Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Weekend Edition – December 13, 2025

Summary

Overview

This episode of the No Spin News Weekend Edition dives into several of the week's most pressing topics, with Bill O’Reilly focusing his signature combative scrutiny on issues of immigration and fraud in Minnesota, current political polling, U.S. economic policy and perceptions, the Biden administration’s border strategy, European security concerns, and the realities of reporting from war zones. O’Reilly is joined by an array of experts and commentators, including Richard Painter (law professor and former White House ethics lawyer), Dr. Betsy Stevenson (University of Michigan economist), John Solomon (Just The News), Dr. Celeste Wallander (former Assistant Secretary of Defense), and correspondent Robert Sherman.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minnesota Somali Fraud Scandal & Political Culture

Segments: [01:07] – [10:35]

• O’Reilly outlines a major fraud case in Minnesota linked to members of the Somali community; insists that criticism is too often deflected as racism by state officials.
  • "If you criticize the Somali community, who is obviously behind most of this fraud, you get branded a racist." – Bill O’Reilly [01:07]
• He blasts state leadership (Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan) for negligence, arguing that media—not law enforcement—broke the story.
• Richard Painter (U. Minnesota):
  • Confirms scope of the fraud, blames state leadership.
  • Explains why Democrats continue winning in Minnesota: non-competitive Republican candidates and deep-rooted liberal political culture.
  • Emphasizes that not all Somali-Americans are to blame; O’Reilly counters with critiques of a lack of visible intra-community activism.
  • Notable painter point: “The biggest anti-Semites we have at the University of Minnesota are not Somali at all. They're white leftists.” – Richard Painter [09:08]
• O’Reilly links the scandal to national failures of oversight and discusses Congressional Rep. Ilhan Omar.

2. Trump’s Standing in Polls and Economic Debate

Segments: [10:40] – [23:50]

• O’Reilly cites a Harvard Harris poll showing Donald Trump and Joe Biden nearly tied in popularity, noting Trump’s perceived strength on security and the economy.
• Dr. Betsy Stevenson provides nuanced economic analysis:
  • Warns against dismissing affordability concerns—political leaders must listen to actual public experience.
    • “I wouldn’t suggest you try to call the affordability discussion a hoax or blame it on the media...a lot of people are feeling that way.” – Dr. Betsy Stevenson [12:35]
  • Pushes back on O’Reilly’s reductionist view of capitalism as ‘winners and losers,’ emphasizing continual improvement and voluntary exchange.
    • “The essence of capitalism is being able to grow and do more through voluntary exchange.” – Dr. Betsy Stevenson [13:48]
  • Diagnoses current inflation as primarily a supply problem (tariffs, lack of housing, shortage of doctors).
  • Argues for more competition in sectors like insurance to lower costs.
    • “More competition is better.” – Dr. Betsy Stevenson [21:49]
  • Describes the U.S. economy as at a possible inflection point, not currently weak but with sectoral imbalances (“all the job hiring is occurring in two major services: health and education and tourism.”)

3. Biden’s Border Policies & Immigrant Demographics

Segments: [23:55] – [32:04]

• O’Reilly and John Solomon discuss a New York Times article suggesting Biden’s team understood the risks of open-border policies but did not act.
  • “There isn’t a newspaper in the United States that I can just say, 'oh, I think this is true.’ I have to run it through my confirmation mill...” – Bill O’Reilly [25:04]
• Solomon traces the immigration debate back more than two decades.
  • “The more noncitizens that Democrats can bring into the country, the more they can win the apportionment war.” – John Solomon [25:58]
• Asserts, based on reporting and Democratic sources, that large-scale immigration is a conscious Democratic electoral strategy.
  • “That’s what my reporting shows, yeah.” – John Solomon [26:57]
• Discussion of how illegal immigration impacts congressional apportionment and federal funding.
• O’Reilly and Solomon agree that Biden appears largely sidelined in his own administration’s policy decisions on immigration.

4. U.S. Security, NATO, and the European Landscape

Segments: [34:07] – [44:28]

• The U.S. national security strategy, as framed by the Trump administration, is sharply critical of European immigration and defense spending.
• Dr. Celeste Wallander gives a measured assessment:
  • Agrees with parts of the report, noting Europe’s “predominance of hard power over Russia” but disputes logic of U.S. disengagement from NATO/allies.
    • “The United States is more secure when we keep conflicts and adversaries far from our physical homeland borders.” – Dr. Celeste Wallander [35:27]
  • Admits that many European countries have had to reset immigration policies due to internal challenges but insists many (e.g., Italy and Spain) have growing economies.
  • Insists U.S. involvement is essential for deterrence, as Europe alone could not withstand a Russian onslaught.
    • “If you put the United States in the mix as a NATO ally, totally different. Russia is completely deterred...Putin would lose that war.” – Dr. Celeste Wallander [39:43]
  • Details Biden administration’s Ukraine policy: surge of weapons and support for Ukraine, imposition of sanctions on Russia, challenges posed by Chinese and Iranian support for Russia.

5. Reporting from Modern War Zones: First-Hand Account

Segments: [47:13] – [54:10]

• Robert Sherman, NewsNation correspondent, discusses his new book and shares war reporting anecdotes:
  • Describes the psychological adjustment and danger involved (“I didn’t even know to be scared…” [48:04]; “Absolutely, absolutely [was frightened]” [48:55])
  • Explains on-the-ground challenges: makeshift vehicle signage, eating gas station food or candy bars in bomb shelters, renting risky accommodations, being detained and confronted by soldiers.
  • Contrasts Ukraine (highly dangerous, unstructured) with his Middle East reporting (Israel: perils but comparatively more controlled).
  • “Now I'm just so much more curious of a appreciation for the complexity of the world. Most of all, I am so proud to be an American.” – Robert Sherman [48:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Political Leadership and Fraud:

  • “They're just handing out money, no questions asked to criminals...This is a disaster in Minnesota.” – Richard Painter [03:16]
  • “I haven't heard anybody, not one person out of 100,000, say, ‘I'm ashamed. We Somalis aren't like that.’” – Bill O’Reilly [08:31]

• On Immigration and Political Strategy:

  • “The more noncitizens that Democrats can bring into the country, the more they can win the apportionment war.” – John Solomon [25:58]

• On Capitalism:

  • “The essence of capitalism is being able to grow and do more through voluntary exchange.” – Dr. Betsy Stevenson [13:48]
  • “The essence of capitalism is that there are winners and losers. The essence of communism and socialism is everybody's the same because the government imposes that.” – Bill O’Reilly [14:29]

• On American and European Security:

  • “Russia is completely deterred. You see that every day...if Russia wants to stop the West from helping Ukraine, all it has to do is invade Europe. But Putin has been deterred from invading Europe because he knows...he loses.” – Dr. Celeste Wallander [39:43]

• On War Reporting:

  • “You're guilty until proven innocent, it's a very scary time.” – Robert Sherman [49:07]
  • “Sometimes a gas station hot dog is as good as it gets. If they have coffee, that is at a premium, especially in wartime Ukraine in the middle of the winter.” – Robert Sherman [50:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Minnesota Fraud & Political Failure: [01:07] – [10:35]
• Economic Polling and the Capitalism Debate: [10:40] – [23:50]
• Borders, Immigration, and Biden’s Strategy: [23:55] – [32:04]
• Europe, NATO, and U.S. Security: [34:07] – [44:28]
• Correspondent Life in Ukraine & Israel: [47:13] – [54:10]

Tone & Style

O’Reilly upholds his trademark bluntness, skepticism toward both government officials and mainstream media, and confrontational interviewing, frequently pushing his guests into clarifying or defending their positions. The experts, for their part, bring nuance—even while challenged—often blending experience-based insight with data and historical context. The episode blends policy dissection, statistical interpretation, and war-zone storytelling with O’Reilly’s clear focus on facts, accountability, and adversarial questioning.

Conclusion

This edition weaves together the week’s biggest headlines and recurring debates—immigration, economic anxiety, law enforcement, great power competition, and media trust—offering listeners both hard-edged commentary and expert perspectives. O’Reilly’s trademark is evident: no spin, sharp cross-examination, and concern for factual clarity—backed by policy insiders and reporters from the field.