Bill O’Reilly gave his first interview since his firing from Fox News in April on Glenn Beck’s radio show on Friday.
Beck, while stating prior to the interview wouldn’t be about O’Reilly’s firing, nonetheless spoke to the former cable news powerhouse about his unceremonious dismissal.
“Look, the entire ordeal was a hit job, and in the weeks to come, we will be able to explain some of it. It really has to do with destroying voices that the far-left doesn’t like. That’s the general tone,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly went on to explain in vague terms “due to the legality,” of how he plans to take on those who engaged in the concerted, targeted effort to take him down.
There’s going to be an exposition soon, but I can’t tell you when, about who exactly this crew is that terrorizes sponsors, threatens people behind the scenes, that pays people to say things. We’re going to name them, and it will be a big story. The left-wing media will downplay the story, but it’s coming. Unfortunately, I was target No. 1. It’s sad for me, for my family and it’s grossly dishonest. From now on when I’m attacked, I’ll take legal action,” he responded.
O’Reilly alluded that a major player behind the attack on him and his advertisers was billionaire and longtime Democratic donor, George Soros.
Beck went on to ask O’Reilly if he had had the chance to do a final show — O’Reilly was on a scheduled vacation in Italy when he was fired — if there was anything he would’ve wanted to say.
“Look, people were very sad when it happened. I felt bad not only for me and my staff, but for the viewers and listeners because they really had no idea what had happened. People know the left-wing media hates me and hates Fox News, but they don’t know the full extent of it…We are accumulating information and hopefully it will all be made clear soon.”
Before the end of the interview, Beck told O’Reilly he would like to have his old Fox News colleague join TheBlaze but said, “I am saying this openly and honestly…but that’s for another day.”
Such a move would likely bring in a number of disaffected O’Reilly fans, but as longtime Glenn Beck sidekick, Stu Burgiere, jokingly tagged on in reference to years-long retrenchment at the media company, “we pay minimum wage and offer no benefits.”
In the meantime, O’Reilly is still authoring his popular Killing series.