It was a no-holds-barred slugfest on NewsNation this week as Rosie O’Donnell, the firebrand comedian and former actress, went toe-to-toe with Bill O’Reilly, leaving no stone unturned in her critique of former President Donald Trump. The sparks flew during a fiery debate with Chris Cuomo, where O’Donnell vehemently denied she was out to demonize Trump, despite her sharp criticisms.
The verbal fireworks erupted as O’Donnell and O’Reilly duked it out over her past comments and her call for “unity” after the recent election turmoil. Known for her liberal stance, O’Donnell has been a consistent thorn in Trump’s side since his 2016 White House run.
O’Donnell shared with Cuomo and O’Reilly, “I agree with you [Bill] and I think that no matter who wins in November, this country has a lot of healing to do. We have to forgive each other for our trespasses and our misconceptions. And then try to reunite as one country, united, and that’s the dangerous thing that’s happening when I say, Chris, Democracy is on trial. It’s because without this, we’re nothing as a nation. We have to get everyone back together again in some way,” according to the Daily Caller.
But O’Reilly wasn’t buying the peace talk. He countered, “Okay, but Rosie with all due respect, you’re not going to be successful saying ‘democracy is on trial’ and anybody who supports Donald Trump is a fascist. You’re not. I mean those people are going to reject you 100% because there’s a lot more to it than you are presenting.”
Trying to cut in, O’Donnell was quickly silenced by O’Reilly’s rebuttal. “Wait a minute, hear me out. Donald Trump presided over the country for four years and there was no attack on democracy until January 6. And that was a large mistake that he made. I don’t think he was behind it, I think that if that trial ever gets up he’ll be acquitted – it’s too much exculpatory evidence,” he argued.
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O’Donnell retorted with a terse “No way! No way,” as O’Reilly pressed his point that demonizing Trump and his followers was not the path to unity.
The debate heated up when Cuomo pressed on, prompting O’Donnell to label Trump a “dictator” and criticize the blind loyalty of his 82 million supporters. O’Reilly, not missing a beat, claimed Americans were actually “better off” under Trump, citing favorable polls—an assertion that made O’Donnell lose her cool.
“I’m not really fearful of our Democracy because there isn’t anybody more outspoken in this country than I am about politics and other things, and my freedom was not impeded one iota during the Trump Administration. And I don’t know any broadcaster’s freedom who was. You still had ‘The View’ on every day pounding Trump into pudding, nothing happens. All the working people I know were better off under Donald Trump, so there wasn’t any economic consequence. So I really don’t know what the hyperbole is, and I reject it,” O’Reilly boldly stated.
“That’s bull! That’s bull. That’s bull! Bill, how many Americans did he kill by his COVID inaction? Let’s start right there. Are you kidding me? People were better with him? You’re out of your mind! Out of your mind,” O’Donnell exploded in response.
O’Reilly defended Trump’s record, highlighting his role in fast-tracking a COVID-19 vaccine, “COVID inaction? He, Trump, brought through a deal with the Pharma companies. Brought a vaccine to the nation in less than a year. Okay?”
Cuomo chimed in, critiquing Trump’s initial hesitance and subsequent wavering over the vaccine amid rising anti-vax sentiment, summing up the complex narrative voters faced.
This latest chapter in the long-running feud between Trump and O’Donnell, which started way back in 2006 over a Miss America scandal, shows no signs of cooling down. Back then, O’Donnell called Trump anything but a self-made man, branding him a “snake-oil salesman on Little House On The Prairie.” Trump’s retort was swift, labeling O’Donnell a “loser” and “a woman out of control.”
Stay tuned, folks. This brawl is far from over.
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