Thursday, April 6, 2017
On The O'Reilly Factor...
Segment Summaries
All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
Talking Points Memo
A Good Week for President Trump
"If you've noticed an uptick in the media Trump hatred, it is no accident. After a few rocky weeks, the president has had a very good few days. He met with the president of Egypt and the king of Jordan, both men praising him lavishly. This is important because Egypt and Jordan are helping America in the fight against ISIS. Also, Mr. Trump got an enormous break when the Susan Rice story hit. Whether the former national security advisor did anything wrong or not, the story has taken attention away from allegations about the Russia-Trump campaign stuff. Even though the left-wing media does not want to cover the Susan Rice story, fair news agencies like the Fox News Channel are discussing it and the American people are aware of it. Then there is the looming appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Democrats in the Senate blocked a vote today, but now Republicans have changed the rules and the judge is likely to be confirmed tomorrow. That's a big win for President Trump because the judge is a traditional man who will not rule on his own political beliefs, as some Supreme Court justices do. Gorsuch is despised on the left because they know he could be on the court for decades, and he is not going to carry water for anyone. President Trump has nominated a fair man to the court, a person who will not buy into the myth that the United States needs to be changed in dramatic ways. Finally, Mr. Trump will meet with the Chinese president, an avowed communist, over the next couple days as he hopes to get China's help to subdue North Korea, which has become a major threat to the world. Mr. Trump also wants to modify trade deals so more American products are sold in China, which is the most populated country on earth with nearly a billion-and-a-half people. So things have gone very well this week for Donald Trump. Every day is an adventure, but it is safe to say the Trump haters are very frustrated this evening.
Top Story
Gingrich on Nunes Stepping Down
The Factor asked former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to opine on the decision by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Deven Nunes to step down from the investigation involving Russia. "I talked with him today," Gingrich revealed, "and he has a good and rational reason to step aside. He doesn't want his fellow committee members to go home and spend the next two weeks answering questions about him." Gingrich also roundly denounced Susan Rice for unmasking the names of American citizens caught up in surveillance operations. "This is the equivalent of an electronic Watergate, it is eavesdropping on the transition team of the other party after it won the election. The national security adviser has no reason to be listening to her political opponents, it is a total violation of our system."
Factor Followup
Susan Rice Update
For more on the Susan Rice story and the investigation into a possible Trump-Russia connection, The Factor turned to FoxNews.com investigative reporter Malia Zimmerman. "We understand from the House and Senate Intelligence Committees," she reported, "that there has been stonewalling by the U.S. intelligence agencies that are supposed to provide information. That would include the NSA and the FBI. As far as what Susan Rice asked for and the unmasking, there is an extensive paper trail. They have to get those logs."
Outrage of the Week
Democrats vs. Neil Gorsuch
What has driven Judge Jeanine Pirro up the proverbial wall this week? The Factor discovered that the judge is especially outraged by the way Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was treated by Senate Democrats, particularly Elizabeth Warren. "Senator Warren had no facts to support what she said," Pirro said. "She's predicting that President Trump will be indicted and convicted and the case will go to the Supreme Court. Most incredibly, she talks about his record and how he is not in the mainstream, yet she doesn't identify anything in his record. Elizabeth Warren talks about pay equity, but we now know that women in her Senate office are paid 71 cents for each dollar that men are paid."
Truth Serum
Immigration Chaos in Washington State
The state of Washington is the site of another controversial story about an illegal immigrant who was deported after he was involved in a minor traffic crash. Shannon Bream injected some truth serum into the episode. "When a state trooper showed up at this accident," Bream reported, "she ran this man's driver's license and found out that he was a previously deported felon. She got into trouble because she turned off her camera and kept everyone there until an ICE agent showed up. Since then, the state has issued an order ordering troopers to not cooperate with the feds in any way." The Factor turned to Eric Shawn, who provided some background on the embattled Susan Rice. "She's a brainiac from a prominent family. Her father was the first African American member of the Federal Reserve. She went to Stanford and Oxford and then got involved in foreign affairs in the Clinton campaign. She endorsed and got involved with Barack Obama in 2008, and he then picked her to be our Ambassador to the United Nations."
Impact Segment
Chaos in Syria
The Trump administration has expressed outrage at Bashar al-Assad, who has apparently used chemical weapons against Syrian rebels. Military analysts Col. David Hunt and Christopher Harmer looked ahead to possible U.S. intervention. "There are really two options," Hunt said. "One is to wipe the entire Syrian air force off the map if we are sure that Assad did this. The other option is a smaller tactical strike on air fields. It sounds to me like we are laying the groundwork to do something." Harmer downplayed concerns that an air strike will put American troops in danger. "I don't see any heightened risk to U.S. troops. They are now fighting against ISIS and Al Qaeda, while the targets of this strike will be the ability of the Assad regime to deliver chemical weapons. In one or two nights we can destroy the Syrian air force." The Factor added, "If we let this chemical attack go, Trump looks weak like Obama did."