Megyn Kelly’s attempt to pay tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton on Tuesday quickly drew backlash on X, where critics challenged the sentiment behind her message.
Many users responding to Kelly argued that her political views clashed sharply with the values Parton championed during her life, particularly her public support for progressive and inclusive causes.
Kelly had written: ‘Dolly Parton seemed as close to total goodness as any mere mortal could come.’
‘She united us all in our love and admiration for her and, now, in mourning her. God bless you Dolly. R.I.P.’
The reply attracting the most likes at the time of writing took direct aim at Kelly, stating: ‘Dolly was everything you aren’t: warm, generous, beloved – and good television.’
Another widely supported response claimed Parton stood against nearly everything Kelly — and, by implication, many conservatives — are seen to represent.
‘[She] was actually the things you fake Christians pretend to be,’ the commenter wrote.
Throughout her life, Dolly Parton used her platform to back a range of causes, including LGBTQ+ equality, transgender rights, racial justice and broader social inclusion.
Dolly Parton died Tuesday after what her publicist described as ‘a brief battle with cancer.’ The 9 to 5 singer, celebrated for her philanthropy and support of numerous causes, was 80 years old
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly sought to pay her respects with an X post
The 9 to 5 singer passed away following a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, according to her publicist. She was 80 years old.
The negative responses to Kelly’s post kept piling on overnight.
Several accused Kelly of being divisive. Many contained expletives. Almost all drew comparisons between the two women.
‘Dolly was the example of what a Christian should be: unconditional love for all people,’ one such reply read.
‘She was loving, warm, non judgmental unlike you,’ another commenter raged. ‘F@#% off and keep Dolly’s good name out of your filthy, hateful mouth!’
‘Dolly Parton supported the LGBTQ community. Dolly endorsed COVID vaccinations. [Donald] Trump stopped funding to Dolly’s Imagination Library. You sick f**ks are now all in on Dolly? Capitalizing politically on her death!’ another asked, before announcing they were looking forward to voting Democrat in November’s midterms.
Trump, on Tuesday, called into the Glenn Beck Program to lament Parton’s passing, calling it a ‘true loss for millions of people.’ He said it was like ‘los[ing] a member of the family.’
Parton twice declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the President’s first term. However, the first nonattendance stemmed from her late husband, Carl Dean, being sick at the time, she said.
She was met with rage from those who replied instead
The next one was during the pandemic, and Parton said she did not want to travel at the time.
She went on to decline the same honor from Joe Biden to avoid appearing political – a sort of policy of hers.
‘Everybody knows I don’t do politics,’ Parton said on Fox News in 2017. ‘My mother was a Democrat and my daddy was a Republican, so I’m a hypocrite.’
She spoke about the tendency on her podcast in 2019, recalling how it affected the Dixie Chicks, whose rise flamed out after their 2003 criticism of then-President George W Bush and the Iraq War.
‘You can ruin a career for speaking out,’ she said at the time.
Kelly, meanwhile, is known for unabashed and often divisive takes since being forced out of legacy media after comments that defended people donning blackface for Halloween costumes in 2018.
Our News Outlet approached Kelly for comment.
