Podcast Summary: Bill O'Reilly's No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: The O'Reilly Update, September 24, 2025

Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guest Newscaster: Mike Slater
Air Date: September 24, 2025

Overview

This episode of the O'Reilly Update offers a rapid-fire recap of significant national news, commentary on free speech in media, and a brief historical reflection on the legacy and current challenges of the TV program 60 Minutes. Bill O'Reilly addresses hot-button topics such as President Trump’s speech at the UN, threats to communications infrastructure, issues of censorship in television, and the enduring debate over freedom of speech. Listener mail further grounds the episode in current conservative anxieties about media bias and political partisanship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. National News Rundown

(00:09–03:06, Mike Slater)

• Trump’s UN Speech

  • President Trump returns to the United Nations after five years, questioning its effectiveness:

    “All they seem to do is write really strongly worded letters and then never follow that letter up. It's empty words, and empty words don't solve war.” (Mike Slater, 00:30)

  • Trump criticizes UN for “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders.”
  • Trump targets green energy policies:

    “If you don't get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail.” (Mike Slater, paraphrasing Trump, 00:47)

  • Warns about unchecked immigration and defends Christianity as the world’s “most persecuted religion.”

• Assassination Attempt Verdict

  • Second man in Trump golf course assassination plot found guilty; attempted self-harm in court.
  • Emotional courtroom exchange with daughter shouting:

    “Dad, I love you! Don’t do anything… This is not fair. This is all rigged!” (Mike Slater, 01:28)

• Secret Service Discovery

  • Secret Service uncovers illicit network designed to potentially cripple NYC’s communications—over 300 SIM servers and 100K SIM cards found.
  • Official statement: Network could have disabled EMS and police communications.

• Baseball Automation Update

  • Automated balls-and-strikes system coming to Major League Baseball in 2026. Human umpires will remain, teams can now challenge two calls per game.

2. Media Commentary—Freedom of Speech & Censorship in Entertainment

(03:36–07:17, Bill O’Reilly)

• Jimmy Kimmel and Disney

  • O’Reilly’s skepticism on recent Disney–Jimmy Kimmel controversy:

    “To me, this is not a big deal… I’m in the Sergeant Schultz mode on Disney. I know nothing, but not quite.” (Bill O'Reilly, 03:38)

  • Criticizes Kimmel and Disney for alleged lack of ideological diversity:

    “The record shows Jimmy Kimmel will not book non-liberal guests. That's not freedom of speech, Jim.” (Bill O’Reilly, 03:57)

  • Offers similar critique of The View and other Disney shows:

    “The showbiz cabal has completely shut down conservative traditional points of view on television. That is the real censorship. Violation of freedom of speech.” (Bill O'Reilly, 04:16)

• Entertainer Support & “Victimhood”

  • Points out that 400+ entertainment figures, including Selena Gomez, signed an ACLU letter in support of Kimmel.
  • Asserts Kimmel is not a victim, but nor does he deserve a lifetime ban; suggests community service.

• Geopolitical Perspective

  • Satirical warning:

    “Putin and Xi are laughing at us. More weakness from the good old USA. Freedom of speech? Hello, Siberia. Jimmy Kimmel wouldn't like it there.” (Bill O’Reilly, 05:08)

3. Listener Mail

(05:40–07:17, Bill O’Reilly)

• Trump at Charlie Kirk Memorial

  • Multiple letters debate whether President Trump’s remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial became too much of a political rally.
  • O’Reilly’s take:

    “There are a lot of Trump supporters who watch the No Spin News… but I don't think you could generalize across the board.” (Bill O’Reilly, 06:30)

  • Believes Turning Point USA paid for the service, but not confirmed.

• Book Promotion

  • O’Reilly encourages fans to order signed copies of his new book Confronting Evil due to rising demand.

4. Historical Feature: The Legacy and Decline of 60 Minutes

(08:06–10:37, Bill O’Reilly & archival Mike Wallace)

• Debut of 60 Minutes (1968)

  • Overview of the show's innovative magazine format.
  • Clip from Mike Wallace:

    “It has the flexibility and diversity of a magazine adapted to broadcast journalism… If this broadcast does what we hope…it will report reality.” (Mike Wallace, 08:42)

• Heyday and Influence

  • 60 Minutes covered key historic moments (Vietnam, Watergate, etc.).
  • Audience peaked at ~15 million weekly viewers through the early 2000s.

• Modern Criticism & Ratings Decline

  • 2020: Host Leslie Stahl criticized for dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story.
  • 2025: CBS pays Trump $16M to settle a lawsuit over deceptive interview editing.
  • Result:

    “Ratings for 60 Minutes have dropped 50% from its high point.” (Bill O’Reilly, 10:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the UN and Global Affairs:
  • “The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.” — Mike Slater (reporting Trump’s speech), 00:39
• On Domestic Censorship:
  • “The showbiz cabal has completely shut down conservative traditional points of view on television. That is the real censorship. Violation of freedom of speech.” — Bill O’Reilly, 04:16
• On American Media Trends:
  • “Today, 60 Minutes has fallen on rather hard times... Ratings for 60 Minutes have dropped 50% from its high point.” — Bill O’Reilly, 10:33

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:09 – 03:06 | News Recap with Mike Slater (Trump at UN, Assassination Trial, SIM Card Network, MLB automation)
• 03:36 – 07:17 | O’Reilly’s Message of the Day (Jimmy Kimmel/Disney, Censorship, Listener Mail)
• 08:06 – 10:37 | ’Something You Might Not Know’ (History and Decline of 60 Minutes)
• Select Quotes:
  • Trump at the UN (00:30–01:00)
  • Slater’s description of the assassination trial drama (01:28)
  • O’Reilly on Disney and censorship (04:16)
  • 60 Minutes archival intro (08:42)

Tone and Style

• Direct & Blunt: Hosts employ concise, unapologetic language: “Just facts. No spin.”
• Cynical Humor: O'Reilly deploys sarcasm (“Hello, Siberia”) and plays up cultural divides.
• Populist/Conservative: Continuous critique of mainstream media and perceived liberal dominance.

For New Listeners

This episode provides a fast-paced, commentary-driven look at major news events, the state of free speech in American media, and the evolving credibility of once-revered broadcast journalism. Bill O’Reilly’s tone is assertive, skeptical, and openly conservative—appealing directly to a base concerned with censorship and media bias. The structured segments make it easy to catch up on both headline news and deeper political-cultural analysis.