The O'Reilly Update, July 23, 2026

Summary

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

The O’Reilly Update — July 23, 2026

Host: Bill O'Reilly
News Segment Host: Mike Slater

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Episode Overview

This episode of The O’Reilly Update focuses on major current events in U.S. politics, including court rulings on immigration, an international nuclear technology deal, political tensions surrounding Israel, and cultural debates involving sports figures. Bill O’Reilly’s commentary zeroes in on growing inequality between urban and rural America and how it shapes political divides, with a sharp critique of progressive politics. The episode also features an “interesting facts” segment on the history of ice cream, providing a lighter close.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

News Headlines with Mike Slater

[00:39 – 03:31]

1. Court Rulings on Immigration

• Deportation of Mohsen Madawi:

  • The 2nd Court of Appeals overturned lower courts’ attempts to block the deportation of Mohsen Madawi.
  • Madawi, highlighted as a Columbia University protest organizer (age 35, from the West Bank), had a history including drug possession at U.S. customs: “He’s been a student now for going on 16 years…” (Mike Slater, 01:08).
  • “I haven’t seen a single lame Stream outlet mention that.” (Slater, 01:41)

• Fifth Circuit Ruling:

  • The court banned lower courts from releasing migrants on constitutional claims before deportation, addressing thousands released by judges this year:
  • “This year, judges have released more than 11,000 illegals detained by ICE before they could be deported.” (Slater, 02:44)

2. Possible U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal

• President Trump is reportedly seeking congressional approval to share nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia:
  • “The agreement would reportedly grant Saudi Arabia the ability to build and sustain nuclear power plants… it would require Saudi Arabia to use American companies in making these plans.” (Slater, 03:00)

3. New York Politics: Criticism of Netanyahu

• NYC Mayor and leader of the Democratic Socialists, Mamdani, called for the arrest of Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu as a “war criminal,” invoking an International Criminal Court warrant.
  • “Mamdani said in a video that Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.” (Slater, 03:16)

4. WNBA Player and the Trans Athlete Debate

• Sophie Cunningham addresses backlash for her comments:
  • “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, I never once said that. I think that I’m here to extend love, but I also think that love is truth… I want to protect young girls… who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” (Cunningham, 03:25)

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Message of the Day: America's Urban-Rural Divide

Bill O’Reilly [04:00 – 07:37]

Analysis of Inequality and Political Gap

• O’Reilly emphasizes widening differences between city and country populations:
  • “The gap between folks who live in big cities and those in rural areas is getting wider. That is the key to voting patterns in the future.” (O’Reilly, 04:04)
• He argues this divide benefits Republicans and hurts progressives/Democrats:
  • “Progressives… are not really in touch with what I call the folks… Voters may not like Donald Trump, but I don’t think many of them are going to vote for the far left loons.” (O’Reilly, 04:31-05:09)

Political Polling and Wake-Up Call

• Cites a Washington Post poll showing the Democrats’ share of the national vote slipping:
  • “Democrats are slipping in the national vote 48% down to 45%. And that is a dead heat with the GOP.” (O’Reilly, 05:17)
• Claims that Americans are “waking up to the dangers posed by radical people. And that is a good thing.” (O’Reilly, 05:28)

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Listener Mail & Election Discussion

[05:59 – 07:39]

Question: 2020 Election Turnout

• Fred (Caller): Asks how Biden’s 2020 vote total exceeded Obama’s by 15 million.
  • “In 2020, Biden got 81 million. Where did the 15 million extra votes come from?” (Fred, 06:05)
  • “Donald Trump stipulated the votes. He got 77 this time around. 77 million.” (Fred, 06:14)

O’Reilly Responds on Election Irregularities

• Pushes back on claims of proven fraud:
  • “You always say there’s no evidence of election irregularity in 2020. That’s not true… What I said very, very clearly is that the cases have not been made in federal court.” (O’Reilly, 06:32)
  • “No lawsuits have been filed at the federal level that got into a jury situation or even a judge’s admission. Yes or no? There’s nothing there.” (O’Reilly, 07:00)
  • Clarifies the legal process: “Discovery only happens when the lawsuit is in motion.” (O’Reilly, 07:35)

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Something You Might Not Know: The Ice Cream Cone

[07:39 – 10:19]

Historical Facts & Modern Trends

• The Origin:
  • “122 years ago today, a Syrian migrant named Ernest Hamwi unveiled a new dessert at the World’s Fair in St. Louis… The ice cream cone was born.” (O’Reilly, 07:41)
• Fun Facts:
  • Ice cream dates to the 2nd century BC.
  • Over 600 American varieties; favorites are chocolate, vanilla, strawberry.
  • Industry worth $20B/year, split between “indulgence and wellness.”
• Premium & Novelty Ice Creams:
  • Most expensive: “Golden Opulence sundae… $1,000 a cup.” (O’Reilly, 08:48)
  • Wellness trend: Infused with protein, tofu, weight loss drugs.
  • Cannabis as a Trend: “Fastest growing trend in ice cream is marijuana… Ben Cohen… recently launched his own marijuana flavor… Ben’s Best Blends. A pint sells for 18 bucks.” (O’Reilly, 09:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Slater on media silence:
  “I haven’t seen a single lame Stream outlet mention that.” — on the Madawi case, [01:41]
• Sophie Cunningham on trans athletes:
  “I’m here to extend love, but I also think that love is truth, being honest… I want to protect young girls in a locker room or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” — [03:25]
• O’Reilly on political divides:
  “There’s a big difference in point of view in the countryside as opposed to the big cities… That reality is hurting the Democratic Party right now and helping President Trump and the Republicans.” — [04:08]
• Election skepticism discussion:
  “No lawsuits have been filed at the federal level that got into a jury situation… There’s nothing there.” — Bill O’Reilly, [07:00]
• O’Reilly’s ice cream trivia:
  “The fastest growing trend in ice cream is marijuana… Ben Cohen… recently launched his own marijuana flavor called Ben’s Best Blends.” — [09:35]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:39 — Mike Slater news rundown (immigration rulings, Saudi nuclear deal, NYC politics, sports controversy)
• 04:00 — Bill O'Reilly’s message of the day: Urban/rural divide and political implications
• 05:59 — Listener Q&A: 2020 election, fraud claims, process explanation
• 07:39 — “Something You Might Not Know”: History and trends in ice cream

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Summary Takeaways

• The podcast covers crucial topics like U.S. immigration enforcement, international nuclear technology policy, and divisive domestic culture issues—tying them into the upcoming electoral landscape.
• Bill O'Reilly’s message concentrates on widening urban-rural divides, arguing it is pivotal to American voting patterns and unfavorable for Democrats.
• The episode includes a detailed rebuttal to persistent election fraud claims, emphasizing unproven allegations in court.
• The “Something You Might Not Know” segment delivers a fun, fact-filled diversion about the evolution and current trends in ice cream.

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This summary delivers key insights and quotations, following the conversational and direct tone of the hosts, to ensure clarity and usefulness for listeners or readers seeking a comprehensive recap of this episode.

Transcript

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[Bill O'Reilly]

Bill O'Reilly here. You are listening to the O'Reilly Update. Coming up next, the news with Mike Slater.

[Mike Slater]

Thank you, Bill. It is Thursday, July 23, 2026. Here's what's happening today in America. Two big court wins deal with the Saudis. Mamdani has a message for Bibi and Sophie stands for women. That's all coming up. Then Bill is going to be here with your message of the day. First, the federal government tried to deport Mohsen Madawi. Lower courts stopped his deportation. But now the second court of appeals sided with this administration. It was a unanimous decision saying the lower courts overstepped their authority by intervening at all. This guy was one of the main organizers of the Columbia University protest a couple of years ago. He's 35. He was born in the west bank, came here on a visitor's visa, married an American woman, got approved for a green card. He's been a student now for going on 16 years. Marco Rubio wanted him deported. Lower courts intervened, but now he's got to go. I haven't seen a single lame Stream outlet mention that. In 2019, he was stopped by Customs and Border Patrol and found with possession of LSD, meth and mushrooms, tested positive for opiates and had $4,000 in cash. Another Homeland Security court We in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals banned lower courts from releasing migrants who claim that the Constitution requires they be released before they're deported. This is a big deal because we would capture an illegal alien, then lawyers would get him out of detention and just drag the removal process out forever, if we ever even knew where they went. This year, judges have released more than 11,000 illegals detained by ICE before they could be deported. Multiple reports are saying that President Trump is in varying stages of approving a deal to share nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia. The president is apparently seeking congressional approval for this deal. The agreement would reportedly grant Saudi Arabia the ability to build and sustain nuclear power plants. Uae right next door, has the only nuclear power plant in the Middle east other than Iran. Of course, it is said in this deal that it would require Saudi Arabia to use American companies in making these plans. The mayor of New York City and leader of the Communist Democratic Socialists of America party, Mamdani, said that Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is a war criminal and has called on America to arrest him. The authority to arrest him comes from an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, which America is not a part of. Mamdani said in a video that Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham said, I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, I never once said that. I think that I'm here to extend love, but I also think that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men. That was enough to trigger some outrage on the left. I'm Mike Slater. From the podcast Politics by faith, Bill O'Reilly has your message of the day next

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[Bill O'Reilly]

now for the O'Reilly update. Message of the day on this Thursday. I'm thinking about inequality in the usa. The gap between the folks who live in big cities and those in rural areas is getting wider. That is the key to voting patterns in the future. There's a big difference in point of view in the countryside as opposed to the big cities like New York, L.A. chicago, Miami, San Francisco. That reality is hurting the Democratic Party right now and helping President Trump and the Republicans. Progressives have little perspective. They are not really in touch with what I call the folks. They aren't interested in justice, incarceration. And rational people know this. It's all tied into the Democratic Party. They support the progressive movement. Now, voters may not like Donald Trump or his policies, but I don't think many of them are going to vote for the far left loons.

[Caller/Fred]

They might stay home.

[Bill O'Reilly]

A recent poll from the Washington Post finds Democrats are slipping in the national vote 48% down to 45%. And that is a dead heat with the GOP. As the midterms loom, many Americans are finally waking up to the dangers posed by radical people. And that is a good thing. I'm Bill O'Reilly. I approve the message by writing it. You can reach me billorilly.com, [e-mail] name in town if you wish to opine. Now, let's go to the mail. Steven Striffer, Striffler, I was wondering if you could explain the following.

[Caller/Fred]

Mr. O'Reilly, in 2012, Barack Obama received 66 million votes.

[Bill O'Reilly]

In 2020, Biden got 81 million. Where did the 15 million extra votes come from?

[Caller/Fred]

The hate Trump brigades. Donald Trump stipulated the votes. He got 77 this time around. 77 million. I mean, he's still a powerful emotional force in this country. He stimulates people going to the polling places.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Fred, I'm going to withhold his last

[Caller/Fred]

name because, again, we don't want Fred

[Bill O'Reilly]

to get any grief, okay? Hey, Bill, you always say there's no evidence of election irregularity in 2020. That's not true. So you just misquoted me. What I said very, very clearly is that the cases have not been made in federal court. And then Fred goes on to say discovery was blocked in almost every case. Why are you one of the only people who doesn't know that? Maybe I'm not up to the job anymore, Fred. Okay, I telling you the truth, okay? No lawsuits have been filed at the federal level that got into a jury situation or even a judge's admission. Yes or no? There's nothing there. And number two, discovery only happens when

[Caller/Fred]

the lawsuit is in motion.

[Bill O'Reilly]

In a moment, something you might not know. Now, the O'Reilly update brings you something you might not know. 122 years ago today, a Syrian migrant named Ernest Hamwi unveiled a new dessert at the World's Fair in St. Louis. The Cook took a thin waffle, rolled it into a funnel and stuffed it with two scoops of frozen custard. The ice cream cone was born. Here are a few facts about America's favorite treat. The history of ice cream dates back to the 2nd century BC when Roman soldiers mixed snow and honey for a snack. Today, there are more than 600 varieties of ice cream in America alone. Despite all the options, our favorite flavors have remained the same since the World's fair back in 1904. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. In total, Americans spend $20 billion a year on ice cream. Today, the industry is split between two emerging markets, indulgence and wellness. Premium brands offer the world's finest ingredients like cinnamon from Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla beans. The most expensive scoop can be found in Manhattan. The golden Opulence sundae features candied nuts from Paris, gold leaf South African chocolate. Total price $1,000 a cup. On the wellness side, some companies sell ice cream infused with so called health benefits. Normal flavors are blended with protein, tofu, even weight loss drugs. And here's something else you might not know. The fastest growing trend in ice cream is marijuana. Brands like Cloud Creamery and High Times Dairy sell frozen desserts infused with copious amounts of cannabis. Ben Cohen, the founder of Ben and Jerry's, recently launched his own marijuana flavor called Ben's Best Blends. A pint sells for 18 bucks. Back in a moment.

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[Bill O'Reilly]

you for listening to the O'Reilly Update. I am Bill O'Reilly. No spin, just facts and always looking out for you.

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