The O'Reilly Update — August 25, 2025

Overview

In this episode of The O'Reilly Update, guest host Mike Slater covers the day’s leading stories in American politics, economics, and culture. The episode dives into President Trump’s new crime crackdown, a major FBI raid, real estate and airline sector updates, and features a deeper discussion on how American culture values human life compared to other countries—especially Russia. The episode closes with a satirical rundown of a memo sent by a Democratic think tank, listing forbidden political jargon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Major News Headlines

• Trump Administration Crime Crackdown (00:10)

  • President Trump expands efforts to reduce urban crime, signaling a potential increase of National Guard deployments in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
  • Last week, National Guard troops were dispatched to Washington, D.C., resulting in a “double digits” crime decrease.
    • “Carjackings down 90%. Hasn't been a homicide since the president announced mobilizing 1,700 National Guard troops to 19 states… all red states.” — Mike Slater (00:45)
  • Command for these National Guard units rests with Republican governors.

• FBI Raids John Bolton’s Home (01:20)

  • The FBI conducted a search at former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s residence.
  • The probe relates to allegations that Bolton transferred classified documents via private email.
  • “FBI Director Dan Bongino confirmed the raid… stating public corruption will not be tolerated.” (01:36)

• Hottest Housing Markets (01:45)

  • Real estate experts report that the top U.S. housing markets heading into 2026 are mostly in red states.
  • Top five include Charlotte (NC), San Antonio (TX), Raleigh (NC), Jacksonville (FL), and Tampa (FL).
    • “Home prices are up 25% compared to 2020.” (01:55)
  • Driving factors: warm climate and high-paying job opportunities.

• Worst Airlines in America (02:05)

  • Of major carriers, Delta had the fewest delayed flights (21%), JetBlue the most (36% delayed, 3% canceled).
    • “Biggest problem for air travel this summer? Nationwide shortage of pilots…” (02:25)
  • Airfare up 25% on average.

2. Message of the Day: The Value of Human Life in American Culture (04:02)

Trump’s Foreign Policy and Motivation

• Host recounts Trump’s stated devotion to reducing unnecessary global deaths, highlighting a quote:
  • “‘I'm not doing this for my health, okay?... I'm doing this to save a lot of lives. Donald Trump hates people dying.’” — Donald Trump (as quoted by Mike Slater, 04:30)
• Trump’s peace brokering in Armenia and Azerbaijan is framed as both “a huge blow to Russia” and a humanitarian act.

Contrasting Value Systems: America vs. Russia

• “Generally speaking, Americans value human life. Not everyone else around the world does. Life is cheap in many places around the world. And one of those places is Russia.” — Mike Slater (05:12)
• The Soviet legacy and current Russian policies are described as devaluing individual worth:
  • “Marilyn Murray… [said] under the Soviet system, they had no worth as a person, that they were only a cog in the wheel that made the state run.” (06:20)
• Literary reflection from Solzhenitsyn:
  • “‘Shall we sum up the whole history of Russia in a single phrase? It's the land of smothered opportunities.’” (07:05)
• America is “the land of hope and a beacon of freedom… a shining city upon a hill” in contrast.

Analysis of Russia’s War Tactics and Mindset

• Putin’s willingness to prolong the Ukraine war is presented as rooted in this disregard:
  • “He’s more than happy to send off young men to die because those young men… would be his opposition back at home.” — Mike Slater (05:50)
• Cultural differences in valuing life make diplomatic resolution challenging:
  • “It may be difficult to understand and therefore make deals with people who don't value human life like we do.” (07:40)

3. “Something You Might Not Know”: Democrat Jargon Memo (09:08)

The “Third Way” Memo

• A left-leaning think tank published a list of 45 words that Democratic candidates are told to avoid due to alienation of “normal people.”
  • “They’ve so lost their way on how to talk like a normal person.” — Mike Slater (09:17)
• Example forbidden words/phrases by category:
  • Therapy-speak: privilege, dialoguing, triggering, microaggression, centering, safe space, holding space, body shaming.
  • Seminar room jargon: subverting norms, critical theory, systems of oppression, cultural appropriation, post-modernism.
  • Organizer jargon: small ‘d’ democracy, radical transparency, stakeholder capitalism.
  • Socioeconomic terms: food insecurity, person who immigrated, the unhoused.
  • Gender/identity terms: birthing person, chest feeding, cisgender, LGBTQIA+, patriarchy.
  • Racial terms: Latinx, bipoc, allyship, intersectionality, minoritized communities.

Commentary and Tone

• Slater lampoons the memo and its earnestness:
  • “We can laugh and we will, we will always laugh at them. But it's a bit of a bummer that they're slowly figuring out what makes them so ridiculous.” (10:30)
  • “I'm sure the chest feeding bipoc allies from their triggered safe spaces will find another way to alienate normal people.” (10:50)
• Overall tone: irreverent, sarcastic, dismissive of progressive language politics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Donald Trump hates people dying. I've never seen a president so dedicated to ending the unnecessary loss of human life around the world.” — Mike Slater (04:33)
• “Has any American president ever cared about Armenia and Azerbaijan? No. No one's ever heard of [them].” — Mike Slater (04:45)
• “Under the Soviet system… they had no worth as a person, they were only a cog in the wheel that made the state run.” — Marilyn Murray, as quoted by Mike Slater (06:20)
• “In America, we sort of take that to the other extreme, like, oh, you're a special little snowflake and the whole world revolves around you.” — Mike Slater (06:48)
• “We value human life in America, not everyone else around the world does.” — Mike Slater (07:35)
• “We can laugh and we will, we will always laugh at them. But it's a bit of a bummer that they're slowly figuring out what makes them so ridiculous.” — Mike Slater (10:30)

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Opening News with Mike Slater | 00:10–02:55 | | Trump Crime Crackdown & FBI Bolton Raid | 00:15–01:40 | | Housing & Airline Reports | 01:45–02:35 | | Message of the Day: Valuing Human Life | 04:02–08:07 | | American vs. Russian Value Systems | 05:10–07:40 | | “Something You Might Not Know”: Dem Jargon Memo | 09:08–End |

Conclusion

This episode dives into the day’s political headlines with an unabashedly conservative, sarcastic perspective. Mike Slater, filling in for Bill O’Reilly, underscores America’s unique regard for human life—contrasting it sharply with Russia—while closing with comedic mockery of the Democratic Party’s evolving language playbook. The episode is rich with commentary on American exceptionalism, culture war rhetoric, and current trends at home and abroad.