Podcast Summary

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: The O'Reilly Update, November 20, 2025
Host: Bill O'Reilly
Guest Newsreader: Mike Slater

Overview

This episode covers major national news stories—from high-profile immigration arrests to new developments in NATO's response to Russian aggression and an intriguing update on US-Mexico trade. Bill O’Reilly delivers his “Message of the Day” on escalating “Epstein mania” as Congress moves to release sealed records. The episode closes with historical insights on Thanksgiving and a listener mailbag segment tackling border security and inflation.

Key Discussion Points

1. National News Roundup with Mike Slater

[00:39–03:32]

• Immigration Enforcement Surge in Charlotte

  • Operation “Charlotte’s Web”: 200 illegal aliens arrested by US Customs and Border Patrol.

    • Arrested individuals include repeat violent offenders—multiple people previously released from prison (e.g., sexual exploitation of a minor, murder, sexual battery, illegal weapons).
    • A notable case: An individual arrested for vehicle theft and burglary, “illegal alien from Honduras released into Charlotte, finally now captured by Border Patrol.” ([01:42])

  • School Attendance Plunge:

    • “Officials say that there were 21,000 students absent from school in the Charlotte area… teachers said there were only a handful of students who were in their classrooms.” ([01:54])

• Russian Strikes and NATO Response

  • NATO Jets Scrambled: Poland and Romania put on “highest alert” following a Russian air assault across Ukraine. A drone breached 5 miles into Romanian airspace.
    • Ukraine: At least 26 killed, including children, and two high-rise residential buildings destroyed.
    • “Russia’s military said they downed 80 Ukrainian drones that were launched in response.” ([02:26])

• Trade Deficit and US-Mexico Economic Shifts

  • “For the first time in at least 30 years, the United States has exported more to Mexico than Canada. Mexico is now the world’s top buyer of US goods.” ([02:36])
    • The US trade deficit fell by 24%, “the first numbers since Trump’s tariffs… went into effect in August.”

• Supersonic Jets and NFL’s European Expansion

  • NFL exploring supersonic jet travel to enable easier, quicker transport between the US and Europe.
    • “With this supersonic jet, the flight time’s cut in half: New York to London, under four hours … Boom Supersonic plans to have their first commercial jet operational by 2029.” ([03:04])

2. O’Reilly’s Message of the Day: “Epstein Mania”

[03:32–04:58]

• Congressional Moves on Epstein Records

  • “Epstein mania sweeping the country … the House voted 427-1 in favor of releasing Justice Department data on the now dead sex offender. The Senate voted unanimously.” ([03:40])
  • “The one dissenting vote was a Louisiana guy who apparently doesn’t have cable TV.” ([03:44])
  • The legal petition is heading to the president’s desk, with a signature likely to release the files.

• Public Perception and Impact

  • “A new Morning Consult poll says 60% of the American public already has made up its mind and it believes Donald Trump was in cahoots with Epstein or something.” ([04:04])
  • O'Reilly’s View: “The soon to be released data most likely will not crystallize anything, but it will matter because people believe what they want to believe. Facts have little relevance in a time of unbridled social media where standards do not exist.”
    • “If President Trump did anything untoward in connection with Epstein, certainly the Biden White House would have put it out there … Nevertheless, the hysteria will play out. And even if nothing is revealed by the files, folks will hold on to their preconceived notions.” ([04:23])

3. Listener Mailbag: Border Security and Inflation

[04:58–08:38]

• Border and Cartels — Disagreement with Listener “Tim”

  • Tim: “Secure the border. Let it go. We cannot fight Mexico’s war.”
  • O’Reilly’s Response: “That’s a little glib there, Tim. It’s not Mexico’s war. It’s killing hundreds of thousands of Americans and causing child abuse and neglect and crime … not just down there.” ([05:17])

• On Combating Drug Cartels (“Diane” and O’Reilly)

  • “The United States should have wiped out the cartels years ago. People deserve a safe place to live, work and raise their families. These proud, hard-working and faithful people have needed help for decades to avoid their heads ending up on sticks.” ([05:37])
  • O’Reilly: “Okay, but the Mexican government never wanted our help. Too much money down there spreading around.” ([05:47])

• Inflation and Price Drops (“Robert Dean” and O’Reilly)

  • Listener asks: “Do prices ever come down after a significant inflationary event?”
  • O’Reilly: “Yeah, they did. They stabilized. Took three years because Carter just blew everything up. Prices stabilized, started to come down. So they do come down. And I'm telling you, it's not conservatives, it's the Republican Party. Republican president says he's going to lower prices and prices don't get lowered. Gonna have a tough time. Just reality. Gotta live in the real world.” ([06:13])

• On Consumer Influence and Prices (“Robert Powell” and O’Reilly)

  • “If you stop buying a product, the prices go down. My parents back in the 60s stopped buying products that were overpriced and they declined.”
  • O’Reilly: “That was because everybody in the country did the same thing. But today, people want what they want … A lot of that. People buying $75 steaks, a lot of that.” ([07:07])

4. Thanksgiving History & Holiday Economics: “Something You Might Not Know”

[09:08–11:43]

• Origins of Thanksgiving

  • “The feast dates back to 1621. Fifty Pilgrims from the Mayflower and 90 Native Americans gathered together. And the Indian behind the celebration, Squanto … kidnapped by English explorer Thomas Hunt, brought to Spain, sold into slavery … escaped, returned, and helped the Puritans survive the harsh winter.” ([09:18])
  • “As an expression of gratitude, the settlers invited Squanto and a few Indians … for a three day feast.” ([09:46])
  • “President Abraham Lincoln made the holiday official during the Civil War.” ([09:58])

• 2025 Thanksgiving Spending

  • “Thanksgiving will be one of the most expensive on record. According to the New York Post, the average family will spend $600 next Thursday.” ([10:14])
    • Breakdown: $200 on food, $100 on drinks, $300 on travel.
    • “Folks are slimming down the guest list. 2015 … 10 family members. Now that figure has been trimmed to six.” ([10:31])

• Fun Fact

  • “Turkey wasn’t served at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth. The original menu included deer, duck, oysters, lobster and eel. Pumpkins were consumed, but not in a pumpkin pie. Each dish was eaten with knives, spoons and fingers. Forks did not arrive in New England for another 10 years.” ([10:46])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Congressional Votes and “Epstein Mania”:
  Bill O'Reilly (03:44): “The one dissenting vote was a Louisiana guy who apparently doesn't have cable tv.”

• On Public Belief and Facts:
  Bill O'Reilly (04:23): “Facts have little relevance in a time of unbridled social media where standards do not exist.”

• On Border Violence:
  Bill O'Reilly (05:17): “It’s not Mexico’s war. It’s killing hundreds of thousands of Americans and causing child abuse and neglect and crime and on and on and on and on. Not just down there.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------| | 00:39 | Mike Slater’s news update begins | | 01:10 | Details on Charlotte's Web operation/arrests | | 02:06 | Russia-Ukraine attacks, NATO response | | 02:36 | US-Mexico trade update | | 03:04 | NFL & supersonic jets in Europe | | 03:32 | O’Reilly’s “Message of the Day” begins | | 04:58 | Listener Mailbag: Border, cartels, prices | | 09:08 | “Something You Might Not Know”—Thanksgiving |

Tone and Language

The tone is assertive, candid, and unfiltered—characteristic of Bill O’Reilly’s “No Spin” approach. He interweaves direct criticism, wry commentary, and a focus on factual clarity, while also challenging listener views in the mailbag segment.

Useful for New Listeners

This summary provides a comprehensive rundown of the week’s top stories, O’Reilly’s editorial take on a major public scandal (Epstein files), as well as digestible history and practical economic insights for the Thanksgiving holiday—all without requiring prior listening.