Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly sparked backlash by sharply criticizing Pope Francis just hours after his death, accusing him of pushing leftist politics, promoting illegal immigration, and clashing with Donald Trump, in a move that reignited deep divisions over his legacy.

Just hours after the world began mourning the death of Pope Francis, conservative media figure Megyn Kelly stunned listeners with a blistering on-air critique of the late pontiff that has left both the Catholic community and political observers divided.

Her remarks, made during an episode of her widely followed SiriusXM show, came as many were still processing the loss of the 88-year-old spiritual leader who had guided the Catholic Church through more than a decade of social and doctrinal upheaval.

Kelly, never one to avoid controversy, described Pope Francis as a divisive figure who “lost her” years ago due to his left-leaning policies and what she saw as his excessive focus on immigration and climate change.

Rather than offering condolences or reflecting on his papal legacy, she launched into a sharp rebuke of the pope’s political stances, most notably his ongoing criticism of former U.S.

President Donald Trump. She suggested that Francis was more interested in playing global statesman than preserving core Catholic traditions, branding him “a liberal who was hard to love.”

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, became the first Jesuit and Latin American pope when he was elected in 2013, following the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

From the very beginning, Francis signaled he would be a different kind of pope—he refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, rejected the use of a papal limousine, and consistently championed the poor, the marginalized, and the environment.

While these efforts gained him praise from progressive circles and a reputation as a “people’s pope,” they also earned criticism from traditionalists who felt the Church was losing its theological anchor.

Among the most contentious points Kelly raised was Pope Francis’s support for migrants and his opposition to nationalist border policies.

She accused the Vatican, under Francis’s leadership, of actively aiding illegal immigration into the U.S. by facilitating the transportation and settlement of undocumented individuals, particularly from Central America.

While humanitarian efforts by the Church to protect vulnerable migrants are long-standing, Kelly framed these actions as politically motivated and damaging to American communities.

Kelly also revived the fraught relationship between Pope Francis and Donald Trump, pointing out the public clashes that occurred during Trump’s presidency.

Most famously, the pope once implied that Trump’s border wall plan was un-Christian, prompting Trump to call Francis’s comments “disgraceful.”

To Kelly and many on the political right, this moment encapsulated what they saw as a pope who was more interested in political virtue-signaling than spiritual leadership.

The reaction to Kelly’s remarks was immediate and polarized. Catholic and secular audiences alike questioned the timing and tone of her commentary, with many calling it disrespectful given that Pope Francis had not even been laid to rest.

Some accused Kelly of exploiting the pope’s death to advance a political agenda.

Others, particularly within conservative media and political spaces, applauded her willingness to speak what they saw as uncomfortable truths about a papacy that often alienated them.

Though Kelly’s attack may seem shocking to some, it reflects broader ideological fractures not only in global Catholicism but also in the cultural landscape of the United States.

As the Church enters a time of mourning and looks ahead to the election of a new pope, those divisions are once again surfacing with renewed intensity.

Kelly even floated the idea of an American pope—mentioning New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan as a hopeful figure who could bring “more common sense” back to Rome.

While an American pope remains unlikely given the Vatican’s preference for geographic diversity and diplomatic balance, the mention shows the appetite among some for a Church that re-aligns with more conservative values.

Megyn Kelly has long been a polarizing figure in American media. A former Fox News anchor, she rose to national prominence through her tough interviews and combative style.

Her departure from NBC following controversy over comments about blackface only deepened the perception that she operates best outside traditional media institutions.

Now as a prominent voice in independent broadcasting, she has doubled down on her identity as a free-speech advocate and conservative critic of mainstream narratives.

Her commentary on Pope Francis may have been unusually timed, but it was in keeping with her brand—direct, unapologetic, and willing to push boundaries.

Whether or not one agrees with her perspective, it undeniably captures the fault lines that have run through the Catholic Church under Francis: progressivism versus tradition, globalism versus nationalism, and moral leadership versus political entanglement.

As the Catholic world turns its attention to the conclave that will elect the next pope, Kelly’s comments act as a reminder of the external political pressures and cultural battles that continue to influence perceptions of the papacy.

Pope Francis, in death as in life, has become a symbol of a Church at a crossroads—praised by some for his compassion and inclusivity, and criticized by others for what they see as doctrinal dilution and misplaced priorities.

In voicing what many on the religious and political right may have felt but dared not say aloud in the hours after his death, Megyn Kelly didn’t just critique a pope—she reignited a debate about what the Church should stand for in the modern world.