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Megyn Kelly, whose high-flying career as a Fox News host fizzled after an ill-advised move to NBC — and then remade herself as a conservative podcaster and radio host — will return to the political spotlight next month as a moderator for the next Republican primary debate.
The event, held Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. takes place is the fourth meeting of the party’s presidential candidates. Former President Donald J. Trump, who clashed (and later made up) with Ms. Kelly during the 2016 election, is unlikely to attend.
The debate will be hosted by the upstart television network NewsNation, a 24-hour cable news station owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its selection by the Republican Party is something of a breakthrough for a channel that is still unknown to many viewers. The network has aggressively hired veteran anchors and producers in recent years, but its audience remains small compared to rivals like Fox News or MSNBC.
Ms. Kelly will be joined as moderators by Elizabeth Vargas, anchor of NewsNation, and Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news site. The Free Beacon and SiriusXM, which broadcast Ms. Kelly’s radio show, are sponsors of the debate. The event will also be shown on digital platforms and local affiliates of The CW, the broadcast network that Nexstar owns.
NewsNation, which bills itself as a centrist, independent news service, has been dogged in the past by accusations of conservative bias, staff layoffs and reports of dysfunction. It recently added a number of well-known on-air personalities, including Dan Abrams, Ashleigh Banfield and Ms. Vargas, who previously hosted “World News Tonight” and “20/20” on ABC. Chris Cuomo, who was fired by CNN in 2021 over ethics concerns, is the network’s host at 8 p.m.
The network has also hired numerous former Fox News employees. They include Chris Stirewalt, the former Fox News politics editor who was fired for his role in the network’s election night call in Arizona that infuriated Mr. Trump, and Leland Vittert, a former correspondent who left the network after his critical reporting about Mr. Trump’s election campaign. Trump angered Lachlan Murdoch, the CEO of Fox News’ parent company. Cherie Grzech, who led Fox News’ politics and campaign reporting for years, is now also at the network.
Political parties typically partner with a major broadcaster or cable channel to organize their primary debates, with the aim of reaching the largest possible audience. Last month, NewsNation averaged 118,000 viewers in prime time on weeknights, a 23 percent increase from a year earlier. Sean Compton, the Nexstar executive who oversees NewsNation, said Thursday that the debate would be “an opportunity to introduce more Americans” to the channel’s “excellent journalism.”
Other participants suggested that viewers could expect a different tone. Ms. Johnson of The Free Beacon said the debate would take place “outside the echo chamber of the mainstream media” and would provide Republicans with “a debate in which conservative ideas and values will be the terrain and not the target.”
For her part, Ms. Kelly promised a fun evening. “It will be the margarita of debates,” she said in a statement. “Spicy, fun and slightly intoxicating. Look forward.”
