Megyn Kelly criticized a New York City retail store for a policy that penalizes mothers who request breastfeeding covers while nursing infants.

The controversy highlights a growing cultural clash over public modesty and the interpretation of women's rights in urban commercial spaces. Kelly said the push for total exposure during breastfeeding has transitioned from a right to a political requirement.

During an interview with Paul Murray on Sky News Australia, Kelly discussed a specific store in New York that imposes fines on mothers who ask for a "hooter hider" [1]. She said the establishment insists that breasts remain on full display during the process, suggesting that mothers who choose to cover themselves are viewed as bad parents [1].

Kelly said the store's stance is part of a broader ideological trend. She asked, "What about the weird obsession by the leftists with showing your breast while you breastfeed?" [1].

The host said the policy reflects a left-wing fixation on breast exposure that she finds objectionable [1]. By framing the issue as an obsession, Kelly positioned the store's requirement for full display as an imposition of political values rather than a supportive measure for nursing mothers.

This incident occurs amid ongoing debates regarding the balance between public health advocacy for breastfeeding and the individual preference for privacy. While many jurisdictions protect the right to breastfeed in public, the implementation of fines for using covers represents a rare and aggressive approach to enforcing exposure [1].

““What about the weird obsession by the leftists with showing your breast while you breastfeed?””

This conflict illustrates the tension between the legal right to breastfeed in public and the emerging social pressure to perform that right without modesty aids. By criticizing the store's fines, Kelly is highlighting a shift where the 'right' to be uncovered is being interpreted by some institutions as an 'obligation' to be uncovered, further polarizing the discourse on bodily autonomy and public decorum.