Veteran broadcasters Bill O’Reilly and Geraldo Rivera engaged in a tense exchange over the 2020 presidential election during Thursday’s episode of We’ll Do It LIVE! with Bill O’Reilly, with the longtime journalists clashing over President Donald Trump’s continued claims about the race and the media’s credibility.
The discussion began with O’Reilly arguing that millions of Americans have lost faith in the mainstream press, saying a large portion of the country believes establishment media outlets are fundamentally dishonest.
O’Reilly said his success stems from understanding the concerns of everyday Americans and providing an alternative source of news and commentary that audiences trust. He pointed to the more than 77 million Americans who voted for Trump, arguing they view the establishment media as lacking credibility.
“The reason that I’m successful is I work my butt off,” O’Reilly said. “I understand how America works. I understand the folks.”
He added that he created books, radio programs and television content to give Americans access to someone he said “isn’t corrupt.”
Rivera agreed that O’Reilly was “not corrupt,” but quickly shifted the conversation to the 2020 election by asking a direct question about whether Trump had lost the contest.
“Did President Trump lose the 2020 election? Yes or no?” Rivera asked.
O’Reilly responded by saying there is “no evidence that he won the election,” framing the issue in terms of legal standards of evidence.
He argued that evidence must be sufficient to withstand legal scrutiny and said no such evidence had been presented in court to prove criminal wrongdoing regarding the election.
“There’s no evidence that he won the election,” O’Reilly said, adding that evidence is something that can be presented and litigated through the legal system.
Rivera rejected that explanation, insisting the matter was already settled.
“There’s no evidence that he won, because he lost the election,” Rivera replied. “He lost!”
O’Reilly countered by saying Rivera was expressing an opinion, while Rivera dismissed that characterization and continued pressing his point.
The conversation then shifted to the events surrounding Jan. 6, 2021.
Rivera argued that Trump bore responsibility for what occurred at the U.S. Capitol, saying the president had “unleashed this anarchy on the Capitol of the heart of democracy.”
O’Reilly strongly disagreed, arguing that Trump did not want protesters entering the Capitol.
“He didn’t do that,” O’Reilly said. “That just happened.”
O’Reilly also pointed to Trump’s remarks urging supporters to act “peacefully,” arguing the president understood that violence at the Capitol would ultimately damage him politically.
“He didn’t want those people to go into that building,” O’Reilly said. “And he knew it was going to hurt him and it did hurt him.”
Rivera continued criticizing Trump, arguing that the president had encouraged Republicans to maintain claims that he had won the election.
O’Reilly rejected Rivera’s characterization, drawing a distinction between making a false statement and expressing a personal belief.
“It’s not a lie. It’s an opinion,” O’Reilly said. “There’s a difference between a lie and an opinion. And you got to understand that difference.”
The spirited exchange highlighted the sharp disagreements that continue to surround the 2020 election and Jan. 6, even among veteran journalists who have spent decades covering American politics.
