Former Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly recently found himself smack dab in the middle of a Cabinet meeting for the upcoming Trump administration during a recent visit to Trump’s Mar-A-Lago.
O’Reilly joined NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on Monday night for On Balance to discuss a new column covering his last-minute “summons” to Mar-a-Lago, where O’Reilly attended a “literal Cabinet meeting” with Trump and then discussed “ascendent” media versus media that is “through.”
Last week, while vacationing with his son in California, O’Reilly received word he was wanted in Mar-a-Lago, so he jumped on a direct flight to Miami and shortly after found himself seated in a Cabinet meeting where Trump and others discussed tariff policies and more.
O’Reilly recounted that he had no idea why he was “summoned” to Mar-a-Lago, but he theorized he perhaps “amuses” Trump at times.
He said:
I was on vacation out in California with my son, and I got a summons to go to Mar-a-Lago to see the president. I have met nine presidents, Leland, this is my 50th anniversary of being in journalism, January 2025, and when the president says, hey, come on over, you go on over. So instead of flying LA to New York back, I flew to LA to Miami. And you don’t really want to go to Miami Airport unless you have to — hopped in a car and drove up to Mar-a-Lago. Now, when I got there, I had no idea why I had been asked to come. Now, I’ve known Donald Trump 35 years, I think I amuse him at times. Kind of like you. You know, once in a while I amuse you.
The former Fox News host recalled being taken straight to a “literal Cabinet meeting” where policies like tariffs were being discussed. Tariffs, according to O’Reilly, were discussed as a way to bring manufacturing jobs with companies like Apple to the United States. O’Reilly said he also spoke with Trump during dinner, during which Trump pressed O’Reilly on what he feels is “ascendent” media versus outlets that are simply “through.” O’Reilly did not name any specific names or outlets, but argued that Trump “killed corporate media.”
O’Reilly argued the Trump he witnessed in his few hours at Mar-a-Lago was sharper and clearer on what he wants than the one in his first term.
“I can tell you with certainty that eight years ago, Donald Trump really didn’t know what he was looking at as president of the United States, and he leaned on people for advice and to tell him what the structure was,” he said. “That’s gone. He knows exactly what the job is, and he knows exactly what he wants to do to fulfill his campaign promises.”
