The O’Reilly Update – September 22, 2025

Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guest Newscaster: Mike Slater

Episode Overview

This episode covers a range of timely news headlines, including the national response to Charlie Kirk’s passing, a presidential announcement on autism, cyber-attacks affecting major airports, and a historical spotlight on John Paul Jones. Bill O’Reilly’s message of the day dives into the reality of evil in society, inspired by his new book, with audience Q&A on NFL policy and media power. The tone is serious, direct, and laced with O’Reilly’s hallmark “no spin” approach.

Major News Headlines & Coverage

[00:40] Mike Slater reports on the day's primary U.S. news:

1. National Response to Charlie Kirk’s Memorial

• The entire U.S. government and a filled State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona honored the late Charlie Kirk.
• The event was marked by passionate religious testimony:
  • Vice President: “I’ve talked more about Jesus Christ in the last two weeks than my entire time in public life.”
  • Marco Rubio: Delivered “a 60 second announcement of the gospel, maybe better than most any churches have ever done.”
  • Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War): “Only Christ is King, our Lord and Savior. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Fear God and fear no man.”
  • President:
    • “This is the beginning.”
    • “We want religion brought back to America. We want to bring God back into our beautiful USA like never before. We want God back.”
• Personal moment: Erica Kirk, Charlie's widow, publicly forgave her husband’s assassin.

2. Presidential Autism Announcement

• Upcoming White House press conference on autism.
• At Kirk’s memorial, the President stated:
  • “I think we found an answer to autism.” (No further medical details provided in the episode.)

3. Cyber Attacks & Infrastructure Failures

• European airports faced check-in terminal shutdowns due to cyber-attacks.
• Recent radar and telecom outages disrupted Dallas airports, blamed on outdated systems (mention of persistent use of copper wiring).

4. Country Club Shooting in New Hampshire

• “One person has been killed, two more wounded.”
• “A witness says he yelled ‘Free Palestine’ as he opened fire.”
• Minimal mainstream media coverage, according to Slater.

5. Update on Sacramento Shooting

• Suspect: Annabel Hernandez Santana, 64, arrested for a shooting at ABC’s local affiliate; formerly legislative director for California Federation of Teachers.

Bill O’Reilly’s Message of the Day

[04:02]
Topic: The Nature of Evil and Societal Responsibility
Context: Release of O’Reilly’s book Confronting Evil

Key Points

• Evil, not mere political disagreement or difference in interests, is defined as harming others for “venality, power and/or money.”
• The death of Charlie Kirk and ongoing conflicts (e.g., Russia-Ukraine, Hamas) spotlight the persistence of evil.
• O’Reilly stresses the need to face uncomfortable truths:
  • “We can’t look away and we cannot distort the truth any longer. There is evil around us, comes in many forms.”
• “Different points of view are not evil. Competing interests are not either. But harming others…is absolutely evil.”
• Advice to listeners: Learn to recognize villainy, as “true villains have no remorse.”
• On his motivation:
  • “I learned a lot from writing this book. I have increased my goal of exposing dangerous behavior.”

Notable Quote:

• [04:50] Bill O’Reilly: “Evil is an important subject as the nation mourns Charlie Kirk and the detestable Putin continues slaughtering innocent people in Ukraine. And then there’s Hamas, which has brought horror onto the Palestinian people.”

Mail Segment – Listener Q&A

[06:15]

NFL and Memorials (Casey, Philadelphia)

• Question: Did NFL home teams receive options for memorials (Moments of Silence) for Charlie Kirk, as with Black Lives Matter and George Floyd?
• O’Reilly:
  • “No order that I know of from Roger Goodelli, NFL commissioner, to do anything specific on Black Lives Matter and George Floyd.”
  • Differences noted in slogans and stances at various stadiums, but “the kneeling thing” was curtailed due to marketing damage.

Media Reach and Political Bias (Ray Malzo, Prescott, Arizona)

• Question: Did you consider Fox News viewership in comparing influence between left and right media?
• O’Reilly:
  • “Of course I did. Fox News has by far the largest news audience now…'
  • Yet, five “anti-Trump networks” together dominate viewership and social media reach.
  • “So the power of the television leftist news agencies is unchallenged.”

Notable Quote:

• [07:34] Bill O’Reilly: “The power of the television leftist news agencies is unchallenged.”

Historical Segment: “Something You Might Not Know”

[08:40]
Topic: John Paul Jones and Naval Bravery

Key Points

• On September 23, 1779, Jones famously declared, “I have not yet begun to fight” when called to surrender by the British.
• Background: Scottish-born, moved to Virginia, pivotal role in Continental Navy.
• His ship, Bonhomme Richard, outgunned and sinking, forced the British surrender after a three-hour battle.
• Posthumous honors: Buried briefly in France, remains later reinterred with full honors at the US Naval Academy.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Emotional Center: Erica Kirk’s forgiveness of her husband’s assassin.
• Faith and Public Life: The explicit and repeated call from government leaders to restore religion’s influence.
• On Recognizing Evil:
  • [05:20] Bill O’Reilly: “True villains have no remorse.”
• On Media Power:
  • [07:45] O’Reilly: “The pickup that the five networks get on social media way outnumbers what the pickup on Fox is because of the censorship… the power of television leftist news agencies is unchallenged.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:40-03:57: National news headlines with Mike Slater
• 04:02-06:10: O’Reilly’s message of the day: confronting evil
• 06:10-08:10: Audience mailbag: NFL memorials, media power
• 08:40-11:17: “Something you might not know” – John Paul Jones

Tone and Language

Throughout the episode, O’Reilly maintains a forthright, sometimes urgent tone, especially on matters of principle (e.g., confronting evil, faith in public life). The choice of language remains unflinching and clear, consistent with his “No Spin” branding.

Conclusion

This episode stands out for its intersection of faith and politics in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, insistence on truthfully identifying evil in society, and reflections on American resilience—past and present. Both news and commentary sections are threaded with a call to moral clarity and the importance of facing uncomfortable realities.

For further analysis and more “no spin” content, Bill O’Reilly encourages listeners to visit billoreilly.com.