s nothing new.”

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“Even hearing you, I’m like, why would Pam Bondi, if she said to you even at the time, ‘There’s nothing great in here, but I’m waiting on additional documents I just found out about, and I’ll give you those.’ Why wouldn’t, like, why would she go through the exercise of the binders, which anybody would know, had the potential to embarrass you? Why would you ever wanna hold something up, you know, as like exciting if it was all old news,” she continued. “That’s like a sin of journalism. Every journalist knows you don’t want to tout something as big that’s literally old news. And to this moment, I don’t understand, Liz, whether it’s because Pam Bondi was negligent in making sure like what’s exactly in this binder, and does she know there’s actually nothing new, you’re about to humiliate people who care about you? Or because she had some other motive? I don’t know.”



“The only part of the story that I didn’t tell that day was the part about Pam Bondi bragging about making that cover sheet. And maybe I should have told that right then and there, because maybe that would have made it obvious that Pam Bondi should have been fired on the spot for what she did,” replied Wheeler.

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“The only explanation that I can think of, and this is an explanation that is based on a pattern of Pam Bondi’s behavior, is that she wasn’t telling the truth. Not necessarily because she’s corrupt and trying to hide the contents of the Epstein files. But because she’s clickthirsty, because she was more interested in making these big promises on Fox News, being a Fox News star and a MAGA champion, and she got out over her skis, promising things that she hadn’t verified. And that’s the root of-, this week I said, ‘Listen, if I’m President Trump, I am looking at what Attorney General Pam Bondi has done to the base. He has lost-, his administration, even though he had nothing to do with this, his administration has lost a tremendous amount of goodwill with voters because people care viscerally about the Epstein files. They care deeply about this, partially because these are grisly crimes that were committed against children, but also because this represents justice,” she continued.

“And people feel stung because what they see when they when they see what Pam Bondi said in that Department of Justice memo on Sunday, she is telling us, ‘Ignore the evidence, the anomalies, the suspicious, fishy things surrounding Epstein’s operation, and his person, and his connections, and his death, and instead believe me, without evidence,'” she added. “She’s telling us to ignore what’s before our very eyes, and believe her instead with no evidence. And Megyn, there is not a politician in this world that you should extend that amount of blind faith toward.”

“Well, she’s put us in a position of having to decide which of her statements we’re going to credit. I mean, which one should we put the faith in?” asked Kelly rhetorically. “Because we kind of put the faith in the statement from February 21st, and then the statement she followed up with on February 26th, and the statement she followed with on March 3rd. And then the statement she followed up with on May 7th, all of which kept spinning this tale of, ‘I’ve got the goods, I’m getting even more goods, you’re gonna see the goods.'”

The host concluded by also dinging President Donald Trump for his attempt to move on from the subject at a Cabinet meeting earlier this week:

And then instead of coming out on camera, Sunday night or Monday, when she purportedly realized there was absolutely no there there other than the child pornography found on his computer not involving third parties, like other than you know, Jeffrey Epstein’s predilection of, you know, disgusting, random porn, and saying, “I got it wrong. I overpromised, and I’m underdelivering, and I am sorry,” she leaked to Axios a two-page unsigned memo with absolutely no explanation, none whatsoever, and literally thinks that’s enough.

And then unfortunately, we had the Cabinet meeting where Trump seemed fine with all of that, where he kind of stepped in, was like, “Why are we still talking about this thing” that I talked about repeatedly on the campaign trail, and did tell you was an issue that we needed to get to the bottom of, and that I would. And then elevated two guys who talked about it all the time on their shows, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, to run the FBI, the very organization that was at the heart of the investigation, and another person, Pam Bondi, who once I put in the office, has been talking about it every other week, and now looks at us and says, “Why would you still be interested in this? Do you even want to answer that question?” And Pam Bondi thinks she’s putting it under the rug by being like, “Oh, there’s a missing minute of the tape, but that’s just because they always change over at one minute before midnight, and we lose a minute of tape,” which everybody was like, “What!?”

“And also when I said client list is on my desk, I really just meant file, bye.” It’s just been totally insufficient, Liz, totally insufficient. And no sane human being would at this point be saying, “Oh, okay, I have no more questions. It’s all answered for me.”

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What Is a Social Media Influencer? And How to Become One
Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on Dec 10, 2024
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Learn more about what social media influencers do, how it affects marketing strategies, and the typical path to becoming one.

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Social media influencers are digital creators with expertise in a specific niche. Influencer marketing is a growing industry that offers tech-savvy creators a variety of job perks.

Social media influencers get to share content they're passionate about, build and engage with an audience of their followers, and collaborate with their favorite brands. Influencers have the added benefit of being able to work from anywhere.   

Read on to explore what a social media influencer is, the skills you’ll need, the advantages and disadvantages, and other details to help you decide if it’s a path you want to pursue.

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Media Planning, Search Engine Optimization, Interviewing Skills, Applicant Tracking Systems, Campaign Management, Social Media Marketing, Customer Retention, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Performance Measurement, Spreadsheet Software, E-Commerce, A/B Testing, Loyalty Programs, Social Media Management, Order Fulfillment, Email Marketing, Google Ads, Data Storytelling, Marketing Strategies, Market Research, Market Trend, Process Optimization, Customer experience improvement, Target Audience, Sales, Web Design and Development, Digital Advertising, Digital Marketing, Persona Development, Keyword Research, Pay Per Click Advertising, Online Advertising, Customer Acquisition Management, Web Analytics and SEO, Advertising Campaigns, Lead Generation, Google Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Stakeholder Communications, Pivot Tables And Charts, Return On Investment, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Data Presentation, Marketing Budgets, Data Visualization, Data Analysis, HubSpot CRM, Copywriting, Personally Identifiable Information, Promotional Strategies, Data Ethics, Marketing Automation, Newsletters, Performance Analysis, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Customer Engagement, Content Creation, Content Strategy, Brand Awareness, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Content Performance Analysis, Business Metrics, Customer experience strategy (CX), Branding, Personal Attributes, Generative AI, Communication, Prompt Engineering, Professional Development, Problem Solving, Customer Service, Customer Insights, Customer Relationship Management, Web Analytics

What is a social media influencer?
Social media influencers establish themselves as experts in a particular field and share their knowledge with a curated audience on one or more social channels.

Influencers create and share content regularly to establish their expertise and work to build relationships with their followers. By regularly engaging with their audience and offering insightful content, creators can often "influence" their followers to try a particular product.

Brands partner with influencers for product or service promotion, allowing them to effectively reach their target audience or build brand awareness among people unfamiliar with what they offer. Since followers trust an influencer, they see these product endorsements as a recommendation from a friend rather than a sales pitch.

Collaboration can result in compensation or free products as the influencer tries to influence the audience to make a purchase.

What does it mean to be an influencer?
As a social media influencer, you will grow an audience through regular posts on a specific topic. Content creation, brainstorming ideas, editing, and publishing can keep your schedule busy. Daily tasks as an influencer might include:


Content creation

Gaining publicity on social channels

Scheduling content

Brainstorming content ideas

Collecting and analyzing feedback

Engaging with followers to build a sense of community

Attending events

Required skills for social media influencer
In this role, you need passion, skill, or unique knowledge of particular topics or niches, along with a desire to create content. Additionally, you’ll typically need skills such as:


Communication

Writing

Creativity

Time management

Types of social media influencers
Social media influencers typically fall into tiers based on their audience size. Common tiers include the following five categories:


Mega influencers: One million+ followers

Macro influencers: 500,000 to one million

Mid-tier influencers: 50,000 to 500,000 followers

Micro-influencers: 10,000 to 50,000 followers

Nano influencers: Zero to 10,000 followers

Who is the most famous social media influencer?
In April 2024, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo's Instagram profile became the most followed account globally [1].


 

Pros and cons of being a social media influencer
Social media influencers get to work with their favorite brands and endorse products they love. Compensation, free gifts, and invitations to events are part of an influencer's appeal, but they also get to set their own schedules, declare their own pricing, and control the content they create.

Cons exist, too. For example, influencers often experience inconsistencies in available work and can become frustrated by the amount of time needed to build an audience from scratch.

Pros
The perks of being an influencer are as follows:

Remote work
As an influencer, you can work anywhere, be it your home, local library, or even on a plane. You choose your hours, which means you decide when to create content and how to schedule other tasks like pitching brands, brainstorming ideas, or networking with other influencers.

PR packages
Influencers can set their rates, usually using one of several different types of pricing. You may charge per piece of content, package, or bundle. A PR package includes a bundle of content, which usually contains posts for different channels and can be effective in helping boost your income and increase your exposure on multiple social platforms.

Control over content
Influencers create content that they're passionate about. You have control over the content shared with your audience of like-minded people. In doing so, you create a community.

Even if you have brand deals and work closely with that brand, you will often have a good deal of creative control. While brands provide direction and collaborate with an influencer, influencers create authentic content that resonates with their audience when they lean on their expertise and knowledge of their audience to socially endorse a brand or product.

Cons
Below is a closer look at the pros of being an influencer:

Inconsistent work
Creating a steady income stream as an influencer is a challenge. Influencers work hard to pitch brands and find brand deals that offer compensation. Paid projects can be inconsistent, which means income can be sporadic.

Building a community takes time and effort
To earn money as an influencer, you need an audience. To build an audience, you need patience. It takes time to identify your niche, create content, and grow an audience big enough to attract brand partnerships.

Who uses social media influencers?
Many brands use social media influencers to authentically promote their product or service. Big-name companies like Adidas, Pepsi, Dunkin Donuts, and Motorola use influencer marketing to reach their target audience. Even small companies and startups with limited budgets partner with influencers as a more authentic form of advertising.

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(34,819 ratings)

1,055,153 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 6 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Media Planning, Search Engine Optimization, Interviewing Skills, Applicant Tracking Systems, Campaign Management, Social Media Marketing, Customer Retention, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Performance Measurement, Spreadsheet Software, E-Commerce, A/B Testing, Loyalty Programs, Social Media Management, Order Fulfillment, Email Marketing, Google Ads, Data Storytelling, Marketing Strategies, Market Research, Market Trend, Process Optimization, Customer experience improvement, Target Audience, Sales, Web Design and Development, Digital Advertising, Digital Marketing, Persona Development, Keyword Research, Pay Per Click Advertising, Online Advertising, Customer Acquisition Management, Web Analytics and SEO, Advertising Campaigns, Lead Generation, Google Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Stakeholder Communications, Pivot Tables And Charts, Return On Investment, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Data Presentation, Marketing Budgets, Data Visualization, Data Analysis, HubSpot CRM, Copywriting, Personally Identifiable Information, Promotional Strategies, Data Ethics, Marketing Automation, Newsletters, Performance Analysis, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Customer Engagement, Content Creation, Content Strategy, Brand Awareness, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Content Performance Analysis, Business Metrics, Customer experience strategy (CX), Branding, Personal Attributes, Generative AI, Communication, Prompt Engineering, Professional Development, Problem Solving, Customer Service, Customer Insights, Customer Relationship Management, Web Analytics

How do you become an influencer?
It takes time to become a social media influencer, but one of the first steps you might consider taking is finding an area you'd like to focus on. Outlined below are some of the key steps required to become a content creator:

1. Find a niche.
A niche is essentially an area you specialize in. Choosing one helps you identify the types of products and services your audience will benefit from. It also helps you focus your content to cater to that audience and attract new followers accordingly. 

Your niche doesn't necessarily have to correlate with your education. It can be something you’re particularly passionate about or like to spend time doing or learning about.

Common influencer niches could include:


Fashion

Beauty

Travel

Lifestyle

Celebrities and entertainment

Sports

Animals

Health and fitness

Gaming

Family and parenting

Business and technology

2. Gain a following.
Influencers need a following to influence, but it takes time to gain a following. Statista reports that in 2023, Instagram influencers with 1,000 to 10,000 followers made up 76.86 percent of all influencer accounts, whereas those with over one million followers (mega-influencers and celebrities) represented just 0.16 percent [2]. It can take months of work and consistency to not only attract followers but also build trust with them.

To build a following, consider these tactics:


Mention your niche in your bios

Post high-quality content

Be authentic

Engage with followers regularly

Set a post cadence and keep up with it

Add hashtags to your posts to increase visibility

3. Find a strategy.
Before sharing any content, it's best to create a strategy. A strategy helps you create consistent, tailored content that your audience enjoys. To find what works for you, consider the importance of:


Understanding who your audience is, including their needs and wants

Setting a posting schedule

Planning times to shoot, edit, and publish content

Drawing inspiration for content from your audience and their recommendations

4. Use SEO.
While social media posts don't directly impact search engine optimization (SEO), the personal links shared can have SEO implications by delivering visitors to your site or blog. To aid SEO, consider these tips:


Post helpful content to gain traction, increase your reach, and generate backlinks

Write thoughtful messages

Build a trusted audience

5. Connect with your audience.
Being an influencer is about more than posting quality content. Connecting with your audience is important too. While you can respond to comments, additional engagement measures include hosting an "ask me anything" Q&A or giveaways and contests.

What is the difference between a social media influencer and a social media marketer?
With social media marketing, brands post directly to their social channels. This allows them to control content and engage with customers.

With influencer marketing, the influencer posts content and interacts with customers on behalf of a brand. An influencer serves as an intermediary between a brand and customers.

How much money do influencers make?
Research shows strong growth in the influencer marketing industry. The global influencer marketing industry reached a value of $21.1 billion in 2023, marking a more than threefold increase since 2019 [3].

Social media influencers typically begin this career on a part-time basis until they have a strong following. Once they can earn a steady income through brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, ad share revenue, or selling a subscription to their channel, it can become a full-time job. 

Popular influencers can write books, land interviews on talk shows, or sell their own merchandise or product line.

Social media influencers make an average of $71,936 a year [4], according to November 2024 data from Glassdoor.

Learn more about digital marketing
Social media influencers, who attract followers based on a specific area of interest, engage in influencer marketing to promote goods and services to their audience. As you consider a career as a social media influencer, you can also explore online certificates on Coursera that can improve your marketing knowledge. For example, the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate offers in-demand skills in a self-paced course designed to help you gain the skills you need to pursue a digital marketing career.