ICE enforcement may hurt GOP in midterms, Megyn Kelly warns

Megyn Kelly said a YouGov poll shows public dissatisfaction with ICE after a January 7 shooting and warned the issue could weaken Republican midterm prospects.

Megyn Kelly warned Republican leaders that rising public concern about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could damage the party’s prospects in the midterm elections. She made the remarks on her Sirius XM radio show while discussing a YouGov poll released Jan. 14. The poll followed a January 7 shooting in Minneapolis that killed Renee Goodby and prompted public debate about an ICE agent’s use of force. Kelly contrasted the current mood with the post‑George Floyd period and said the timeline before November’s midterms is short. What is reported: - Kelly cited a YouGov poll showing 53 percent of respondents said the ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, was not justified in the January 7 shooting and 53 percent said he should face criminal charges. - The same poll found 42 percent somewhat or strongly support abolishing ICE, and 60 percent said ICE sometimes or often uses unnecessary force. - Kelly suggested media coverage may be affecting public views and compared the shift to earlier declines in public confidence in police after George Floyd’s murder. - Analysts and forecasters note the ICE controversy and falling approval on immigration as factors helping Democrats’ midterm outlook; the Cook Political Report has moved eighteen races toward Democrats. Summary: The reported polling and commentary indicate a shift in public sentiment about ICE that could influence down‑ballot races ahead of the November midterms. Forecasters see stronger Democratic prospects for the House while the Senate remains more competitive. Undetermined at this time.