Bill OReilly sharply rebuked critics he labeled fools for attacking President Donald Trump over a covert plane swap that left members of the White House press corps serving as unwitting decoys following an Iranian threat during the NATO summit in Turkey.
According to Mediaite, OReilly appeared on NewsNation with host Katie Pavlich, where he dismissed outrage from liberal commentators and media figures over the security maneuver executed by the presidents team. The outlet reported that the president, after receiving word of an Iranian threat against his life, quietly transferred to a separate military aircraft in Turkey and flew to London, while the press pool remained aboard Air Force One, unaware of the switch.
OReilly acknowledged that the intelligence behind the threat might not have been airtight, but he argued that the administrations response was both prudent and necessary given the stakes. To me, it looks half-baked, but, I dont know, I didnt get the briefings, he said, underscoring that the commander in chiefs safety must override media sensitivities.
He stressed that operational security demands secrecy, particularly when a sitting president is potentially in the crosshairs of a hostile regime. So what are you going to do? Whats your decision? You have to protect the president of the United States. You have to, OReilly insisted, adding that no responsible official would broadcast a live threat to the press in real time.
Now, by protecting the president, you cant tell all the press, hey, we got a red alert here, somebodys trying to kill him. Thats not what you do, he continued, while expressing some sympathy for those left on the original aircraft. So I feel bad for anybody on that plane who might have been in harms way. I dont believe they were in harms way because I dont believe that this threat, from what I understand, reached that level.
OReilly framed the move as standard, commonsense risk management rather than some sinister plot against journalists. This was a cautionary move, which anybody would do. But you cant be saying to the press, Hey, the presidents not gonna be on because the plane may blow up. I mean, come on, these people are fools. And the people that you justtheyre just fools. They dont know how it works. They dont care how it works. All they wanna do is bash Trump all day, every day.
Pavlich backed OReillys assessment and reminded reporters that proximity to power, especially in dangerous times, is inherently risky. There were cabinet officials who stayed on the plane in addition to the press pool, she said. So, as you said, thats the way it works. Thats the job you sign up for. And whenever you travel with the president, especially this president, you do put yourself at risk, and thats part of the gig. So I think they should stop whining about it if they want to continue that line of work.
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