Summary5 min read

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

The O'Reilly Update, May 27, 2026
Host: Mike Slater, filling in for Bill O'Reilly
Date: May 27, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, guest host Mike Slater delivers the latest national headlines, political updates, and social commentary. Key topics include President Trump’s rare cabinet meeting at Camp David amid Iran negotiations, chaos at a New Jersey detention center, J.D. Vance’s remarks on the Pope and AI, rankings of patriotic and wealthy U.S. locations, and an extended segment on the dangers of “suicidal empathy.” The episode concludes with a commentary on Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis and the contentious mayoral race.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Top National News Stories (00:22 – 03:54)

President Trump’s Camp David Meeting
- Trump and his cabinet convene a rare meeting at Camp David as U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations reach a critical stage.
- The U.S. military recently launched “defensive strikes” on Iranian naval drones and boats in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Tehran labeled the strikes “a clear violation of the current ceasefire.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is optimistic about a potential nuclear deal within days.
- Trump’s health: He completed a six-month physical at Walter Reed, “everything checked out perfectly.”
  No direct quote but referenced with emphasis on the president’s health status.
New Jersey Detention Center Chaos
- Protests erupted at an ICE facility over claims of inhumane conditions during a detainee hunger strike.
- Notable politicians, including NJ Governor and Senator Andy Kim, participated.
- Notable moment: “One funny moment, two Hispanic people walked out of the ICE facility and the protesters all started cheering them, only to be told that these two Hispanic people who walked out work there.” (02:29)
J.D. Vance Praises Pope Leo on AI and Morality
- Vance commends the Pope's warnings about AI’s moral risks:
  
  “What I read of it sounds very profound and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church. The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does.” (02:56)
Most Patriotic Places in America
- Business Insider ranks cities by veterans’ numbers, voter engagement, and patriotic monuments:
  - Top 5: Jacksonville, FL; Portland, ME; Annapolis, MD; Colorado Springs, CO; and #1 Norfolk, VA.
  - Last place: Newark, NJ.
  “Newark, you guys are last in so many things. What’s going on?” (03:37)
Richest and Poorest Counties
- Wealth rankings by income, home values, assets:
  - Wealthiest: Loudoun County, VA ($150,000 median household income)
  - Poorest: Wheeler County, GA ($21,000 average income)

2. Commentary: “Message of the Day – Suicidal Empathy” (03:54 – 08:06)

Empathy’s Double-Edged Sword
- Discussion inspired by Dr. Gad Saad’s book Suicidal Empathy:
  - Empathy is good but dangerous in excess or deficiency, referencing Aristotle's virtue ethics.
  - Example:
    
    “Too little of it and you’re a psychopath, but too much and you’re a woke woman who supports opening up our borders to every third worlder in the world until you don’t have a country anymore, for example.” (05:01)
Case Study: Subway Incident
- Story of a 23-year-old woman in NYC harassed but refusing to press charges for “not wanting to put another black man in jail,” leading to tragic consequences.
  
  “She had empathy for this criminal and not for the victims of his crime, including herself. And she still thinks she's a good person because she wasn't complicit in the oppression of marginalized peoples.” (05:52)
San Diego Disney Cruise Arrest
- 28 cruise ship staff (mostly Filipino) arrested in a child porn operation.
- A passenger’s reaction: Instead of supporting the arrests, she contacts an immigrant rights group to protest “wrongful detention.”
- Protesters use signs like “Defend Filipino seafarers” in a case involving child exploitation.
- Memorable moment:
  
  “Lady, they're pedophiles on a kids cruise ship. ... Lady. Lady pedophile. Now, what more can you say to them?” (06:58)
Critique of “Woke” Defensiveness
- Even celebrities like Kathy Griffin criticized the arrest as ICE “abducting” workers, despite evidence.
  
  “Even now that we know they were pedophiles, the woke even here will come to their defense. That is suicidal empathy.” (07:21)

3. “Something You Might Not Know” – Los Angeles, Spencer Pratt, and Mayoral Politics (08:06 – 10:50)

LA’s Decline
- Personal anecdote about Hollywood Boulevard’s worsening conditions over 15 years.
- Celebrities live in “pristine” LA while ordinary people face urban squalor.
Spencer Pratt’s Mayoral Run
- Hypocrisy of LA elites vs. real city issues.
- Pratt’s pressure-wash ad campaign highlights city grime and homelessness crisis.
- Drew Carey’s critique of Pratt’s campaign:
  
  “Drew Carey said anyone who votes for or endorses Spencer Prattfall for mayor of LA needs to get their head out of their blank.” (09:34) “But when you’re living this far away from the city... you’re looking at the idea of Los Angeles. Because from this far away, you can’t see the filth of it all.” (09:54)
Silent Voters & Desire for Change
- Suggestion of a “massive silent Spencer Pratt vote” akin to Trump’s 2015 base:
  
  “People can’t admit it out loud, but people who realize that I don’t want to live in squalor anymore... even if maybe it means being a little mean to the criminals and drug addicts.” (10:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Empathy:

“Aristotle wrote about this thousands of years ago. ... Courage is good. You can have a deficit of courage, you’re a coward, but you could also have too much, in which case you’re too rash.” (04:32)
On Wokeness:

“They have, well, TDS. Of course, they also have suicidal empathy.” (07:18)
On Drew Carey and Elite Detachment:

“He has this infinity pool and the living room. The entire wall is all this glass window… But when you’re living this far away… you can’t see the filth of it all.” (09:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

National News Recap: 00:22 – 03:54
Message of the Day: Suicidal Empathy: 03:54 – 08:06
Los Angeles and Mayoral Race: 08:06 – 10:50

Summary

Mike Slater delivers a mix of factual reporting and sharp, conservative social commentary. He critiques what he describes as an “overabundance of empathy” on the left, using current events and cultural anecdotes to illustrate the dangers of misplaced compassion, especially when it concerns public safety, immigration, or crime. The episode reflects O’Reilly's signature “no spin” approach (even as Slater fills in), questioning progressive orthodoxy and highlighting law-and-order narratives, all delivered with a direct, sometimes acerbic tone.

Listeners are left with commentary on how elite and activist perspectives can be disconnected from everyday realities, especially in cities like Los Angeles, and are urged to reconsider the “virtue” of excessive empathy in modern American society.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. Here you are listening to the O'Reilly update. Coming up next, the News with Mike Slater. Thank you, Bill. It is Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Here's what's happening today in America. President Trump and the cabinet headed to Camp David. Chaos at the detention center. J.D. vance praises the Pope. A new survey lists the most patriotic places in America and economists ranked the richest counties in the country. It's all coming up. Then I will be here with your message of the day about suicidal empathy. But first, the president convening a rare cabinet meeting at Camp David as negotiations with Iran enter a critical phase. Earlier this week, the US Military launched defensive strikes against the Iranian navy drones and small boats operating in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran called the strikes, quote, a clear violation of the current ceasefire between the two nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a potential nuclear deal could be reached within days. Worth noting that before this trip to Camp David, the president finished his six month physical at Walter Reed Medical Center. He said everything checked out perfectly. Left wing activists and a few Democrat politicians tried to come to the rescue of illegal immigrant detainees at a New Jersey detention center, creating a bunch of chaos. The governor of New Jersey was there, as well as Senator Andy Kim, a couple of the lawmakers. This is about a hunger strike that was organized by inmates inside this facility. The leftists claim that the detainees are living in inhumane conditions. One funny moment, two Hispanic people walked out of the ICE facility and the protesters all started cheering them, only to be told that these two Hispanic people who walked out work there. Vice President J.D. vance praising Pope Leo's recent comments about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Vance said, quote, what I read of it sounds very profound and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church. The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does. Business Insider ranking the most patriotic places in America. After this Memorial Day weekend, the towns are judged by number of veterans, voting engagement and pro American museums or monuments. The top five, Jacksonville, Florida, Portland, Maine, Annapolis, Maryland, Colorado Springs, Colorado and the most patriotic place in America, Norfolk, Virginia, dead last on this list, Newark, New Jersey. Newark, you guys are last in so many things. What's going on? A report from U.S. news World Report lists the wealthiest counties in the country. Places are ranked by income, home value, property taxes and total assets. The top 10 include Nassau County, New York, Marin County, California, Arlington, Virginia, just outside D.C. santa Clara, California, the wealthiest zip code, Loudoun County, Virginia. Median household earns $150,000 a year. The poorest county in America, Wheeler County, Georgia. Average income $21,000. I'll be back with your message of the day about suicidal empathy next. 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. You 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 Mike Slater filling in for Bill O'Reilly. Now it's time for your O'Reilly Update. Message of the day. I was talking to Bill, Dr. Gad said the other day about his new book, Suicidal Empathy. The thesis is very simple. Empathy is a fine thing, but you can have too little of it or too much of it. Aristotle wrote about this thousands of years ago. All these different virtues you can have, but you can have a deficit or an excess courage, for example, if you have a deficit. So courage is good. You can have a deficit of courage. You're a coward, but you could also have too much, in which case you're too rash. You would charge into battle recklessly. And that doesn't do any good for anyone either. So you got to have the right balance. This idea from Aristotle makes a lot of sense, but it applies with empathy as well. Too little of it and you're a psychopath, but too much of it and you're a woke woman who supports opening up our borders to every third world or in the world until you don't have a country anymore, for example. And people with suicidal empathy, they can take it to extremes you can't even conceive of. There was a woke 23 year old woman who was harassed by a black man in the New York City subway. Her and her friends were attacked. She did not press charges because she did not want to be a part of in her own words, I did not want to put another black man in jail. A few days later, that same person pushed an elderly man down the stairs of the subway and killed him. She said she regrets not pressing charges when she had the opportunity, but she did not want to be seen as racist. How could she do this? Because in her world, empathy is the greatest virtue and you can't have too much of it. And look how much empathy she has. It's just that she had empathy for the wrong person. She had empathy for this criminal and not for the victims of his crime, including herself. And she still thinks she's a good person because she wasn't complicit in the oppression of marginalized peoples. I'll give you another example of how too much empathy, suicidal empathy, can make people do crazy things. There was a Disney cruise docked in San Diego like a week or so ago. Border patrol arrested 28 staffers on the Disney cruise as a part of a child porn operation. 26 of these people were from the Philippines. So the local news in San Diego interviews a woman who was on the cruise who was driving away, and she saw these people getting arrested. She took a video of it and she was describing the scene for the news. And I assumed as she was describing the scene that she was for this, for the arresting of pedophiles. That was just the assumption I had. Silly me. The story ends with her contacting the local San Diego immigrant rights group, Union Del Barrio. From their website, it says, we have dedicated ourselves to struggle on behalf of La Raza living within the current borders of the United States. These people, by the way, were from the Philippines. They're not even of the race that La Raza is even talking about. So they go and they have a protest at the cruise ship Disney, protect your workers from wrongful detention. Lady, they're holding signs. It said that. Lady, they're pedophiles on a kids cruise ship. One sign said defend Filipino seafarers. Lady. Lady pedophile. Now, what more can you say to them? I mean, you can't. You couldn't come up with a more obvious scenario that you'd think everyone would agree with, but they'll never. They can't. They just don't care. They have, well, tds. Of course, they also have suicidal empathy. Wacky Kathy Griffin, she retweeted some news story about this and it said ICE agents raided a Disney cruise ship where it abducted multiple staff members. And even now that we know they were pedophiles, the woke even here will come to their defense. That is suicidal empathy. I'm Mike Slater filling it for Bill O'Reilly. Something you might not know. Next
[07:36]
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[08:07]
A
Mike Slater filling in for Bill O'Reilly. Now it's time for something you might not know. Los angeles is disgusting. 15 years ago I went to the Hollywood Boulevard walk of fame for the first time. It was a cesspool then. It is 15 years worse today looks like a third world encampment down the entire street right in front of the Dolby Theater. That's where they have the Oscars. Of course, they clear it out when all the celebrities come to town. And this is why Spencer Pratt is running for mayor. That hypocrisy where the celebrities are living in one pristine Los Angeles and everyone else is living in squalor. That's got to stop. And his latest ad campaign is he goes around with a stencil and a pressure washer and cleans the grime off the sidewalks. And when they remove the stencil, it says imagine if all the streets were this clean. So if Mayor Bass wants to remove these ads, they have to go and actually clean the sidewalks. It's brilliant. His campaign also has substance. A seven point plan to end homelessness versus Karen Bass and that other woman who say we just need to stay the course, everything's fine. Every sane person in LA knows it's not fine. By sane I mean normal person walks on the sidewalks. Drew Carey for instance. Not one of those people. Drew Carey said anyone who votes for or endorses Spencer Prattfall for mayor of LA needs to get their head out of their blank. I understand being angry or unsatisfied, but at least get behind someone competent and not some serial scammer without a soul or moral compass. Blank this guy already I love. This is great. We need more Drew Carey's to step up and talk about how the current path is great and everything's fine. Drew Carey lives in an enormous 12,000 square foot house, $34 million way up on the hills. He has this infinity pool and the living room. The entire wall is all this glass window overlooking with a perfect view of the Los Angeles skyline. But when you're living this far away from the city of Los Angeles, you're not looking at the city, you're looking at the idea of Los Angeles. Because from this far away, you can't see the filth of it all. You just can't quite see it from your $34 million house. I think there's a massive silent Spencer Pratt voice vote out there like there was for Trump back in 2015. People can't admit it out loud, but people who realize that I don't want to live in squalor anymore. I don't want to live in fear. I want LA to be nice again, even if maybe it means being a little mean to the criminals and drug addicts. I'm Mike Slater from Politics by Faith. More coming up.
[10:50]
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[11:11]
A
I'm Mike Slider. You can subscribe to my podcast@YouTube.com politicsbyfaith Hope you have a great rest of your day. Spread the word.