Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News Weekend Edition - March 15, 2025

Introduction

In the March 15, 2025, episode of Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis, host Bill O’Reilly delves into pressing geopolitical issues, including the strategic approaches of former President Donald Trump towards Russia and China, the stability of Ukraine, and concerns surrounding President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen for executive actions. The episode features insightful interviews with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and distinguished Professor Dr. Hal Brands, as well as a critical discussion with Kyle Brosnan from the Heritage Foundation.

Interview with Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Appointment at Columbia University

Bill O’Reilly opens the episode with a conversation with Mike Pompeo, focusing on Pompeo’s recent appointment at Columbia University amidst significant financial withdrawals by the administration. O’Reilly remarks:

“I can't think of a better way to start your academic career by going to Columbia when the president just pulled $400 million out of there.”
[02:05] Bill O’Reilly

Pompeo responds by emphasizing his role as a differing voice amidst the university's challenges:

“I was invited there to come be a different voice and to share both, both my views as a political matter, but importantly my observations as a practitioner who had to actually deliver security for the United States.”
[02:10] Mike Pompeo

Strategy on Ukraine and Russia

The discussion shifts to Trump’s approach to Russia and Ukraine. O’Reilly posits that Trump aims to soften Vladimir Putin to facilitate ceasefire negotiations while restraining Ukrainian President Zelensky’s assertiveness. Pompeo concurs, highlighting Trump’s focus on deterrence:

“President Trump's pretty good at deterrence, and that's what he's going to try to get back. I'm counting on it.”
[05:16] Mike Pompeo

O’Reilly challenges Pompeo on the feasibility of a ceasefire given Putin’s motivations, to which Pompeo suggests that economic reintegration and offering Russia a pathway back into the global economy could incentivize Putin:

“The solution is that you find a mechanism by which to permit Russian activity back in the economic system.”
[06:46] Mike Pompeo

China’s Growing Assertiveness

The conversation then turns to China’s increasing assertiveness under Xi Jinping. O’Reilly questions whether the U.S. response will include military action, to which Pompeo clarifies:

“We're not going to attack China militarily.”
[09:35] Mike Pompeo

Pompeo warns of China’s strategic push for global hegemony despite economic challenges, emphasizing the need for a robust American response.

Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy

O’Reilly reflects on Trump’s foreign policy effectiveness, particularly in deterring aggression:

“We were pretty good at deterring the bad guys from doing exactly what they did to President Biden and invading Europe.”
[05:16] Mike Pompeo

He contrasts this with Biden’s approach, suggesting that Biden’s administration has faltered in maintaining stability, especially concerning Afghanistan.

Personal Insights and Future Prospects

The interview concludes with O’Reilly expressing surprise that Pompeo was not retained in the Trump administration, to which Pompeo remains uncertain about the reasons, acknowledging Trump’s unpredictable nature.

“You let me know, Bill.”
[16:53] Mike Pompeo

Discussion with Dr. Hal Brands on Geopolitical Alliances

The Eurasian Century and Modern Threats

Dr. Hal Brands, a Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, discusses her new book, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World. She outlines the escalating alliances among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, likening the current geopolitical climate to the pre-World War II Axis powers:

“We have four of the bad guys working together at the heart of Eurasia to try to shape the wider world.”
[21:15] Dr. Hal Brands

Comparisons to the Axis Powers

Brands draws parallels between today’s autocratic regimes and the aggressive nations of the 1930s, emphasizing the combined destabilizing effect on global order:

“Today you have a similar phenomenon where Russia and China and Iran and North Korea... they're all putting pressure on the international system that America and its friends built.”
[22:31] Dr. Hal Brands

Strategies for U.S. Foreign Policy

When asked for advice for President Trump, Brands supports continued pressure on Iran and cautions against attempting to divide Russia and China, arguing that such efforts are unlikely to succeed.

“I don't think that's how it works.”
[25:13] Dr. Hal Brands

Brands stresses the importance of a U.S. backstop for European security, ensuring that European nations do not become overly dependent on American military support while maintaining robust defense capabilities.

“I think that Europeans know that they're going to be in trouble if they get attacked by the Russians if the US Isn't there to help.”
[26:35] Dr. Hal Brands

President Trump’s Approach to International Relations

Brands acknowledges Trump’s focus on pragmatic, results-oriented foreign policy, praising his departure from idealistic moralizing in favor of hard power realities.

“Trump thinks we just need to get sort of the moralizing out of US Foreign policy and focus on hard power realities.”
[29:19] Dr. Hal Brands

Heritage Foundation’s Kyle Brosnan on President Biden’s Autopen Controversy

Use of Autopen for Executive Actions

Kyle Brosnan, Chief Counsel of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, raises concerns about President Biden’s use of an autopen to sign executive orders and pardons, questioning the implications for presidential authority and mental capacity:

“We have found evidence that President Biden did not hand sign multiple pardons and acts of clemency throughout his presidency.”
[32:10] Kyle Brosnan

Potential Implications and Legal Challenges

Brosnan discusses the constitutional ramifications and the unprecedented nature of the autopen’s use, highlighting ongoing legal battles to obtain evidence, including audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Herr’s interview with Biden.

“The use of the auto pen to this scale to exercise a power that solely belongs to the president and cannot be legally delegated to anyone is unprecedented.”
[35:40] Kyle Brosnan

Influence of White House Staff

He identifies key figures in the Biden administration who may have had access to the autopen, such as Ron Klain, Neera Tanden, Susan Rice, and Jeff Zients, suggesting that they could have played significant roles in executing unauthorized executive actions.

“...adjusting to leftward turn during the Biden administration from... policies, energy policies, you name it.”
[36:05] Kyle Brosnan

Future Actions and Investigations

Brosnan outlines the Heritage Foundation’s plans to pursue Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and potential lawsuits to uncover the extent of the autopen’s usage and the individuals involved.

“We are uncovering multiple exercises of the pardon power, which only belongs to the President of the United States, that he did not hand sign those documents.”
[32:10] Kyle Brosnan

Brosnan warns of the unprecedented nature of this situation and its potential to become a significant scandal regarding the legitimacy of presidential actions.

“Maybe there is a written trail of evidence of who, who had authorization to sign these pardons?”
[35:08] Kyle Brosnan

Conclusion

Bill O’Reilly’s episode provides a comprehensive analysis of current geopolitical tensions and domestic political controversies. Through in-depth interviews with Mike Pompeo and Dr. Hal Brands, the episode explores strategic foreign policy approaches and the consolidation of authoritarian alliances threatening global stability. Additionally, the segment with Kyle Brosnan highlights critical concerns about the integrity of presidential authority in the Biden administration. This edition serves as a thought-provoking examination of the challenges facing both U.S. leadership and international relations.

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Pompeo:
  “President Trump's pretty good at deterrence, and that's what he's going to try to get back. I'm counting on it.”
  [05:16]

• Dr. Hal Brands:
  “We have four of the bad guys working together at the heart of Eurasia to try to shape the wider world.”
  [21:15]

• Kyle Brosnan:
  “We have found evidence that President Biden did not hand sign multiple pardons and acts of clemency throughout his presidency.”
  [32:10]