The O’Reilly Update — January 16, 2026

Host: Bill O’Reilly
Co-Host/News Segment: Mike Slater
Main Theme: Analysis and commentary on major political events, law enforcement controversies, international affairs, and an historical anecdote.

Episode Overview

This packed episode blends breaking news headlines with Bill O’Reilly’s pointed analysis and listener Q&A. The dominant issues include escalating tensions over ICE operations in Minnesota, presidential threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, a bizarre international standoff over Greenland, a major college sports betting scandal, and Maria Machado gifting her Nobel Prize. In “Message of the Day,” O’Reilly drills into the controversy over an ICE officer-involved shooting, advocating for due process and caution against snap judgments. He also answers mailbag questions on federal intervention and immigration solutions, and closes with an entertaining “Something You Might Not Know” segment revisiting Paul McCartney’s drug arrest in Japan.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. News Headlines with Mike Slater

[00:09 – 03:04]

• Insurrection Act Threatened in Minnesota:

  • Recent Statement: The president threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota leaders fail to quell unrest threatening ICE agents.
    • "If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists...I will institute the Insurrection act...and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in the once great state." — President, [00:27]
  • Historical Note: Last used by George H.W. Bush in 1992 (Rodney King riots), now at a record 34 years of inactivity.

• Dramatic Federal Accusations:

  • “The deputy attorney general Todd Blanch wrote to the mayor of Minneapolis and governor Minnesota, quote, I'm focused on stopping you from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise.” [01:08]

• European Deployment over Greenland:

  • Paris sending troops to Greenland to “stand with Denmark” amid U.S. ambitions to control the territory.
  • Germany, Norway, UK make token troop gestures—“one British guy is going to be a real show of strength from NATO.” [01:38]
  • Trump mocks Denmark’s efforts: “They were serious about this. They put an extra dog sled there last month…That’s not going to do the trick.” [01:48]

• College Sports Betting Scandal:

  • 17 individuals charged in NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association point shaving and betting scam (2022–2025).
  • Bribes $10–30K/game; led by ex-college all-American Antonio Blakeney. 29 games reportedly fixed.

• Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize Transfer:

  • Opposition leader María Machado gifts her Nobel to President Trump, invoking symbolic gesture from Lafayette to Bolívar.
    • “...giving back to their heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.” — María Machado [02:41]
  • Nobel committee immediately clarifies the peace prize is non-transferable.

2. Message of the Day: The ICE Shooting Controversy

[03:04 – 06:58]

• Debate Over Immigration Enforcement:

  • O’Reilly frames the shooting of Renee Goode by an ICE agent in Minneapolis as a deeply contested issue—emphasizes the constitutional duty of ICE as disputed terrain.
  • New detail: The agent is suffering from internal bleeding, likely (but not certainly) from impact with Goode’s vehicle.

• Call for Due Process:

  • “This case cannot be tried based on videotape you watch on television and millions of Americans are doing just that… That’s called due process.” — Bill O’Reilly [03:42]
  • Reminds audience real conclusions should be reserved for the courtroom where evidence is fully examined.

• Warning Against Snap Judgments:

  • "We watching television are not in that kind of a position and we are irresponsible on both sides if we come to any concrete conclusions." — Bill O’Reilly [04:11]

3. Mailbag: Listener Questions and O’Reilly’s Responses

[04:35 – 06:58]

• Federal Intervention in US Cities:

  • Listener Gerald recalls Eisenhower’s deployment to enforce integration, comparing it to the alleged rebellion in Minneapolis.
  • O’Reilly draws parallel: “Yeah, there is any difference. Orville Fabis…basically said to the federal government, blank you…Same thing that Walls is doing.” [05:00]

• Shooting Chronology Analysis:

  • Listener Tom notes: “From the video I saw, it looks like the ICE agent had drawn his weapon before the vehicle began to move forward.” — [05:20]
  • O’Reilly: “That is true. He unholstered his weapon…I saw it.”

• Proposal for Handling Undocumented Migrants:

  • Concierge member Bobby asks if O’Reilly’s 3-month grace period for migrants to register would actually result in departures.
  • O’Reilly responds frankly: “No, I don’t. But that makes it much easier for federal agents to take them into custody…” He acknowledges Congress would need to pass such a law, but an executive order could start it. [05:46]

4. Something You Might Not Know: Paul McCartney’s Japanese Drug Arrest

[07:28 – 09:45]

• Paul McCartney’s Tokyo Ordeal:

  • On January 16, 1980, McCartney detained with half a pound of pot, risking a 7-year sentence; ultimately deported after 9 days in detention.

• Repeat Offenses:

  • Arrested precisely 4 years later in Barbados for purchasing marijuana (fined $100 vs. Japan’s strict laws).
  • Cumulative record: Six arrests in four countries for drug possession.

• McCartney’s Rationalization:

  • “I knew I wouldn’t be able to find anything to smoke in Tokyo. And the stuff I had was too good to flush down the toilet.” — Paul McCartney (2008 interview), [09:30]

• Memorable Reflection:

  • O’Reilly wryly questions if the quality of pot was “good enough to spend nine days in the pokey.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Slater on NATO troop deployment:

  • “One guy, one British guy is going to be a real show of strength from NATO.” [01:40]

• O’Reilly on due process:

  • “We watching television are not in that kind of a position and we are irresponsible on both sides if we come to any concrete conclusions.” [04:11]

• María Machado’s symbolic gesture:

  • “The people of Bolívar are giving back to their heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.” [02:41]

• Listener on Minneapolis and Little Rock parallel:

  • “I remember when President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne into Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce integration law. Yeah, there is any difference.” — Gerald (read by O’Reilly), [04:48]

• Paul McCartney, on his 1980 Tokyo arrest:

  • “I knew I wouldn’t be able to find anything to smoke in Tokyo. And the stuff I had was too good to flush down the toilet.” — Paul McCartney, [09:30]

Important Timestamps

• 00:09 – Mike Slater’s news headlines begin
• 01:08 – Deputy AG’s “promise” to Minneapolis & Minnesota officials
• 01:38 – NATO/Greenland troop commitments and Trump quip
• 02:20 – NCAA/Chinese basketball betting scandal
• 02:41 – Nobel Peace Prize "transfer" to Trump
• 03:04 – O’Reilly’s Message of the Day: The ICE shooting
• 04:35 – Listener mail and O’Reilly’s direct responses
• 07:28 – Story of Paul McCartney’s drug arrest in Japan
• 09:30 – McCartney’s 2008 quotation about his Tokyo pot smuggling

Tone & Style

• Direct, No-Nonsense: O’Reilly maintains his “just facts” style, challenging his audience to resist emotional or media-driven judgments.
• Wry and Irreverent Moments: Slater’s news delivery and O’Reilly’s McCartney story supply dry humor among the serious political discussion.
• Engaged with Listeners: O’Reilly fields mail with candor, not shying away from tough questions or the limits of his own proposals.

This episode exemplifies O’Reilly’s brand: hard-edged news, skepticism toward media narratives, and an insistence on historical context and due process—all delivered with a mix of gravitas and occasional levity.