Bill O’Reilly Claims Trump Would Have Won If He Was Still At Fox

Bill O’Reilly gave an interview to Dan Abrams’ News Nation Live last night and proved that he hasn’t learned a thing since being fired for the staggering number of sexual harassment complaints against him that had been filed over the years. Rather than appearing as someone somewhat humbled and wiser by his experience and past, he quickly demonstrated that absolutely nothing has changed. His arrogance, self-perception, self-importance are all that we remember and his memory is a bit faulty.

O’Reilly had the audacity to accuse Fox News’s nighttime hosts of “playing to the choir,” when, as it would seem to most, O’Reilly is the one who invented the technique. Stephen Colbert made millions spoofing O’Reilly’s show as one that did nothing but give the audience the red meat that it wanted.

A few debates with Jon Stewart doesn’t mean that the show wasn’t fundamentally about giving the audience what they wanted, perhaps not to the degree used these days. But models and shows like these must always grow more extreme to remain “fresh.”

Abrams brought up O’Reilly’s current tour with Donald Trump and Billo seemed a bit defensive:

“He asked me my opinion and I told him that was a loser. And I told him he should run on his record if he wants to go for another term. That’s exactly what I told him. He asked me, and that’s exactly what I told him.

The tour must have played its last date and will likely never happen again. There is no example available to anyone demonstrating that Trump tolerates factual conclusions that don’t match Trump’s imaginary world.

O’Reilly was asked if he could exist in today’s Fox News lineup:(Link to Mediaite Transcript)

Well sure, because I brought in millions and millions of viewers and billions of dollars to that corporation for more than 20 years. Look, there’ll never be another cable news anchor who’s number one for 16 consecutive years. It’s a different world now. It’s–everything is fractured now.

It is fractured because they are all following the model O’Reilly developed and they’re all about equally good at it. It should be noted that there are occasions on which Maddow wins the widest audience in her prized timeslot.

But if went back to any network and reimposed The O’Reilly Factor where we brought on people to debate from all sides and we presented evidence as best we could backed up by facts, that show would go through the roof. But it’s easy to play to the choir and that’s what they’re all doing now. That’s easy. It’s hard to debate and especially when you bring bright people in.

No. It would die on the vine and the best proof of that is that Tucker Carlson now rivals Sean Hannity (Hannity formerly dominated) and the only real explanation is that Tucker ventures further out into far-right extremism and conspiracy theories. It appears that the audience wants to be the choir, singing it loud.

O’Reilly went on to somewhat defend the current Fox hosts, only to then assure us that he wouldn’t be one of them, that Fox used to be better and he wouldn’t allow Fox to have twisted the facts as to January 6th in the way they have.

“They want what’s best for the country. I would not have done it myself. Fox News is a different place then when I was there. . . when I was there, there was discipline from management that diminishing the Capitol riot could never have happened.”

As self-serving as the statement may be, there could be a fraction of truth to it, but only because Fox has become increasingly extreme, especially over the Trump era. However, there is no indication whatsoever that O’Reilly wouldn’t be leading the network’s march farther and farther right.

Instead of hearing from a humbled and introspective  Bill O’Reilly, we hear that he’s the exact same guy he has been all along despite the life lessons that would otherwise have changed nearly anyone.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Jason Miciak

@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.

Latest posts by Jason Miciak (see all)

• White House Strongly Condemns Trump’s Call to Terminate The Constitution - Sun, Dec 4th, 2022
• DNC Makes South Carolina the State with First Democratic Primary - Fri, Dec 2nd, 2022
• Kari Lake Is Asking People To Break The Law For Her - Thu, Dec 1st, 2022