(New York, New York) – Appearing on 77’s Cats & Cosby, bestselling author and political commentator Bill O’Reilly delivered a forceful defense of President Trump’s actions toward Iran — while revealing new details about a private conversation he had with the president just weeks ago.
O’Reilly said Trump did not initially want to pursue military action.
“I had a lengthy conversation on the phone with him, and he did not want to do this military action,” O’Reilly said.
“He did not want to unleash the military.”
According to O’Reilly, the turning point came after classified intelligence indicated Iran was accelerating efforts toward a nuclear capability.
“Once that Intel was delivered to President Trump, then it became urgent,” he said, adding that a low-level nuclear device could potentially devastate “half a city.”
“You’ve Got to Deal With Evil”
O’Reilly framed the moment through the lens of his book Confronting Evil, arguing that failing to act against regimes that “murder at will” only invites further atrocities.
He also expressed surprise at what he described as Iran’s limited military capability.
“The Iranian military is pretty much impotent,” O’Reilly said. “They have no air force. They have no navy. They have no capacity to really defend themselves.”
He suggested that despite rhetoric from Tehran, Iran lacks the ability to meaningfully retaliate.
“Well, they’re not going to do anything because they can’t. If they could, they already would have done it.”
Criticism of Democratic Leadership
O’Reilly sharply criticized Democrats for condemning Trump’s actions without offering alternatives.
“They object to everything, but they have no solutions whatsoever.”
He pointed specifically to former Vice President Kamala Harris’ statement that Americans should condemn the military action.
“Your appeasement and negotiations failed. They failed,” O’Reilly said, arguing that prior administrations mishandled Iran policy.
He referenced past negotiations that unfroze billions of dollars in Iranian assets, claiming funds ultimately supported militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
On Presidential Authority
Addressing concerns about war powers, O’Reilly argued that presidents have broad authority to act when national security is at stake.
“Every single federal court that’s dealt with it has ruled this president has the authority to protect the country.”
He added:
“When you have a rogue nation that’s trying to develop a nuclear weapon, I think that’s national security.”
Isolationism and Political Divides
O’Reilly also dismissed criticism from isolationist voices within the Republican Party, saying the world is too dangerous for retreatist foreign policy.
“How do you stay an isolationist in a very dangerous world?”
He argued that both the far right and far left share isolationist tendencies, but said the broader American public will ultimately focus on security realities rather than political rhetoric.
The appearance on Cats & Cosby underscored what O’Reilly described as a pivotal global moment — one driven not by political calculation, but by intelligence assessments and national security concerns.
Whether the situation leads to regime change or further escalation remains uncertain. But according to O’Reilly, the president’s decision was not impulsive — it was compelled.
And, he emphasized, it was not the president’s first choice.
