Megyn Kelly backs Trump but says, 'I can't stand' the family's 'grifty' business dealings

WASHINGTON, DC: Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly publicly criticized the Trump family's business dealings while making it clear she still supports President Donald Trump politically.

Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, July 1, Kelly said she was disappointed by parts of Trump's administration and admitted she "can't stand" what she described as the family's "grifty" business moves.

Her remarks came just days after new financial disclosures showed Trump earned at least $2.2 billion over the past year, including more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures 

Megyn Kelly calls the Trump family's business dealings 'grifty'

Kelly, a longtime Trump supporter, said she has become uncomfortable with reports surrounding the president's sons and their business ventures.

"The Trump family is grifty. There's been like story after story about all the money his sons are making off of the government, these government contracts they're getting, all that. I can't stand that stuff," she said during an interview with Sky News Australia.

Kelly stressed that her criticism came from someone who has supported Trump for years.

"And I love his sons, OK? So I say this as a true fan of theirs, but I didn't like it when Hunter Biden was doing it and I don't like it when the Trumps are doing it."

Her comments followed disclosures showing that more than $500 million of Trump's reported earnings came from World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company he co-founded with his sons..

Megyn Kelly says Trump remains her preferred choice

Despite her criticism, Kelly made it clear her political support for Trump has not changed.

"But having said all that, it's a binary system. There's no question Trump is reams better than that lunatic Kamala Harris would have been."

She also praised Trump's immigration record, saying, "Trump DID close the border. That counts for a lot!"

The comments stood out because they came from one of Trump's best-known conservative supporters rather than one of his critics.

White House and Trump family push back on Megyn Kelly's remarks

The White House dismissed Kelly's criticism, with spokesperson Anna Kelly calling it "the same, tired narrative" pushed by Democrats.

She added that Trump "only acts in the best interests of the American public" and insisted there are "no conflicts of interest."

A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump also rejected suggestions that the brothers have benefited from government connections, calling those claims "categorically false" and "a deliberate distortion of the facts."

Trump also addressed questions about his financial disclosures on Wednesday, saying he does not personally manage his investments.

"I made a lot of money before I became president. And they invest my money, and I don't talk to them," Trump said, adding that large financial institutions manage his accounts independently.

Responding to criticism over his growing wealth, Trump argued that he has profited simply "because the stock market's going up."