No Spin News - Weekend Edition - May 2, 2026

Summary

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: No Spin News - Weekend Edition - May 2, 2026

---

Overview

This episode centers on Bill O’Reilly’s inside account of the third assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at the Washington Hilton during a major event, and the subsequent political, media, and cultural fallout. O’Reilly critiques media misreporting, focuses on the dangers of hate speech—highlighting Jimmy Kimmel's controversial remarks—and explores the psychological dynamics of political violence and its amplification through social media. The discussion features appearances from Congressman Mike Lawler, Mark Beckman (Melania Trump’s advisor), psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lemke, as well as audio segments from Jimmy Kimmel and others.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. O’Reilly’s Eyewitness Account of the Attempted Assassination

• Bill O’Reilly was on the scene at the Washington Hilton during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump ([00:07]).
• Describes hearing four shots: “I'm standing right here. Boom, boom, boom.” ([01:12])
• In the ensuing chaos, O’Reilly’s son jokes, “I didn’t know you were taking me to basic training.” ([02:12])
• Secret Service responded rapidly; President Trump and O’Reilly did not hit the ground, unlike most attendees.
• Shooter identified as Cole Allen, 31, who was subdued by Secret Service after firing at federal officers.
• O'Reilly questions event security: “There was no ID required to get in... no security really checking any list.” ([22:42])
• Recounts the psychological aftermath for those present: “People might not know that, but it just doesn't go away.” ([26:30])

2. Media Coverage and Criticism

• O’Reilly contrasts his reporting with cable news, accusing CNN (Kaitlyn Collins) of error: “She doesn’t have the basics down... you don’t report a story like that.” ([09:37])
• Critique of Norah O'Donnell (CBS) referencing the shooter’s manifesto during an interview with Trump: “O'Donnell had no cause to read the ramblings of a loon... That's called gutter snipe reporting.” ([11:28])
• O’Reilly underscores his claim that billoriley.com offers more reliable coverage than mainstream outlets ([19:17]).

3. The Kimmel Controversy and the Boundaries of Satire

• Segment on Jimmy Kimmel’s inflammatory joke about Melania Trump being an “expectant widow” ([12:53])
• Melania Trump publicly condemns Kimmel's rhetoric: “Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country... it is time for ABC to take a stand.” ([13:15])
• President Trump calls for Kimmel’s firing, citing “despicable call to violence.” ([14:00])
• O’Reilly calls on ABC/Disney to fire Kimmel, claiming bias and noting, “He is a hater. He peddles hate... Not a comedian any longer.” ([14:15], [27:03])
• Kimmel responds, claiming his remark was a “very light roast joke” and denies it was incitement ([31:12]).
• O’Reilly rejects the satire defense: “Kimmel is not smart enough, in my opinion, to understand what he's saying.” ([27:03])
• References Disney's perceived leftward bias and declining stock price as possible repercussions of divisive content ([42:15]).

4. Political and Social Ramifications

• Interview with Congressman Mike Lawler, who was present at the Hilton:
  • Stresses challenges of security: “There was no ID required... no magnetometers except right outside the ballroom.” ([22:42])
  • Lawler's wife remarks on the “unnerving” nature of the event and the rise in partisan hatred ([21:47], [24:55]).
  • Lawler agrees political violence and vitriol have increased, fueled by social media and irresponsible influencers: “They seem to believe the ends justify the means.” ([24:55])
• Discussion of the need for a secure venue for presidential events—possibly on White House grounds ([24:20]).

5. The Spread of Hate and Violence in Media & Culture

• O’Reilly and Dr. Anna Lemke (Stanford psychiatrist) discuss social media and TV’s role in spreading hate and normalizing violence ([58:37]):
  • Dr. Lemke: “Violence is contagious... when people see others committing violent acts, they are more likely to commit violent acts themselves.” ([60:18])
  • Comedians like Kimmel blur the line between satire and political punditry: “Jimmy Kimmel hides behind being a comedian when he's making hate speech.” ([61:45])
  • Increasing numbers turn to comedians and social media for news, heightening the impact ([62:53]).
  • Lemke warns of social media addiction leading to mental health problems and social disorder ([64:32]).
  • The echo chamber effect can reinforce delusional beliefs, particularly for those already vulnerable ([67:30]).
• O’Reilly sums up: “Kimmel brings comfort to people who hate Trump anyway, and then a few of them act out on that... he is contributing to this.” ([70:50])

6. Industry and Regulatory Response: Disney/ABC under Fire

• O'Reilly notes that the FCC is investigating whether The View qualifies as a bona fide news program, citing Disney's overall decline ([54:03]).
• Talent agencies reportedly warn Disney that firing Kimmel could result in loss of industry relationships ([56:46]).
• National Religious Broadcasters Association files a complaint, highlighting the cultural impact of violent rhetoric ([57:00]).

7. Melania Trump’s Response – Exclusive Insights

• Interview with Mark Beckman, Melania Trump’s advisor:
  • Melania’s statement and motivation: “This was entirely her decision... simple rhetoric becomes detrimental. It's creating a situation where insane people are listening to this divisive rhetoric, and as a result, they're trying to kill people.” ([36:44])
  • Melania personally affected but focused on safety of all: “She was so happy that not just her and her husband were safe, but everyone in the room was okay.” ([39:55])
  • Beckman questions Disney/ABC’s motives: “This is not an isolated incident... They still monopolize culture... creating the same political divisive rhetoric over and over again.” ([40:26])
  • Argues advertiser boycotts may be the only route to accountability ([46:16]).
  • Highlights Melania’s active, diplomatic First Lady role ([47:42]).

8. Closing Thoughts – The Nature of Hatred and Contagion

• O’Reilly posits that hatred as a “contagion” is being amplified by culture and technology: “Is violence on social media and in the pop culture a contagion?” ([50:05])
• Final segments reflect on the broader implications for American society, media ethics, and whether industry self-correction is possible.
• Sid Rosenberg shares a lighthearted anecdote from radio, a reminder of past media culture ([71:54]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Everybody hits the ground except me and President Trump. We're the only guys.” – Bill O’Reilly ([02:19])
• “I didn’t know you were taking me to basic training.” – O’Reilly’s son, amid the chaos ([02:19])
• “This guy will never, ever see freedom again, ever. In addition to destroying his own life... He destroys the life of his family.” – Bill O’Reilly, on the shooter ([06:05])
• “This isn’t what she’s doing... you don’t report a story like that.” – O’Reilly criticizes Kaitlyn Collins ([09:37])
• “President Trump, not wanting to show any weakness because he never does.” – Bill O’Reilly ([10:00])
• “Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country... Enough's enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.” – Melania Trump ([13:15])
• “If a conservative individual... attack[ed] Barack Obama every day in a personal way... that person would not be working there.” – Bill O’Reilly ([27:03])
• “The more time that individuals spend on social media, the more likely they are to experience depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal ideation...” – Dr. Anna Lemke ([64:32])
• “People most vulnerable to being harmed by social media are people who themselves are mentally unwell to begin with...” – Dr. Anna Lemke ([69:38])
• “Jimmy Kimmel is a hater. That's what he does... The View, they don't care. They're getting a paycheck. It's Disney.” – Bill O’Reilly ([34:25])
• “I’m not a boycotter either. But people should notice, because if they are angry about it and have had enough, then that's a way to punish Disney.” – Bill O’Reilly ([46:16])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:07] – O’Reilly’s first-person recap of the Hilton incident
• [09:07] – Kaitlyn Collins’ misreporting and O’Reilly’s media critique
• [10:54] – Norah O’Donnell interviews President Trump, reads manifesto
• [12:53] – Jimmy Kimmel’s “expectant widow” joke and backlash
• [15:35] – Rep. Jamie Raskin’s remarks; O’Reilly’s response
• [20:12] – Interview: Congressman Mike Lawler and wife on event security, societal division
• [27:03] – O’Reilly’s extended critique of Kimmel, Disney, and broadcast standards
• [35:52] – Interview: Mark Beckman on Melania Trump’s reaction, Kimmel, and Disney
• [58:37] – Dr. Anna Lemke on the psychology of violence, imitation, and media influence
• [71:54] – Sid Rosenberg shares radio anecdote in the closing “final thought”

---

Structure Summary

1. Bill O’Reilly’s Narrative:

• Vivid eyewitness account, humor amidst tension, focus on facts over drama. 2. Media Critique:
• Calls out irresponsible reporting, contrasts with his own methodical approach. 3. Cultural & Political Fallout:
• Examines rising hate, standards in comedy, and gendered perceptions (esp. Melania’s response). 4. Expert Analyses:
• Psychiatric perspective on media, violence, and hate contagion. 5. Solutions & Consequences:
• Push for accountability in media (Disney/ABC), suggest advertiser intervention, highlight deeper need for reform. 6. Broader Societal Questions:
• Reflection on social trends, polarization, and the need for principled journalism.

---

Conclusion

This episode weaves together real-time reporting, pointed media criticism, debate over free speech and hate, psychological insight, and firsthand reactions from key players and experts. The events at the Hilton serve as a springboard for O’Reilly’s broader concerns about American media, social instability, and the toxic consequences of unchecked rhetoric—making for a comprehensive, provocative discussion on the state of U.S. political culture.

Transcript

[Bill O'Reilly]

Welcome to the no Spin News Weekend Edition.

Well, what did I do this weekend? If you travel to billoriley.com, you know, and that is the place where any breaking news is. So if you want to waste your time, and we'll prove it to you tonight, if you want to waste your time watching cable news and the others, it's up to you, okay? But you're not going to get the story. I was right in the middle of this thing on Saturday night, and that is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo. So let me set the stage for you. 2000 people in the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. That's where Ronald Reagan almost lost his life. I wrote a book, killing Reagan. Some of you might have read it. It's about my fifth correspondence dinner. The first one I took Donald Trump. And that's where all of this stuff between Obama and Trump, where it happened, okay? And so over the years, I know the drill, and I was never uneasy in that ballroom. And this year, I would not have gone. But my son said, please take me, because he's a political science major, obviously wants to see what's going on. So we went and sat at the News Nation table, and for some reason, I was in the back of the ballroom. I think I was coming back from the men's room, and all of a sudden I hear four shots, loud. So I'm in the back of the ballroom. There's a door that was open, and then there's an escalator that takes you up to the main floor of the hotel. So the ballrooms packed, as I said, 2000 in there. So I'm. I'm standing right here. Boom, boom, boom.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

4.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Everybody hits the ground except me and President Trump. We're the only guys. Now, my son is under the table. I just leaned under. I go, how is it under there? He goes, you're going to get shot in the head, dad. And I said, look, if they haven't got me after 50 years, they're not going to get me. And then my son, at the line of the evening goes, I didn't know you were taking me to basic training. Because everybody knew that this was an assassination attempt. Because the Secret Service, I would say 20, 30 seconds after the shots, stormed through the door where I was, ran down the aisle and covered the president. So everybody knew that there were bad things afoot. As Sherlock Holmes once said. Now, as a normal human being, I should have hit the turf, but I had to see what was going on. It was my job. I have to see. So I'm there and I'm watching everything that's unfolding. And luckily for me, a marshal, U.S. marshal, was at the door with a earpiece on. And he was a fan of mine, which always helps. So right after the Secret Service went in, I said to him, you know, what's going on? And he briefed me. He said, is it fracas upstairs? There were shots fired. What we know now, which I didn't know then, was that the shooter fired twice from a pistol, and Secret Service fired two or three shots. Very unusual, because if you shoot at a federal officer, which this guy did in the lobby of the hotel, you're usually dead within five seconds. So it was unusual. So I assume that because there was so many people that the Secret Service is taking, you know, measure. So they. They brought him to the ground quickly. You saw the picture of him laying on the ground. And then they had to decide what was going to happen next. President Trump didn't really want to leave because he doesn't like to show weakness of any kind, doesn't want to be intimidated. This is the third assassination on the man attempt. But they had to leave. And I understood, everybody really understood that. There was so much chaos swirling around now. After that, I then swung into my job, which is to get information. And we quickly established that this guy had taken a train from Chicago to D.C. checked into the hotel. He had a hotel room. There are 3,000, okay, people who can be lodged in the Washington Hilton. 3,000. And then you had 2,000 visitors. That's 5,000 people. Far too many. Far too many people. But you wouldn't know it coming in because there were stations everywhere. Here's the key point. The shooter could never have gotten even close to the President because he had to come down an escalator which was manned, then go through a door where I was and the marshals, and then run down a long corridor, if you want to make it that way. But picture it in your mind, long space before he could get into any kind of shooting range. So that was never a problem, was a problem with that. People were close to the shooter. They were diving all over the place, as you said normal people would do. The people close to the President, the deist. They didn't hear the shots. I tell you, they were loud. I mean, I knew right away, because I've heard gunfire in my life, and. And my son is an avid gun enthusiast. I mean, he hunts all the time. He knew what it was. We knew, and they were loud, as I said. But the people in the other half of the room had no idea what was taking place. When they saw all the federal protection run down, then they knew something was wrong. Okay? Now, this guy, Cole Allen, 31 years old, as I wrote on billoriley.com, it's just unbelievable. This guy will never, ever see freedom again, ever. In addition to destroying his own life. And he had no shot at this. Pardon upon none. Okay, okay. He destroys the life of his family. His family's got to deal with this their whole lives. So this guy's a loon. And then he writes up this crazy thing, a manifesto of why he's doing it, and it just makes no sense at all. The guy in the bushes in Palm beach was a loon. The guy on the rooftop who got killed in Butler, Pennsylvania, was a loon. They're all in the same category. They just don't have control over themselves. That's it. And throughout our history, these have been the profile of all the assassins, the presidential assassins. All of them, from John Wilkes Booth onward. They're just crazy, insane people. And that's what he is. But he'll never, ever get out. So he's been charged with trying to assassinate the president and other charges, but that's the big one. And Jeanine Pirro, who we have on our long form, she is part of the prosecution, but the Attorney General, Todd Bland's taken this over. Okay, then we have reaction. This is another fascinating story. So I'm there, and I'm giving information to News Nation through Kelly Myers, who is a very, very good correspondent. She's the top News Nation Washington correspondent, and I'm giving her what I have because I don't want to hotshot it. Okay? Let her. That's her beat. Let her do it. At the same time, CNN is misreporting what happened. Roll the tape.

[Kaitlyn Collins]

All right, guys, I just want you to know. This is not verified. We're just listening to what's happening right now. But we have security around us, and it's Secret Service because there's a lot of members of the administration here. The Secretary of education is seated right next to me. Security just said confirmed that there was a shooter in the lobby. It's not clear where. Obviously, it's a very big hotel in the lobby of the Hilton. They said he is confirmed dead. We don't know anything more than that,

[Bill O'Reilly]

but he wasn't dead. Okay, Now, I'm trying to be fair to Ms. Collins. She's a rookie, all right? She doesn't know, doesn't have the basics down. Just does. Looks good on tv. Can conduct an interview. This isn't what she's doing. You don't report a story like that. You don't, because that's what they call hearsay. She's got no valid source for that story other than some Secretary of education. How would he know? Now, if you want to mention it, you can say there's a rumor. You could say that, but you don't say they said he is confirmed dead. Maybe they said it, but so what? It's wrong. It's wrong. Are we understanding that then President Trump not wanting to show any weakness because he never does. He goes on 60 minutes. Ah, roll it.

[Norah O'Donnell]

You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let's say, Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, you know, I'll do this interview and they'll probably. I read the manifesto. You know, he's a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that. Because I'm not any of those things.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Yeah. O' Donnell had no cause to read the ramblings of a loon. None. Yet she tried to humiliate the President of the United States, who was just attacked and it was edited. There isn't one person in CBS who knows that. That's called gutter snipe reporting. That's what the National Enquirer does. Oh, look, who said this about you? It's not true. Then why are you throwing it out there? You can't do that if you're a responsible journalist. You have to verify it. So the president was absolutely 100% correct in saying to Ms. O', Donnell, who I know. Okay, you should be ashamed of yourself, of reading that. And she should be, but she's not. I'm just doing my job. No, you're not. Talk about malpractice. My God. Okay, and now another controversy is emerging today. Jimmy Kimmel is in the middle of this. So on Thursday, April 23, Kimmel said, this goes.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And, of course, our first lady, Melania is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow. You know Melania's birthday is on Sunday. That's right. She's planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, what have I done?

[Bill O'Reilly]

All right, so the widow line is going to haunt Kimmel. Disney's got to get rid of him got to. So Melania Trump, very rare issued a response today saying, quote, Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family is a comedies words of corrosive deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep covering for him. Enough's enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC's leadership enable Kimmel's atrocious behavior at the expense of our community? Okay, would I fire Kimmel if I were the head of abc? Yes, I would. Yes, I would. It's not first amendment issues. He's in it for the hate. Not a comedian any longer. So shortly after that, the President issued a social media quote. I appreciate so many people are incensed by Kimmel's despicable call to violence. Normally would not be responsive to anything that he said, but this is something far beyond a pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and abc. Thank you for your attention. Okay, so I expect that to happen this week. Now, if Disney defies, then their affiliates will drop Kimmel. Okay. Have to. I mean, these are mistakes. Look, the Kaitlyn Collins mistake, she's a rookie. She doesn't know. The Norah o', Donnell, much more experienced, was to make Trump look bad. But this Kimmel, this is just hate. And then there's Jamie Raskin, Congressman from Maryland, Democrat, one of the chief Trump haters on Capitol Hill. Here's what he said. Go. I have a responsibility.

[Jamie Raskin]

I have personal problem with Donald Trump at all. I mean, I talk about the policies of this administration, the authoritarianism like we saw on display in Minneapolis where two of our citizens were gunned down in the streets simply for exercising their first amendment rights. Renee Good, Alex Preddy and others have, you know, died in custody. I'm talking about policies. I don't personalize it. And I certainly have never called the press the enemy of the people.

[Bill O'Reilly]

No. So he's loathsome and he's trying to virtue signal that Renee Goode and Alex Priddy were just gunned down. It's not that they disobeyed any kind of federal officer or they injected themselves into a very volatile situation. No, they were just gunned down. This is what this guy does, Ratzky. That's who he is. That's what he does. He's not going to stop doing it. Now, political implications from this, the ballroom that President wants to build will get a go ahead. He's being sued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation about the project, which is all private money. And it will go forward, I predict right here because that's the solution. You have your own ballroom on White House grounds and you don't have these security problems. And then the Secret Service isn't getting paid 73 days because the Democrats are holding up funding for homeland security. Let's face it, the US Economy is under stress, national debt rising, trade war shaking the markets. And meanwhile China is dumping the dollar and stockpiling gold. That's why I protected my savings with physical gold and silver through the only dealer I trust, American Hartford Gold. And you can do this. Get precious metals delivered to your door or place in a tax Advantage Gold IRA. They'll even help you roll over your existing IRA or 401 tax and penalty free with billions in precious metals delivered thousands of five star reviews and an A from the Better Business Bureau. You can trust American Hartford Gold as I do. Please call 866-326-5576 or text Bill to 998-899. Again, that's 866-326-5576, or text Bill to 998-899. Did you know?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Fast Growing Trees is America's largest and most trusted online nursery with thousands of trees and plants and more than 2 million happy customers. It's like your local nursery, but anywhere. You live with more plants than you'll find anywhere else. Right now they have great deals on spring planting essentials, up to half off on select plants. And listeners to Our program get 20% off their first purchase when using the code Bill at checkout. That's an additional 20% off. Better Plants and Better Growing at fastgrowingtrees.com using code BILL at checkout fast growing trees.com code BILL now is the perfect time to plant. Let's grow it together. Use Bill to save today. Offer valid with a limited time. Terms and conditions may apply.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So that's got to stop. Obviously, you know there's a whole bunch of things swirling around this terrible incident that happened on Saturday night and I expect them to be resolved in President Trump's favor. So summing up once again, I'm on a scene of a big story. My God, my career is unbelievable. We want you to try to get into your mind that BillOriley.com does have accurate reporting. And then if you want to know something, that is where you go first. Then you can backpedal into the Other if you want, but I'm telling you, it has never been this bad. Journalism had never been this bad. And Disney is in major trouble with, with Kimmel. And that's the memo.

You're listening to the no Spa News Weekend Edition.

Joining us now is Congressman Mike Lawler, who is at the dinner. He is a Republican from New York. All right, so any, what did you take away? Sorry for the cliche, but when you were thinking about the aftermath and your presence where you were, what did you take away from a congressman?

[Congressman Mike Lawler]

Well, my wife and I were in the middle of the room and as you know, Bill, you can't move in that room once you're seated. And so it makes it a real challenge to, you know, get up and get around. And so what we heard was a pop and then a bunch of plates and trays falling to the ground and then the Secret Service flooding into the room to secure the President and ultimately get him, the Vice president, the cabinet secretaries out of the room. And what we were left with was, was a lot of chaos and confusion because you didn't know if somebody was actually in the room or whether or not, you know, there was an active threat. And as you pointed out, I mean, the reporting that was taking place from within the room was inaccurate in a lot of cases. And so it was hard to get the facts.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay, so how did your wife handle it? Was she panicked or how'd she handle it?

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

She was unnerved. And so, you know, obviously I was concerned about her in that moment. We also have two young kids. We have a four year old and an 18 month old. So your, your thoughts are on, on that, you know, in that type of situation. But you know, as, as we got more information and clarity, you know, obviously everybody was in a, in a commerce state, but it's still unnerving, especially you know, when your spouse is there.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Sure. And you're not used to this kind of stuff unfolding right before your eyes. Do you see any political implications coming out of this?

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

Well, look, the Secret Service did a

[Congressman Mike Lawler]

very good job on the perimeter of the ballroom, obviously stopping the individual in

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

his tracks, but, and getting the President.

[Congressman Mike Lawler]

But I do think there's a real problem with these types of large scale events. There was no ID required to get in. There was no security really checking any list whatsoever to verify that somebody should be on the grounds. You had no magnetometers anywhere throughout the building except right outside the ballroom. And the fact that this gentleman was able to get from the 10th floor down a vacant stairwell to the Ballroom area obviously, is disconcerting. So I think, number one, how security is handled at these large scale events needs to be reevaluated. And number two, to the point of the President, this is the third public attempt on his life, and I don't think people are taking it serious enough. You know, I can tell you I'm very active in my district. I've done close to 2000 events in person in district. I take my safety and security seriously because frankly, people are unhinged today. And the fact that, you know, in this type of setting with 3,000 people in a ballroom, that, you know, somebody was able to get within vicinity after you've already had two separate attempts on the President's life, I think it speaks to where and how these events take place. And I do think it, it justifies what the President is trying to do on the White House grounds. You could never get into the White House with a loaded gun.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Yeah, as I said, that really is the point. You can't vote against it now. And the judges will stop the nonsense and they'll okay it, particularly because it doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. Do you, in your career, have you seen a change on the psyche of the American people from when you started? Because there's always been obviously partisan hatred always in this country till now. Have you seen it get worse?

[Congressman Mike Lawler]

No question.

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

You know, frankly, people don't even want to be in the room with people they disagree with. And it's sad. People seem to believe that political violence is the solution to political differences. And rather than engage in honest and robust debate and discussion and duke it out at the ballot box, they seem to believe the ends justify the means. And so I think it's a big problem that we are grappling with as a country. I think social media has been so destructive in our political discourse. You know, people latch on to the quote, unquote influencers who are frankly, grifting and, you know, fueling the rage in this country rather than actually engaged in thoughtful and honest debate. And that's really driving so much of this vitriol and hatred that we see that is just, you know, permeated our politics.

[Bill O'Reilly]

It's not just them, though. It's like it's Raskin. You know, Raskin.

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

Oh, listen, some of my colleagues, some of my colleagues played to the worst of the American people. And listen, somebody like Eric Swalwell, you saw how fast he fell because he was an awful, awful person. And he, you know, lied repeatedly.

[Congressman Mike Lawler]

Raskin has lied repeatedly.

[Congressman Mike Lawler's wife]

It doesn't help the American people. It doesn't serve our country or our body politics well. And frankly, there's people in Congress that are not serious and they don't belong there.

[Bill O'Reilly]

All right, Congressman, we really appreciate it. I'm glad you and your wife, wife, you know, are putting this behind you because there is a, a residual to this kind of a thing. People might not know that, but it just doesn't go away. I can tell you that from personal experience. But we appreciate your time tonight. If we can ever be of service, let us know. Congressman, thank you.

This is the no Spin News Weekend Edition.

Well, nation's still buzzing, as you would expect, about the third assassination attempt on President Trump in Washington on Saturday night. We went over this. I was there. Go to billorilly.com I've got everything you could want about the story. If you're confused, and I don't blame you, if you're confused, go to billorilly.com we will sort it out. But emerging out of this story is hate speech that is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo. Now, you may remember that in September of last year, Jimmy Kimmel said that MAGA people were partially responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Was an outrageous comment, a stupid comment, foolish comment. I gave Kimmel some slack and I did so because everybody makes mistakes. I've been doing this 50 years. I've made mistakes. So I said, look, the guy probably didn't think it out. I'm not asking for him to resign. I'm not asking for Disney to do anything other than to speak with the man and tamp it down. I thought that was a reasonable approach. I was wrong. Okay. Kimmel does not deserve the platform. He is a hater. He peddles hate. Now, a few points. So if a conservative individual were hosting a late night show, a morning show, whenever show on a network, and they attack Barack Obama every day in a personal way, you think that person would be working there on all three of them? No, that person would not be working there. Now, I'm not using bad behavior to point to other bad behavior. I'm telling you the reality of the show business world. But Kimmel is an ardent leftist. We had Rob Schneider on We'll Do It Live. And I said, what happened to Kimmel? Because I know Kimmel and at one time he was a decent guy, a funny guy, and he's no longer. And Schneider said it's his wife, that his wife is such a fanatical leftist and hates Trump so much that Kimmel is feeding off that I Don't know whether that's true or not. That's what Rob said on a record. Okay, so that's number one. This could only happen under a very liberal corporation, and that is the Walt Disney Company based in Burbank, California. That's what they. They are. And to back it up, you got the view. They could fix the view. That's not hard. Springing a couple of moderate women sit on a panel. Is that that hard? No, it's a hate fest. It's not as bad as Kimmel, but it's close. We hate Trump every day, every way. All right, so now Kimmel says on April 23rd of this month, he says that Melania Trump, quote, will be an expectant widow. It was a. He was doing a gag. Expectant widow. This was before Saturday, couple of days before. Okay, so now Kimmel is under a microscope again. That's pretty damning to say that when the President has already been the assassination of him twice. All right, again, Kimmel's not smart enough, in my opinion, to understand what he's saying. He's not smart enough. Kimble doesn't know. Now Kimmel's posture has changed a bit. Go.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It was a pretend roast. I said, our first lady Melania is here. Look at her. So beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow. Which obviously was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they're together. It was a very light roast joke about the fact that. That he's almost 80 and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination. And they know that I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular. But I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house. And also, I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject.

[Bill O'Reilly]

No, he agrees now. Reject hatred, hateful rhetoric. Wow. Boy, what a conversion, huh? Okay, February 6, 2025, go.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Of all the unbelievable things about Donald Trump, religious people believing he is also a religious person might be the toughest one to understand. I mean, if, honestly,

[Bill O'Reilly]

if Trump met

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Jesus, he'd call him a loser. He'd tell him to get a haircut and put a shirt on.

[Bill O'Reilly]

And I could give you, what, 50 more on Baron Trump's birthday. Kim will attack the kid. 19. And this. This isn't hateful rhetoric, Jim. No, it's satire, according to George Clooney. Oh, Satire go.

[George Clooney]

The people that I support, right? The Democrats. I'm a Democrat. I make no apologies for it. The people that I support, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, they didn't enjoy getting, you know, chased down by reporters. You know, people in power don't like to, you know, have to answer all the questions in the world. That's fair. They shouldn't enjoy it.

[Bill O'Reilly]

I want a bunch of bull, all right? Clooney told me that I was too rough on Obama and Obama was president and I should back off. You know, bunch of phonies, okay? And because I had that big to do with Clooney, Jane Fond has popped up, okay? Her group is a free speech group. All right? The Committee for the First Amendment issued this quote. In America, satire not a crime. Right to mock, to challenge and yes, to offend those in power is foundational democracy. From late night television, political cartoons, comedy, long served, a powerful tool, expose hypocrisy, provoke debate, drive accountability. Sure, Jane, right. Okay. But if it's your people, it's a little bit different, isn't it? Because I have a letter signed by Gavin Newsom as mayor of San Francisco demanding Fox take me off the air. And I am going to print that letter in Sunday's column, okay? On Billo reilly.com so this is all nonsense. It's all, we hate Trump and we'll just find a way to hate him more. And you're not going to stop us from hating him. Now economically, this has burned a ABC of news and the Disney Company stock is way down. Everybody else in the Fortune 500 is way up. Now, I'm going to give you those stats in our YouTube bonus. I just don't want to overload here, okay? But the stats are amazing. How much Disney has suffered. You can't tell me that part of that is because of the View and Kimmel's hate it. It's people are tired of it. Okay, so the truth is Disney is really the one, the big villain here. Kimmel not smart enough. All right, the View, they don't care. They're getting a paycheck. It's Disney. And that's the memo.

You're listening to the no Spin News Weekend edition.

Joining us now from New York City is Mark Beckman. He's a senior advisor to first lady Melania Trump. He's the CEO of DMA United, which is a representative agency, does a lot of different things. And he's a producer of the film Melania, which many of you have seen. So we appreciate you coming on. Mr. Beckham, I wanted to know, under President Trump, Melania, the First lady has taken a lot of abuse for five years, and now she felt the need to go after Kimmel personally. Did you advise her to do that? Why did she do that?

[Mark Beckman]

Well, first of all, the first lady really is in control. She drives her own ship. We collaborate at the top. But this was entirely her decision. And I think it's important to her because she realizes that we're living in a time period where simple rhetoric has. It becomes detrimental. It's creating a situation, Bill, over and over again where the country is being divided and, and insane. People are listening to this divisive rhetoric, and as a result, they're trying to kill people, and they are killing people. So it's not just the three assassination attempts on her husband, the President of the United States, but look at Charlie Kirk. So we're living in a time period where words matter. And she wanted to come out and make her point, you know, very clear that it's not okay.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Now, I know her a little bit. Very methodical woman. Not emotional in particular.

[Jillian Michaels]

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe [e-mail]

[Mike Slater]

hey, this is Mike Slater. I have a podcast called Politics by Faith. I would love for you to listen. We take the news of the day and we run it through the Bible. What does the Bible have to say about this? Because there's nothing new under the sun. Read the headlines. Everything's all crazy. World's coming to an end. It's all in the Bible. And after every episode, hopefully you leave with a proper perspective and a biblical piece. Please join us wherever you listen to podcasts and we also have a YouTube page as well. YouTube.com politicsbyfaith

[Bill O'Reilly]

doesn't like the limelight, doesn't like to be the center of attention. So she chose this moment. And I was in the room and I saw her and she was much more affected by what was happening, in my opinion, than President Trump. I mean, she was just appalled by it. Did you get that feeling when you spoke with her?

[Mark Beckman]

I spoke with her that night and I want to tell you she was not frightened. She was very much in control. And in fact, was the first one, I think, in the room to realize what was happening. She went under the table following the proper procedure, and from underneath, she was telling her peers on the table, including her husband, come on under. You got A duck. You got a duck. And then she got out. Fortunately, she was safe. She wasn't frightened. But she does understand, Bill, that being first lady today, being first lady, the wife of President Trump, comes with some inherent risk. Some violence is now connecting to our political ecosystem. She's aware of that. But mainly, Bill, what she told me is that she was so happy that not just her and her husband were safe, but everyone in the room was okay. They were all safe. And that was really what was important to her.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay. But the look on her face when I saw her was one of disdain. And then she transferred that quickly to Jimmy Kimmel. Now, you could go, ladies of the View, you could go the senator from Connecticut, Murphy, you could go to a bunch of congresspeople who are as hateful as Kimmel is. But she locked in on him. Why?

[Mark Beckman]

Well, I think it's time for Kimmel to go. This is not an isolated incident. I don't understand why ABC gives him cover and the parent company, Disney. This hateful, violent political rhetoric has happened over and over and over again from Kimmel for months and months, and it's not okay. It's time to stop. ABC permits his point of view, this. This terrible rhetoric to go into the homes of Americans across the country, into our living rooms across the country, every single night. And there's no logic to it. He's not funny. His viewership is down, his ratings are down, and it's been publicly shared that his business model is failing. What I think, Bill, is that there's a problem with the entire Democrat ecosystem. They still monopolize culture, as I'm sure you would agree. They own entertainment, media, sports, government, politics, but they're all creating the same political divisive rhetoric over and over again. Fascism, Nazis, the anti Semitism, they're spewing language our way. And the Wall Street Journal, Bill, just yesterday reported that for the first time, there's more violence, physical violence, going from the left to the right. Now from the left to the right. This trend has got to stop. Think about it, Bill. How did this teacher on the other side of the country become so cuckoo that he bought a small arsenal of weapons, got on a train, went transversed across the country, checked into the hotel with the specific goal of killing our president and members of the Cabinet. He's hearing all of this over and over again, as so many people are, and we need to pay attention to it, and we need to think about ABC as well.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Well, ABC's profits are down, as you may know. Stock price is 96 approximately, it's almost a 30% drop. And its ad revenue is down. It's down across the board. Not just for Kimmel and the View, but just their products in general. They had that crazy movie, Snow White, the Live thing. Big, big bomb when you would think the opposite, because kids and all that. So, so Disney is paying a fiscal price for this kind of display. But then the question becomes why? Why are you doing that? You've been in the business, Mark, long enough to know companies want to make money. And if you're not making money for them, you're done. But they'll.

[Mark Beckman]

Why are. I'm sorry to interrupt you, Bill, but like, I agree with you, why are they hitching to this Democrat, This Democrat. Vile, right? And it just goes on and on and on. It doesn't make sense.

[Bill O'Reilly]

It doesn't make fiscal sense. However, Disney is an ardently left wing company full of woke, as you know, probably, yes, in Burbank, California, they despise Donald Trump, but now his wife is in it and makes the whole thing more sensitive for women, American women, because they certainly can identify with their husband being shot at three times. And then Melania, that's why I think she did this, because she wanted to get this out there, that this isn't the norm. It's not what we do in America here. Yet the cycle continues because of people like Kimmel. That's what I read into this whole thing.

[Mark Beckman]

Bill, Think about this. So take your concept a little further. You're talking about the Democrat Party dehumanizing the Republicans, right? So what Melania Trump is saying is effectively, I am a mother, I am a wife, I am a daughter. All of my peers who are Republicans are the same. And we should not dehumanize these individuals and we should not normalize this type of rhetoric and, and this type of violence. Enough is enough.

[Bill O'Reilly]

But it took her a real long time to get to enough. And that I think is because of her personality, which is not confrontational. Would I be wrong?

[Mark Beckman]

Well, Bill, with all due respect, I want to tell you that if you go back in time and look at the book and all shortly after the first assassination attempt, she was very vocal about it and she spoke about this negative rhetoric at the time. Remember, Biden and members of his administration were maligning President Trump over and over and over again. And it was that negative rhetoric that I think for the first time caught her attention and she was vocal about it.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay? But this is the first time that she's actually called for a specific person to be Punished, which is Kimmel. Do you believe Disney is going to respond to this or ignore it?

[Mark Beckman]

I say no. And I think it's because of what you stated. They're just a woke left organization with a political agenda. I don't know why they should be thinking about the entire country. Left and right, we like to be entertained. There doesn't need to be an ideology attached to it.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So you don't think that Disney will take any action against Kimmel at all?

[Mark Beckman]

I'd be shocked. They're going to hide behind the First Amendment. And I think it's a. It's a commercial issue here, Bill. And I think we should also look at the advertisers. I can't believe I'm saying this because I was against the whole cancellation moment in Time during. Me too. But look at the companies that are advertising. Why do they want to be affiliated with someone like Kimmel? It makes no sense.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Well, it's true. I'm not a boycotter either. But people should notice because if they are angry about it and have had enough, then that's a way to punish Disney is to tell the sponsors, we're not going to buy your stuff because we don't believe in the product you're sponsoring. Very simple equation. But millions of Americans would have to take time to do that. And I don't know if they will,

[Mark Beckman]

unfortunately. I agree. I agree.

[Bill O'Reilly]

One further thing about Melania Trump, I always got the sense that being a First Lady, I mean, she knows it's. And you can see it today with the British Royal family. She knows how to make people comfortable. She's very good at the job. But I never felt that she loved the job. You know, there's certain first ladies in history just couldn't get enough of being First Lady. Jill Biden is the poster girl for that. Jill Biden. You had to drag her out of that house, that White House. Okay. I never got the feeling that Melania Trump was all that thrilled about all of this. There's danger, there's pomp, there's circumstances, stress, there's on and on. Would I be wrong in saying that, Bill?

[Mark Beckman]

She's very proud to be first lady of the United States. And if you look at what she put herself out to do in March alone, I'm sure you and your viewers will agree she's the first first lady in history of the United nations to address the Security Council when America took the presidency. Her famous speech now spoke about peace through education, tolerance through wisdom. Later on in the month, she assembled almost 50 nations in the State Department with some of the best American tech companies to launch her Fostering the Future Together global coalition. There were companies that came out, including Meta, Google, Adobe, Palantir X, all of the best companies. And on the next day in the White House, it was, she was the first first lady to have so many nations join a first lady for diplomacy purposes ever before in history. This was the day where she brought out the humanoid. And it was further with the mission. It was to further her mission of empowering children through technology and education. This first lady, Bill, has had so many achievements, but the people aren't looking at it. Think about it. Four reunifications between Ukrainian and Russian children and families. She set up a network for foster care kids across the Nation. Now that's in 33% of the states. She's not an elected official. She does not have to do any of this. Yet she keeps building and building and building. In fact, today, Fostering the Future Together stood up with some of the presidential AI State champions that she led at the White House Tennis pavilion, which she built during 45. And the queen participated in this cross cultural educational platform in both VR and AI. People need to know more about what our first lady is.

[Bill O'Reilly]

A lot of coverage, that's for sure on that because the companies are almost fearful of hating her. I mean, they'll go after her, but they don't want to hate her like they are with the president. So, Mark, we really appreciate your time. Thanks very much and I hope we can talk again soon.

[Mark Beckman]

Oh, it's such an honor, Bill. Congratulations with you and all your success. And truly, I'm so grateful to be here with you today.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Anytime, Mark.

This is the no Spin News Weekend Edition.

Here's a key question. Is hatred a contagion? Well, it was in the American Civil War, certainly was in Nazi Germany. Now today in America, because of social media, because of the culture with the progressive left and the far right, is contagion a word we should apply to the violence that we saw on Saturday night and the other two assassination attempts on President Trump. So we're going to get into that very important question this evening. First of all, talking points memo. Here comes the heat directed at the Walt Disney Company. So President Trump has clearly had enough of Jimmy Kimmel. Who can blame him? Kimmel goes on every night and under the guise of comedy, hates President Trump and anybody associated with President Trump. Trump, and I use the word hate literally. I cut Kimmel slack. And you may remember this on the foolish statement he made that MAGA was involved with the Charlie Kirk assassination. And I said, ah, you know, maybe people maybe made a mistake. You know, people make mistakes. I cut him some slack. I was wrong to do that because it was a pattern of behavior we were watching. And the hatred when you're trying to tie in a group of people had nothing to do with Mr. Kirk's demise. If you're trying to say that they did have something to do, that's hatred. And so I have to not apologize, but correct the record. Jimmy Kimmel is a hater. That's what he does. Okay. And we have the same atmosphere at a lesser level on the View, both shows run by the Walt Disney Company. So the FCC announced yesterday, that's the Federal Communications Commission, that it is looking into whether the View is really a legitimate news program. Of course it's not. Anybody who watches it for five minutes knows that's not a news program. They make no attempt to cover the news. Okay. But they're looking at it under the guise of punishing Walt Disney Company. The FCC has also told Disney that they have to submit to a early broadcast license renewal. So the Disney Company owns stations outright in New York City, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Raleigh, Durham, and Fresno, California. So in order for those stations to operate, they have to get government approval. So Disney has to submit a bunch of stuff. Now, all of this is because of Jimmy Kim. Notice would be happy. And as I said, when you're the president, United States, and you got somebody gunning, and I hate to use that terrible pun, but it's true for you every night and backed up by one of the largest corporations in America, you got to take that seriously. So the head of the FCC is a guy named Brendan Carr, and here's what he said about the View yesterday. Go.

[Brendan Carr]

Well, we have an investigation going on right now into the View, and we've raised serious questions with them. They are asserting that the View is what the statute calls a bona fide news program. And if you're a bona fide news program under the law, you actually don't have to comply with the equal time requirements. So they're asserting that they're bona fide news, just like, I don't know, Meet the Press used to be or something like that. There's obviously questions that have been raised about whether they are, in fact, bona fide news. And we've asked them to file a petition at the FCC to try to get some clarification on that, and we'll see where that goes.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay. It's not going to go anywhere this is just socking it to an old 60s expression. The Disney Company. The courts will protect Disney. And even though the View is not a news program, they're going to go, so what now? Jimmy Kimmel himself is very arrogant and unrepentant and continues to attack both Trumps on his television program. Here's what he said last night. Go.

[Norah O'Donnell]

My wonderful mother, Mary McLeod. She came to America at 19, met my incredible father. We loved him so much. We all loved him. We loved her. We loved him, Fred. And they were married for 63 years. And excuse me, if you don't mind, that's a record we won't be able to match, darling.

[Bill O'Reilly]

I'm sorry.

[Norah O'Donnell]

Just not going to work out that way.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Wait a minute. Did he just make a joke about his death?

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay, so Kimmel, as you probably know, made a joke a few days before the shooter showed up in D.C. on Saturday night about Melania Trump being a widow. All right, now, I'm not going to get into a debate about what Kimmel says, what President Trump says. It doesn't matter. What does matter is the hatred that is on display. Now, I did some investigating, as I told you guys I would, why Disney is not cut Kimmel loose because of. And I did. I said this on a Hannity program radio program today. Look, if a conservative commentator, a pundit or comedian or anybody, every major story

[Jillian Michaels]

has a version the news gives you and then a version that's actually true. If you're a critical thinker, if you're somebody who's not tribal, if you're somebody who just wants the facts so you can make your own decisions, Keeping It Real with Jillian Michaels is the show for you. Subscribe now. Wherever you get.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Your podcasts is doing what Kimmel is doing. They're gone. Everybody knows it. It couldn't survive. But apparently CAA and a number of other talent agencies in Hollywood have told the Disney company, if you mess with Jim, we're not going to give you any of our actors or directors or writers. And all talent will go away from the Disney Company. As far as filmmaking is concerned in television, that's the threat. That's what keeps Kimmel in his job. Also, the national religious broadcaster organization NRB filed a complaint against Disney. Here's what it says, quote, when influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable to the already unstable. National platforms carry real weight. With that comes responsibility. That's why this action is warranted. So National Religious Broadcasters Associations, International Evangelical people and have religious stations all over the place. So summing up, Disney's gonna feel it doesn't look to me like they're gonna cave Disney. But I'll tell you what, gonna cost them maybe a billion dollars to defend. And, you know, because President Trump's not gonna back away from this and Kimmel will just go on doing what Kimmel does, selling hatred. And that's the memo.

You're listening to the no Spa News Weekend Edition.

Now the question we tease top of the broadcast, is violence on social media and in the pop culture a contagion? Does it spread? So this guy in Washington on Saturday wrote this manifesto, actually quoting from social media and popular culture in some of the hate Trump stuff that he put in there. It was Victor Davis Hansen as a column on a very good column, good research by the doctor, and you could see it. So the guy is on there on these hate sites and taking stuff off to justify trying to kill the president of the United States. Joining us now from Stanford, California, is Dr. Anna Lemke, professor of psychiatry at Stanford and author of the book the Official Dopamine Nation Workbook, Practical God of Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. So I don't know whether you've discussed this in your classes, Doctor, but it seems to me that there is a bit of, you know, some people call it imitation or they get frazzled or wound up by reading all of this hate stuff. And it's not just about President Trump either. A whole bunch of other people in that and then they act out on it. How common do you think that is?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Well, we are deeply social creatures and

we base much of our behavior on mimicry, which is to say copying other people and what they're doing. And we've known for a long time that violence is contagious in the sense that when we people see other people committing violent acts, they are more likely to commit violent acts themselves. Social media spreads these types of ideas at a very massive scale.

And there's growing evidence to show that

the kind of violence that people see online not only normalizes highly deviant behavior, but also induces individuals to commit similar acts of violence.

[Bill O'Reilly]

And I guess you see that with looting, right? So a few looters go out, they kick in the doors, and then everybody watches. Can I get away with this? And they run in and they do the same thing. But on social media, it's protected by the First Amendment. So there's nothing anybody can do about it unless you directly threaten someone. And Kimmel has not done that. To the president. But certainly he whips up hate every night on his program. But he's a small timer. His stuff gets out on social media, but not a lot of people watch it. Would you say he's a major factor in the spread of this kind of stuff?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Well, I think the issue there is that under the guise of comedy, we

allow a lot of types of speech that we wouldn't allow during sort of other types of discourse. But what's happened with comedians of late is that they've become virtually political pundits. So this line between sort of journalism, political punditry, and comedy has really blurred. And Jimmy Kimmel hides behind being a comedian when he's making hate speech, but then emerges from his comedian stance when he's making different types of political commentary. And I think that's really the issue. You're going to be a comedian as

[Bill O'Reilly]

a psychiatrist, a medical doctor. You just said what Kimmel is doing is hate. Now, his supporters will deny that, and he denies it himself. And so does Disney. Oh, no, this is satire. So people get confused. I mean, is it satire? Is this something normal? Should we accept this? And then what do you say to them?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

You know, no matter what he says about what his nominal role is as

a comedian, the fact of the matter is that survey reports show that a growing number of Americans, especially young Americans, get their news from social media and comedians. So he is de facto a political influencer and functioning as a journalist. And so I don't think we can any longer let him hide behind the extreme.

[Bill O'Reilly]

But he's got protections of the First Amendment and his company, Disney, he's protected because now the. As I said, the talent agencies in Los Angeles have stepped up and said, don't touch him or you. You know, you, Disney are going to suffer. And it's like it's a brawl. The other thing I want to talk to you about is the overwhelming power of social media now, not just about young people. If you go to any restaurant, I'm sure you've seen this out in Stanford, doctor, where there's a family of five sitting around and don't talk to each other. They're all on the phone until their entree comes. Even then they eat and they looking at the phone and it's almost. I know you're an expert in addiction on the social media thing, but when you are spending so much time and investing in the information that you can't possibly. Okay, confirm. That's got to do damage to you too, right?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, there's very Clear evidence that the more time that individuals spend on social media, the more likely they are to experience depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self harm, cyberbullying, sexploitation. I mean, the list really is endless. And the medium has been engineered to be addictive. And part of what makes it addictive is the algorithm that feeds ever more extreme content in the form of extreme violence, extreme outrage, extreme hatred. What's happened is that we're no longer getting content because the content is being usurped by the medium itself, which is so reinforcing that people are staying on it much longer than is healthy for them and far beyond the point when they're actually getting any valuable content or learning or even social connection, which is the nominal intention of social media.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Do you believe that the social media problem that we have has risen to the level of disorder, that you have a social disorder if you're addicted to the net?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

I mean, what I see in clinical

care and what the research shows is that much of the mental health, many of the mental health issues which are growing now, especially among young people, are related to excessive use of social media. And that this kind of polarization and extremism and normalization of deviant behavior is contributed to by social media.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay, so let's get specific. So we got this guy in D.C. and he had no shot, pardon a stupid pun, he had no chance to get to the President of the United States because I was there. And you had to go down an escalator, and the escalator was man, top and bottom. And he did not have any chance of getting into that room and assassinating the President of the United States. Yet he gave up his entire life, wrote a stupid manifesto that actually quotes, as I said, from social media postings and from the Jimmy Kimmels of the world, he actually takes their lines in justifying the. What he's trying to do. But he was willing to give up his entire life. He's never going to get out of prison for, I don't know, a fantasy. I don't, I don't know what it is. Is it. He's such a big hater, he compelled to do it. You know, I'm a rational guy, a linear guy. I'm not going to. You knew you couldn't do it. Why did you even bother?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Yeah, I mean, I, you know, I, as a psychiatrist, I can't make a diagnosis on somebody I haven't directly examined. But I think what is very common is that somebody who starts out with a mental health disorder or is mentally Fragile or is traumatized or in some kind of emotional distress, you know, goes on to a social media platform for distraction, for comfort, for like minded thinkers, and can very quickly get caught in this echo chamber where delusional beliefs, that is beliefs that are not consistent with reality, are validated in this echo chamber on social media, thereby accelerating the mental health condition such that individuals then act out in ways that are hurtful to others, hurtful to themselves, and simply not rational because they're not operating with reality testing. I mean, you know, any of us caught in the echo chamber of our own thoughts would be vulnerable to distortion and delusion. Part of the way that we maintain clarity is by getting real feedback from the people around us, say, hey, that's crazy, or why are you thinking like that? Or those are not our values or whatever it is. But people who are not connected to other people in real life, who give them some kind of real feedback and curb these sorts of, let's say, mentally unwell tendencies, but rather go into the echo chamber of social media and have those validated. That's where I think you get the escalation of these distorted, irrational thoughts that then lead to irrational behaviors.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So final question. So many unstable, violent people, the tendency to violence are getting worse because they're using social media. Do I have that right?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

That is the concern. The people most vulnerable to being harmed by social media are people who themselves

are mentally unwell to begin with, and that is their engagement with social media actually makes their mental health disorder work.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Would you put the haters on television in the same category?

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

What I think is happening with the

haters on television is that when we experience an emotion at the same time that many other people are experiencing an emotion, whether it's joy or outrage or hatred, that is highly enforcing for our mammalian brain that releases dopamine and the reward pathway, it feels good. So I think people are having this experience of collective rage and outrage online, which simply feels good independent of whether or not the reason, the nominal reason for their outrage is justified. So it's kind of an acceleration loop. And I think people can genuinely find comfort and reinforcement in that collective outrage, such that again, they lose touch with their own values, decency with basic civil no restraint.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So a guy like Kimmel brings comfort to people who hate Trump anyway, and then a few of them act out on that. I'm not going to blame Jimmy Kimmel for what happened on Saturday or the other two assassination attempts. That would be unfair. But he is a hater and he is contributing to this.

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

So Dr.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Thanks very much. We learned a lot. The book is the official Dopamine Nation workbook. You might want to check it out and get up to speed on how the social media is affecting this country. Appreciate it, Doc.

This is the no Spin news Weekend Edition.

Final thought. Tonight we're interviewing Sid Rosenberg who's the most successful radio guy in New York City. He's on. We'll do it live now. If you don't know him, he came up under Don Imus. I'm sure you know that name. Imus. Okay. And he became very successful. Rosenberg off doing the Imus program. So we talked about that a little bit. Go.

[Sid Rosenberg]

There was a rule, Bill, you can never look at. I miss not kidding you.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Who. Who couldn't?

[Sid Rosenberg]

None of the employees at WFN were allowed to look at him.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Okay.

[Dr. Anna Lemke]

Why?

[Sid Rosenberg]

The newsroom employees, not Mike and the Mad Dog and the talent. But the newsroom employees were not allowed to look at him.

[Bill O'Reilly]

So the tax and people like that.

[Sid Rosenberg]

That's right. So he'd walk into the newsroom and everybody would look down.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Was there an explanation of why you couldn't look at Imus?

[Sid Rosenberg]

Well, he was, he was a handsome man. So that was.

[Bill O'Reilly]

Was part of it. Right.

[Sid Rosenberg]

It wasn't a drawback like Medusa, you know, but he was just that intimidating that it was a kind of a non written rule. Don't look at him.

[Bill O'Reilly]

And that is a good interview. You'll learn a lot from that. So we'll drop it tomorrow, Thursday at noon for premium and concierge members. You get it first that 8 o' clock for the 6 o' clock for the whole world. It's on YouTube. It's our long form. We'll do it live. We hope you check it out. And thank you for watching the no Smith news tonight. My column on Sunday will include a letter from Gavin Newsom demanding that I, your humble correspondent, be taken off the air. Where do you see this? Well, hope you read the column and we'll see you again on Monday.

Thank you for listening to the no Spend News Weekend Edition. To watch the full episodes of the no spin news, visit billoriley.com and sign up to become a premium or concierge member. That's billoriley.com Sign up and start watching today.

[Energy Trust of Oregon Announcer]

At Energy Trust of Oregon. We know it isn't easy the tremendous costs of maintaining a home, living in a house with drafty windows, poorly insulated spaces or equipment that's running well past its prime. But we also know how to help you upgrade your systems. Insulate your spaces and replace what is old with new energy efficient solutions. Find cash incentives at energytrust. Org Energy Trust of Oregon. More power to you.