Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: Bill O'Reilly Is "Easy To Hate (And That's A Fact)"
Date: March 26, 2026
Guest: Bill O’Reilly

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Dana Carvey and David Spade sit down with the controversial journalist and author Bill O’Reilly. The conversation veers from showbiz war stories, comedy philosophies, and the shifting sands of TV, to O’Reilly’s new book Confronting Evil, his historical outlook, personal relationships in Hollywood, and candid takes on politics, presidents, and cultural divides. True to the show’s style, the banter is irreverent, peppered with impressions, inside jokes, and sharp, unfiltered commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life After Fox and the DIY Media Shift

• Bill O’Reilly discusses his post-Fox career and the rise of independent content creators:
  • “So what we do here, once I left FOX News, was I said, look, I've been working for corporations now for 42 years, and I'm gonna do it on my own now… I took five people from FOX with me and then we grew it. 60 people worked for me. 6-0 now.” (07:32)
  • Carvey and Spade observe the acceleration of this no-boss, indie ecosystem, mentioning Glenn Beck, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson as others who’ve forged new media paths. (08:39)
  • O’Reilly notes the emotional reward of calling his own shots, and how technological changes have transformed TV and comedy.

    “I'm glad I was around long enough to see this happen... This is like green room stuff. We're just getting to talk to you unfiltered.” (10:27)

Shifts in Late Night, Talk Shows, and Political Satire

• Network Influence and Self-Censorship:

  • Spade reflects on the pros and cons of having a boss, the limits on ‘real’ freedom of speech, and how artistic risks are stifled by executives:

    “It's not like real freedom of speech. It's more like we have to keep it within reason for advertising... Unless you are the boss...” (11:08)

  • O’Reilly laments the creativity loss when comics are second-guessed by corporate oversight:

    “That kind of emotional stuff cuts into the creativity because if you're creative, you're gonna make mistakes... But in order to get the big hits, you gotta try stuff.” (11:58)

• Partisanship in Comedy & The 'Trump Effect':

  • O’Reilly discusses being blacklisted from talk shows and The View after Trump’s rise:

    “Once Trump came in, if you didn’t hate Trump, then you were banished... When Barbara Walters was around, it was good.” (12:51)

  • He critiques contemporary late-night shows for crossing from lampooning into “destruction”—hating rather than satirizing political figures.

    “If you hate him, if there's just blood dripping from your nose, you’re alienating 50% of the country... Don’t be hateful about it.” (13:36)

  • O’Reilly claims partial responsibility for the news/entertainment hybrid, recalling Ted Koppel blaming him for "ruining TV news." (13:59)

Confronting Evil: The Book

• Carvey’s Praises:

  • “I love the way it's written… you get bite-sized chapters… It's just the most evil people in history.” (05:03–05:55)
  • O’Reilly jokes, “I wrote the book specifically for the church lady. I mean Satan.” (05:55)

• Historical Lessons:

  • O’Reilly contextualizes American leaders and tycoons within the book’s focus on evil and corruption, contrasting figures like Rockefeller with modern perceptions. (22:37)
  • On the reality of evil:

    “Most Americans are decent people. About 15% of us are evil. That's what I put on that percentage. 15% of the whole human race is evil. They'll hurt you if they can. They like it. Putin. That’s why Putin's on the cover of the book.” (47:24)

Comedy, Impressions, and Industry Tributes

• O’Reilly’s Respect for SNL Comedians:

  • Remarks on Carvey’s Biden impression and audience acceptance:

    “It's brilliant. I mean, I'm on the floor. But it wasn't malicious... You were making fun of him.” (18:34)

• The Line Between Satire and Malice:

  • O’Reilly likes SNL’s James Austin Johnson’s Trump because it’s not “dripping with malice.” (21:33)
  • Carvey notes, “My philosophy is to be funny first... if you make a point within it, okay. But if the goal is to teach... I don’t really like that style personally.” (13:40)

• On Dennis Miller:

  • O’Reilly tells the improbable saga of getting Miller (and his infamous monkey gag) onto Fox as a regular voice:

    “I want to get a totally unpredictable take on the country, on the world. And it worked. And it would just boom.” (25:54–26:22)

  • Carvey: “Of a single update guy to the camera, you know... I think Dennis is the best.” (28:32)

• On Norm Macdonald:

  • O’Reilly’s Norm anecdote: “My son's 16 and he loves Norm. 'What's that, Mr. McDonald?' 'Don't smoke crack.'" (30:06)
  • “Norm was very good. Way ahead of his time... He's bananas. You tell him not to do any jokes about... he's gonna. Can't not do them.” (29:29)

The Toll of Public Life and Making Enemies

• Taking the Hits:

  • On Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hating him:

    “Tina Fey hates me.” (31:37)
    "Hates me to the extent that it's funny." (31:55)

  • On handling criticism and personal attacks:

    “I've been friends with Trump for 35 years, and he's the only human being I know who can take more garbage than I can.” (32:26)
    “By the time I was 16, I was numb to all of that. Now I have a list of people who were untoward toward me and my family. There is a list…” (33:36)

  • Spade: “Levittown sounds like Instagram comments. In real life, people... aren't used to that world in your space, where they hate you.” (33:36)

• On Ideology and Political Middle Ground:

  • O’Reilly: “I'm not a Republican. I’m a registered independent. What I'm trying to do is find the best problem solver for the country and that’s who I'm going to get behind... Ideologues bore me to death.” (21:34)
  • Spade: “If you say you're right, everyone just thinks so far, extreme white supremacist or whatever the labels are... so there's tons of people that are still in the middle…” (23:26)

Cultural and Political Hot Takes

• On AI and the Limits of Machines:

  • O’Reilly: “I'm a Luddite number one... but it's inevitable... But it will never replace me or you because AI is not going to be born with innate talent.” (37:30)

• On Gavin Newsom and Presidential ‘Hair’:

  • “The hair. Look at all 45 presidents. You can't have hair like that.” (38:28)
  • “I think a guy like Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, probably got a better chance because his record is stronger than Newsom's record.” (39:29)

• On the Loud vs. Quiet Presidency:

  • “He [Trump] is the hardest working president in history. Okay. And the laziest president was Warren Harding.” (41:00)
  • Contrasts Trump’s constant energy and “torturing his enemies” with Biden’s apparent disengagement. (41:00–50:33)

Trump, Tyrants, and American Perspective

• On Trump’s Instincts:

  • “Every day, Donald Trump wakes up... his first thought is, how can I torture my enemies? So he says stuff just to get the View ladies upset. It works.” (48:27)
  • “If you understand Trump, you won't hate him as much. That's my message to Beverly Hills.” (50:34)

• On U.S. / China Relations:

  • “If we can make a deal with China and China withdraws its support from Putin, Putin’s finished. And that is starting.” (51:58)
  • China is driven by business interests, not ideological ones, in contrast to Putin. (51:44)

• On the National Debt and Policy:

  • “What Trump's doing is basically charging an admission fee for all foreign nations to sell their stuff inside the United States because we buy more than anybody else by far.” (52:56)
  • Difficulty of tackling skyrocketing costs:

    “$36 for a cheeseburger. So I went out to In n Out and I got 14 for $36.” (54:09)

  • Democratic policy, per O’Reilly: “They want to spend more and more and more and more and more. You can't.” (54:43)
  • Republicans have an edge simply for not being “the Democrats” at the current moment. (54:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the dangers of malice in comedy:

  “But if you hate him, if there's just blood dripping from your nose, you’re alienating 50% of the country.” — Bill O’Reilly (13:36)

• On personal attacks and resilience:

  “I've been friends with Trump for 35 years, and he's the only human being I know who can take more garbage than I can.” — Bill O’Reilly (32:26)

• O’Reilly on Trump’s daily motivation:

  “Every day, Donald Trump wakes up... and his first thought is, how can I torture my enemies?” (48:27)

• On the SNL legacy:

  “I've always admired your talent. Both of you, that whole crew with Miller and Norm and you guys... That was just a highlight of American television.” — Bill O’Reilly (56:47)

• O’Reilly on American historical perspective:

  “Americans lack perspective. And so Confronting Evil is all about... look, we are not a perfect country. President Trump is certainly not a perfect man. But... most Americans are decent people. About 15% of us are evil.” (47:24)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [04:04] – Bill O’Reilly joins; witty banter about podcast studios and appearances.
• [05:03] – Dana Carvey introduces and recommends O’Reilly’s book Confronting Evil.
• [07:32] – O’Reilly details his move from FOX to independent media.
• [10:47] – On the evolution of TV, talk shows, and independence in content creation.
• [12:51] – O’Reilly on being blacklisted post-Trump and how late night shifted.
• [18:34] – O’Reilly praises Carvey’s SNL Biden impression and addresses blowback.
• [21:33] – On satire vs. malice in comedic impressions.
• [23:26] – The polarization of American culture and dating.
• [25:54] – Behind the scenes of bringing Dennis Miller onto FOX.
• [29:29] – Tribute to Norm Macdonald; O’Reilly’s favorite Norm advice.
• [31:37] – On being disliked by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and weathering criticism.
• [37:30] – O’Reilly’s “luddite” take on AI and the enduring value of innate talent.
• [38:28] – Jokes about Gavin Newsom’s hair and presidential prospects.
• [41:00] – Comparing presidential work ethics: Trump vs. Harding.
• [47:24] – O’Reilly defines evil, American perspective, and Putin vs. Trump.
• [48:27] – On Trump’s adversarial mentality and media reactions.
• [51:58] – The role of China in the Ukraine war and Trump’s negotiating stance.
• [52:56] – Tariffs, consumer costs, and the challenge of tackling national debt.
• [56:47] – O’Reilly’s tribute to the SNL alumni and closing remarks.

Tone & Banter

The episode is full of darkly comic wisdom, showbiz nostalgia, sharp-witted political analysis, and a bit of self-deprecation. O’Reilly is unguarded, playfully combative, and at times self-effacing. Carvey and Spade keep things light, but ask probing questions and aren’t afraid to playfully roast their guest or the industry.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Stands Out

• It’s a masterclass in mixing comedy and substantive talk.
• Insider anecdotes from the intersection of news, satire, and celebrity culture.
• Nuanced, real talk on media freedom, political labeling, and the risks of the creative life.
• If you like unfiltered banter and want to understand the modern comedy/politics/media intersection, this is an essential listen.