Podcast Summary: Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode Title: Is There an Affordability Crisis? Dr. Betsey Stevenson Breaks Down Trump’s Economy & Exposing the Biden Administration’s Border Crisis With John Solomon
Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Bill O'Reilly
Guests: Dr. Betsey Stevenson, John Solomon

Overview

This episode centers on the theme of "affordability" in the American economy, dissecting the narrative around a supposed affordability crisis. Bill O’Reilly delivers his signature “No Spin” take on media messaging, economic indicators, and political strategy leading into the midterms. He’s joined by Dr. Betsey Stevenson (economist, University of Michigan) to analyze U.S. economic trends and former Labor Department chief economist under Obama. Later, investigative journalist John Solomon weighs in on the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis and its political implications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Question of an Affordability Crisis

• O’Reilly’s Opening Remarks ([01:12-06:08]):
  • Reflects on his modest upbringing and the value of money.
  • Argues political focus is shifting toward financial wellbeing of Americans, stating:

    “The midterm vote is going to be based on how Americans are feeling about their finances. Not Ukraine, not even the border... your wallet.”
    (Bill O’Reilly, [02:12])

• Current Price Landscape:
  • Beef (+15%), Bacon (+6%), Coffee (+19%), utilities, health insurance (+6%), and auto insurance (+12%) have risen.
  • Many groceries (eggs, butter, fruit, cereal, fish, rice, pasta, ham) are down year-to-year.
  • Gas prices have decreased except in California.
  • Apparel prices are down; mortgage rates and rents discussed, with rates expected to fall below 6% ([07:17]).
  • The stock market is strong: Dow up 8%, Nasdaq up 19% ([08:02]).
  • Wages up 4% for civilian workers; unemployment steady at 4.1-4.4%.
• O’Reilly’s Assessment:
  • Claims media exaggerates the affordability crisis out of political motivation:

    “It’s all a bunch of nonsense and propaganda. They don’t care about the stats that I just read. ... They want Trump to lose.”
    (Bill O’Reilly, [09:25])

2. Polling & Public Sentiment ([10:50-14:22])

• Harvard Harris Poll:
  • Trump at 47% approval vs. 49% disapproval.
  • 53% say Trump is doing a better job than Biden; 50/50 split on whether the economy is better now.
  • Support for military and National Guard use in cities (51%) and against drug cartels (58%).

3. Deep Dive: Economic Reality with Dr. Betsey Stevenson ([14:22-23:38])

On Media Framing & Affordability:

• Stevenson cautions O’Reilly against dismissing voters’ concerns:

  “…people are feeling that way. And then the job is to figure out why... Are there things you can do that just relieve the pressure enough that they won’t feel that way?”
  (Dr. Betsey Stevenson, [15:07])

On Capitalism:

• She challenges O’Reilly’s “winners and losers” view:

  “It’s the voluntary exchange... The more voluntary exchanges we have, the better we are.”
  (Dr. Betsey Stevenson, [16:20])

On Supply Constraints Driving Costs:

• Cites supply issues (housing, healthcare, tariffs affecting imports like coffee and rubber), and the role of targeted policy to ease affordability ([18:46]):

  “If you want food to be cheaper... you bring in more food or you grow more food. So it’s all about if we bring more to the problem, prices come down.”
  (Dr. Betsey Stevenson, [19:17])

On Trump’s Economic Vision & Tariffs:

• O’Reilly summarizes Trump’s stance:

  “Donald Trump believes that it has to go from a service economy to a manufacturing economy. ...that’s why he did it.”
  (Bill O’Reilly, [19:39])

• Stevenson says manufacturing jobs still declined under Trump and supports more targeted, less broad tariffs ([20:30]).
• Both agree on the value of deregulation and competition—especially in insurance and small business ([21:41]).

Stevenson’s Overall Assessment:

• The U.S. economy is not currently weak but could be at an inflection point; hiring is strongest in health and education services, with little job creation in professional/business services ([23:14-23:39]).

Notable Quotes:

• On Affordability Feeling vs. Stats:
  Stevenson: “I learned a really important lesson... People don’t want to hear that. ...don’t try to call the affordability discussion a hoax or blame it on the media.” ([15:07])
• On Economic Realism vs. Theory:
  O’Reilly: “That’s theoretical. I’m operating in the real life...” ([17:01])
• On Tariffs and Targeting Policy:
  Stevenson: “I would like his tariffs to be much more targeted. ...We need to make it easier for small businesses.” ([20:47])

4. Border Crisis & Political Strategy: John Solomon Interview ([26:43-34:40])

Media, Policy, and Political Maneuvering:

• O’Reilly discusses NYT reporting on Biden’s border management—suggests Biden not truly in charge ([26:43]).
• Solomon ties border policies to Democratic apportionment strategy:

  “The more non-citizens that Democrats can bring into the country, the more they can win the apportionment war. ...Democrats get at least 14 more seats in the US House because of non-citizens.”
  (John Solomon, [27:40])

• O’Reilly presses Solomon, who affirms this is not just opinion but supported by interviews and analysis; says Democrats have used immigration to bolster political power for 20 years, not just under Biden ([29:33]).
• Both criticize the lack of Biden’s direct involvement and blame-shifting in media coverage.

Enforcement, Optics, and Political Risks:

• O’Reilly and Solomon analyze how ICE raids (sometimes involving collateral arrests of non-criminal migrants) might affect Trump’s electoral prospects.
• Solomon: The administration’s strategy is to debunk “fake stories” and keep focus on targeting criminal migrants, with real-time media counter-narratives ([33:05-34:24]).

Notable Quotes:

• On Biden’s Leadership Status:
  O’Reilly: “I think after he was inaugurated he zipped on over there and he took a nap and that nap lasted four years. That’s what I think.” ([31:25])
• On Political Impact of Immigration Raids:
  Solomon: “You have to fight this with statistics... what you see every day, all over the country... We're covering it.” ([33:05])

5. Media and Political Culture ([35:01-40:54])

• O’Reilly contrasts his previous TV ratings with those of Jimmy Kimmel and Anderson Cooper to comment on changes in media influence.
• Criticizes extreme rhetoric from both left and right; cites a viral internet exchange about marriage and family and attacks on conservative figures as damaging to the liberal cause ([37:39-39:32]).
• Observes that progressive extremism is harming the credibility and electoral prospects of Democrats.

6. Concluding Thoughts – USPS and Cultural Shifts ([40:54-41:08])

• O’Reilly notes mail delivery ending in Denmark as a harbinger of the decline of traditional postal services in the US, as society shifts to digital communication.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Spin:

  “Essentials of life... You’ll never hear it in the media... Eggs, butter, ice cream, fruit, cereal, fish, seafood, rice, pasta, ham—all down.”
  (Bill O’Reilly, [04:56])

• On Market Realities:

  “In a capitalistic system, there are winners and losers. There are people who fall behind and people who surge ahead. That’s reality. It’s always been that way.”
  (Bill O’Reilly, [16:10])

• On Political Strategy and Immigration:

  “This goes all the way back to the Clinton Gore years… Clinton was trying to rush a whole bunch of citizens ahead of the normal schedule…”
  (John Solomon, [29:46])

• On Administrative Narrative Shifts:

  “They protected Joe Biden and now they're just throwing him under the bunce by pretending he's irrelevant.”
  (John Solomon, [31:14])

• On Economic Reality:

  “The US economy is not currently weak, but it could be at an inflection point in which it is weakening.”
  (Dr. Betsey Stevenson, [23:14])

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:12 – O’Reilly’s opening on the value of money and economic issues.
• 03:38 – Assessment of Biden and Trump on the economy.
• 04:56 – Year-to-year changes in essential goods’ prices.
• 08:40 – Discussion of wage growth and employment.
• 10:50 – Harvard poll findings on Trump approval.
• 14:22 – Dr. Betsey Stevenson joins; economic analysis and supply chain impacts.
• 19:39 – Discussion on tariffs and Trump’s manufacturing focus.
• 21:41 – On regulation, insurance, and small business competition.
• 23:14 – Economic inflection point and job sector trends.
• 26:43 – Switch to border crisis, NYT article, and intro to John Solomon.
• 27:40 – The political calculus of immigration and apportionment.
• 31:25 – O’Reilly’s view on Biden’s lack of direct involvement.
• 33:05 – ICE raids, political risks, and administration messaging.
• 38:00 – Media soundbites and impact of extreme rhetoric.
• 40:54 – Concluding remarks on decline of USPS and broader cultural change.

Final Tone and Takeaways

The tone is candid and bracingly opinionated, with O’Reilly emphasizing fact-based, unsentimental analysis—a hallmark of his “No Spin” approach. The episode delivers a skeptical take on media narratives of crisis, encourages focusing on hard economic data, and lays out both partisan and expert diagnoses of current policy challenges. Both guests—Stevenson and Solomon—provide substantive counterpoints and expertise, grounding the discussion in economic realities and political history, respectively.

This summary brings forward the analytical heart of the episode, clarifying the hosts’ and guests’ perspectives for those who missed the discussion or want a clear, timestamped walkthrough of the content without spin.