Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: The O’Reilly Update, December 18, 2025
Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guest Newsreader: Mike Slater
Air Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode provides a brisk, fact-driven analysis of current political events, focusing on President Trump’s recent address, major personnel and policy changes in federal agencies, and military reforms. The episode also touches on controversial media coverage, ongoing foreign interventions, the state of America’s economy, the fentanyl crisis, and the future of postal services in the US, all wrapped in O’Reilly's trademark “No Spin” perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Presidential Address: Immigration, Economy, and Media Relations

[00:39–03:34]

• President Trump addressed the nation in a televised speech with an unexpected focus, misleading the media to anticipate a military strike in Venezuela, only to speak about his administration’s successes.
  • Emphasized actions on immigration:

    "Starting on day one, I took immediate action to stop the invasion of our southern border. For the past seven months, zero illegal aliens have been allowed into our country, a feat which everyone said was absolutely impossible."

  • Claimed progress in economic investment:

    "Already I've secured a record breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States, which means jobs, wage increases, growth, factories opening and far greater national security."

  • Promised "largest tax cuts in American history" to take effect next year.
  • Announced a $1,776 bonus for service members.
• Media coverage critique: White House released charts to networks; only FOX News displayed them.

Major Federal Agency Changes

[03:34]

• Dan Bongino announced his resignation as Deputy Director of the FBI, receiving gratitude from President Trump and Attorney General Bondi.
• Military Reform:
  • Pete Hegseth announced an overhaul of the military’s chaplain corps:

    "In an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers. Faith and virtue were traded for self help and self care."

  • Reframing chaplains as ministers rather than "emotional support officers."

Notable White House Changes

[03:34]

• President added blunt, personalized plaques to the White House presidential portrait hallway:
  • Obama’s plaque:

    “Barack Hussein Obama was the first black president, a community organizer and one of the most divisive political figures in American history.”

  • Biden’s plaque:

    “He was nicknamed both Sleepy and Crooked.”

Bill O’Reilly’s Message of the Day

[05:31–07:12]

• Critique of administration allowing hostile media access:
  • Vanity Fair profiled Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; O’Reilly finds this risky, given the magazine's ideological bias:

    "Vanity Fair is essentially a showbiz glitz publication that has to lean left... President Trump is not liberal and showbiz types mostly loathe him."

  • O’Reilly skeptical of White House’s claim that "quotes are taken out of context," noting “the salacious stuff is all over the media.”
  • The ongoing “media Trump war” is predicted to continue with no clear victory.

Listener Questions & O’Reilly’s Unfiltered Answers

How Will President Trump Fix the Biden Economy?

[07:12–08:28]

• Listener Mary Ann: Concerned about continuing foreign wars under the new president and whether such actions make America “great again.”
• O’Reilly’s response:
  • The US cannot be isolationist:

    "If that happened, it would be a disaster for our economy number one and our security number two."

  • Opposes “pumping money into foreign nations with no responsibility,” but sees engagement as necessary.
  • On Venezuela: US is boycotting oil tankers; regime change seen as a near-term likelihood.

The Fentanyl Crisis as a Weapon

[08:28–09:18]

• Listener Michael asserts non-pharmaceutical fentanyl is a potential weapon of mass destruction.
• O’Reilly:
  > "Fentanyl can kill and especially children if it's in a home... But it's not easy to spread it wide."

Addicts and Fentanyl Risks

[08:28–09:18]

• Listener Deborah: Fewer people intentionally buy fentanyl, but it’s often mixed with other drugs.
• O’Reilly: > "Any illegal narcotic... every addict knows fentanyl could be in it. They take it anyway because they don't care whether they live or die. Most of them don't care. Drugs are more important than life."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On White House media strategy:

  "Why the latest perplexity is Chief of Staff Susie Wiles giving access to Vanity Fair magazine... Showbiz types mostly loathe [Trump]." — Bill O’Reilly [05:45]

• On US's role in the world:

  "We do not have to dominate the world. We can defend ourselves from it. No, we can't. He can't be isolationist anymore." — Bill O’Reilly [08:10]

• On chaplain corps reform:

  "Our chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers, and we're going to treat them as such." — Pete Hegseth (as quoted by Mike Slater) [02:56]

• On fentanyl and addiction:

  "Every addict knows fentanyl could be in it. They take it anyway because they don't care whether they live or die." — Bill O’Reilly [09:10]

Segment Highlight: Future of the US Postal Service

[09:29–12:24]

• Denmark will end its national mail delivery; O'Reilly explores if the US could follow suit.
• Declining demand: US mail volume down 50% since 2001; 90% now pay bills online (was 15% two decades ago).
• Financial issues: US Postal Service runs a $10 billion deficit.
• Suggests privatization as a potential solution, opening mail service to private competition.
• Fun fact: December is the busiest season, with mail volume increasing 40% and 15,000 temps hired at $20/hr.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Presidential address analysis: [00:39–03:34]
• Federal/military updates: [03:34]
• O’Reilly’s Message of the Day: [05:31–07:12]
• Listener mailbag & Q&A: [07:12–09:18]
• US Postal Service future: [09:29–12:24]

Tone and Style

The episode delivers fact-heavy political commentary with O’Reilly’s signature skepticism, directness, and a touch of dry humor. It is candid and, at times, intentionally provocative, especially in its assessment of the administration’s political risks and blunt White House messaging.

Summary

This fast-paced episode critiques recent political moves and media strategies by the Trump administration, tackles contentious military and law enforcement reforms, and entertains listener concerns ranging from the fentanyl epidemic to America’s global posture. O’Reilly’s analysis is consistent in its focus: cutting through media narratives to provide what he considers unvarnished fact with “no spin,” always asserting his role as the listener’s advocate.