Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis
Episode: Highlights from O'Reilly's No Spin News - January 20, 2026
Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guests: Hugo Gurdon (Washington Examiner), Colby Hall (Mediaite)
Episode Overview
This episode centers on key political and national security issues facing the United States in early 2026, focusing on:
- State-level "rebellion" against federal immigration law
- Demonstrations in Minnesota and left-wing political organization
- Dramatic drop in illegal southern border crossings
- President Trump’s saber-rattling over Greenland and foreign policy strategies
- Looming crises in Iran
- Debates over executive overreach and checks and balances
- The role of truth-telling in public and private life
O’Reilly emphasizes his “No Spin” approach, asserting his analysis avoids bias and caters exclusively to factual discussion.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Defining “No Spin” and Episode Premise
[00:12]
- O’Reilly reaffirms his show avoids ideological pandering, striving for an unbiased, fact-based perspective.
- Major news focus: Eight states rebelling against federal immigration laws. O’Reilly likens this to pre-Civil War rebellion, warning of historical parallels.
Quote:
“We don't pander, we don't propagandize, and we don't push ideology. That's what no spin means.” — Bill O’Reilly [00:12]
2. Minnesota Protest & State Rebellion Against Immigration Law
[00:50 – 6:00]
- Reviews a recent demonstration in Minnesota against a lethal ICE shooting.
- The protest, organized by the Minnesota Immigration Rights and Action Committee, is described by O’Reilly as “ideological” and orchestrated by the far left, not organically emerging from the public.
- 29 arrests; protest involved debris thrown at police, some violence.
- Emphasizes that 8 states (CA, OR, WA, CO, MN, IL, MA, NJ) are in “open rebellion” against federal law by refusing to cooperate on immigration enforcement.
- Draws historical analogies to Southern resistance (1830–1860), the Civil War, and Vietnam-era state protest.
Quote:
“When you have ten states basically telling the federal government, we're not going to obey your law, you have what they had before the Civil War.” — Bill O’Reilly [06:30]
3. Federal and Law Enforcement Accountability
[07:00 - 09:00]
- O’Reilly argues federal law must be enforced but insists on de-escalation when possible to avoid violence.
- Criticizes both the left for not respecting Trump-voter priorities and any law enforcement overreach.
Quote:
“You don't up it, because if there's a lot more violence, then the Trump administration is going to lose the country... The federal government has to enforce immigration law, but it has to be done a little bit differently now.” — Bill O’Reilly [08:40, 10:40]
4. Border Crossings Statistics
[10:50]
- Cites Customs and Border Protection data: Drastic drop in illegal southern border crossings since Trump’s return to office.
- Biden 2023 Q1: 865,000 crossings
- Biden 2024 Q1: 988,000 crossings
- Latest quarter (Trump): 91,000 crossings (down 95%)
- Asserts Democrats “don’t want to stop” illegal crossings and that this is essential context for policy debates.
5. The Greenland Situation & Trump’s Foreign Policy Approach
[11:48 – 18:59]
- Brief mention of a recent conversation with President Trump—O’Reilly expresses a sense of sympathy for him while critiquing his inflammatory tactics.
- Discusses potential military intervention in Greenland, dismisses its likelihood, and warns it would be disastrous for US and NATO.
- Outlines polling showing most Americans strongly oppose any military action regarding Greenland.
- Suggests Trump is “saber-rattling” to make a better deal, using provocative tactics as negotiation leverage.
Quote:
“I don't think US Fortunes are going to invade Greenland... Only nine percent of Americans support a military incursion into Greenland.” — Bill O’Reilly [11:51, 12:51]
With Guest Hugo Gurdon:
- Gurdon agrees on US strategic interests in the Arctic but decries Trump’s threatening approach, urging a lease or negotiated deal with Denmark instead of saber-rattling.
- O’Reilly and Gurdon both concur that Trump uses chaotic, provocative methods to extract favorable deals, a pattern repeated since his business career.
Quote:
“He creates a kind of mayhem... then when they settle for 60% of what he’s asked for... he’s actually getting what he intended.” — Hugo Gurdon [16:33]
6. Iran: Crisis and US Involvement Prospects
[18:59 – 22:00]
- Both O’Reilly and Gurdon agree Iranian regime is unstable; see high probability of US involvement, likely not boots-on-the-ground but surgical action (e.g., “flattening Revolutionary Guard headquarters,” cyber or communications disruption).
- Note the Gulf States advise caution, warning premature US strikes would fuel anti-American religious backlash.
- General consensus: Situation is fluid, US planning must be strategic and careful.
7. Executive Overreach & Checks and Balances [Debate with Colby Hall]
[22:00 – 33:27]
- Reads from Mediaite’s Colby Hall’s column, critical of Trump’s expansive use of executive power and willingness to claim “might makes right.”
- Hall warns of an erosion of checks and balances and warns the US is veering from democratic norms.
Quote:
“My column ‘Enough is Enough’ was really about how under an executive branch that literally acts... with zero checks and balances is acting in a way that really sort of reinforces ‘might makes right.’” — Colby Hall [25:20]
-
O’Reilly pushes back, arguing that courts have blocked Trump actions (e.g., National Guard in LA), so constraints do exist.
-
Hall counters with: “You don’t get to pick and choose what the Constitution says you do... The whole point of the Constitution is checks and balances.” [30:17, 30:50]
-
Spirited debate over the difference between lawful executive action on national security and overreach; both agree on successes at the border and on need for lawful oversight, disagree on the framing of state-level refusal to cooperate with ICE as “rebellion.”
8. The Role of Honesty in Private and Public Life
[37:25]
- O’Reilly shares thoughts on truth-telling, referencing a recent survey (59% of Americans admit to lying weekly).
- Emphasizes to his children, “do the right thing, then you don’t have to lie.”
- Distinguishes lies for gain from harmless social lies.
- Expresses skepticism about survey results but agrees there’s “way too much lying going on” in society.
Quote:
“A lie is an intentional deception to gain advantage. That’s a lie, okay? In the commandments, it’s ‘bear false witness to hurt somebody’… If I am in the presence of someone who lies, then they’re gone.” — Bill O’Reilly [38:37]
9. Final Thought: Taking Action vs. Asking for Help
[40:45]
- O’Reilly discusses his concierge membership helping listeners, noting that people often hesitate to provide the information needed for real help.
- Closes with: “The Lord helps those who help themselves. The more information you compile... the easier for us to correct that wrong.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “When you have ten states basically telling the federal government, we're not going to obey your law, you have what they had before the Civil War.” — Bill O’Reilly [06:30]
- “You don’t up it, because if there’s a lot more violence, then the Trump administration is going to lose the country.” — Bill O’Reilly [08:40]
- “I don’t think US Fortunes are going to invade Greenland... only 9% of Americans support a military incursion.” — Bill O’Reilly [12:51]
- “He creates a kind of mayhem... then when they settle for 60%... he’s actually getting what he intended.” — Hugo Gurdon [16:33]
- “My column ‘Enough is Enough’ was really about how under an executive branch... with zero checks and balances is acting in a way that really sort of reinforces ‘might makes right.’” — Colby Hall [25:20]
- “A lie is an intentional deception to gain advantage. That’s a lie, okay?” — Bill O’Reilly [38:37]
Key Timestamps
- 00:12 — Show premise, “No Spin” definition, introduction of rebellion topic
- 03:09 – 03:46 — Protesters’ voices from Minnesota demonstration
- 06:30 — Civil War parallel, “rebellion” language
- 10:50 — Border crossings data under Trump vs Biden
- 11:48 – 12:51 — Discussion of Greenland, polling on military intervention
- 14:27 – 18:59 — Interview w/ Hugo Gurdon, negotiation tactics and European alliances
- 18:59 – 22:00 — Iran discussion, likelihood of US involvement
- 22:00 – 33:27 — Debate: Trump’s executive power, checks and balances (with Colby Hall)
- 37:25 – 39:40 — “Smart Life” segment: honesty and lying in America
Tone
The tone throughout reflects O’Reilly's signature directness, skepticism toward progressive activism, and insistence on legal order. Guest segments provide reasoned dissent and deeper context, resulting in pointed but civil debates.
Useful For
- Listeners wanting a thorough, critical lens on state-federal conflicts over immigration
- Those tracking shifts in US foreign policy posture (Greenland, Iran)
- Political enthusiasts analyzing executive power, law enforcement controversies, and the influence of organized protest
- Anyone interested in a “no spin,” opinionated but fact-centered breakdown of fast-developing news