Monday, April 3, 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 & Top Story
A Civil War in Congress
"It is really all about hating Trump, not partisan politics. There is no doubt that Judge Neil Gorsuch is qualified to sit on the Supreme Court and he will, with the confirmation coming on Friday one way or another. Republicans in the Senate must prevail on the judge or the entire party and the president will be gravely damaged. And that's exactly what the Democratic Party wants. The strategy is simple: Oppose every change the president wants to make, everything he wants to do. Create as much mayhem as possible, then tell the American people that Mr. Trump doesn't know how to govern. I don't want to compare Judge Gorsuch to Jesus but it was exactly the same thing, with Democratic senators acting like Pharisees trying to trap the judge into saying something controversial. Fair-minded folks respect sincerely held political differences, but political hit jobs are obvious, and that's what those hearings featured - gotcha questions designed to demean. So we now have an opposition agenda primarily based on hate, not what's best for the country. Just listen to the rhetoric on the left; it is vitriolic in the extreme. The Trump-haters justify their behavior by saying the president is destroying the country. The issues of illegal immigration, global warming and national security have created fury on the left. And as Talking Points stated last week, moderate Democrats are under heavy pressure to support the hate-Trump strategy. Many Republicans opposed President Obama's agenda; there was little common ground there. But five GOP senators voted to confirm the very liberal Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, President Obama got his trade authority and debt limits were raised. The system was strained under Mr. Obama, but it functioned. But now political hatred is directly threatening our republic. And we the people will pay a huge price if things don't change."

The Factor was joined by Charles Krauthammer, who took issue with the thesis of the Talking Points. "I'm sure there's an element of Trump-hatred in everything the Democrats do," Dr. K observed, "but there is nothing like the level of vitriol that there was in the Robert Bork hearings when Reagan was president or in the Clarence Thomas hearings when George H.W. Bush was president. So I don't think this Supreme Court fight is all about hatred of President Trump. The Democrats have decided that they have to have the Supreme Court because only about 20% of Americans are liberal." The Factor reiterated, "There isn't anything Donald Trump campaigned on that the Democrats will support, they hate him."
Top Story
Democratic Hatred & President Trump
Many Democrats openly despise Donald Trump and will oppose anything he puts forward. The Factor analyzed that animosity with Democratic consultant Marjorie Clifton. "A lot of people have strong emotions related to President Trump," she conceded, "because he has done a lot of things that have evoked emotional responses. There was his talk about the wall and his comments about women, those have hit chords. I agree that the Neil Gorsuch nomination battle may not be the food fight you would want in a different climate, but Democrats do care about President Trump's pettiness. He has not been a unifer." The Factor concluded, "Democrats know Gorsuch will be confirmed, now they are just being obstructionists."
Hume Zone
Susan Rice Surveillance Revelations
Various news outlets are reporting that Susan Rice, President Obama's National Security Adviser, improperly revealed the names of Trump aides who were overheard during surveillance. FNC's Brit Hume entered the No Spin Zone with his take. "We can safely assume that there is something to this," he began, "and Susan Rice has not responded. It certainly confirms that the surveillance of people is a legitimate thread for these investigations going forward. This means we will have dual track investigations in both the House and the Senate." Summing things up, The Factor said, "Susan Rice, who went out and said a video caused the Benghazi attack, may have ordered the unmasking of people who should not have been unmasked."
Impact Segment
Trump Staffing Reshuffle?
Fox News correspondent Ed Henry joined The Factor with news about possible staff changes in the Trump White House. "After the health care defeat he was angry and thrashing around," Henry reported, "and I am told that he has reached out to Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich, and some others who are not presently in the fold. One adviser told me this is vintage Trump - he suffers a blow, he gets angry, and then he retools. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and others told him that he had the votes to pass the health care bill. I've been told that we should expect changes over the next couple of weeks and that he will bring in a second wave of people."
Factor Followup
Safe Spaces and Campus Madness
Far-left politics, anti-conservative bias, and trendy sociology have infected many American universities, especially institutions that are generally considered elite. One university president was recently fired because she expressed opposition to 'safe spaces' and endorsed open debate about controversial topics. The Factor asked Mary Anne Marsh and Katie Pavlich to analyze the madness and its effect on students. "We should applaud this college president for helping students prepare for the real world," Pavlich said. "This keeps happening because the professors are organizing this push for 'safe spaces,' which are places you can go where only liberal ideas are espoused." Marsh theorized that our universities are a reflection of modern America. "Colleges have come to reflect our society and politics, which have become increasingly divided. Everybody goes to their corners and nobody can work anything out. But it is better to try to deal with issues that you disagree with rather than trying to hide from them."
Watters' World
Watters' World: College & Politics
Speaking of liberal universities, Jesse Watters followed Duke Ellington's advice - he took the A train up to Morningside Heights and New York City's Columbia University. Here is what some of the Ivy League students told him: "New York City is typically a more liberal location" ... "I voted for Trump, but the view of the people who grade my papers is radically changed once they know that" ... "I would identify as a liberal but I've had professors who have challenged me" ... "Some conservatives are tolerated here, but generally the mob tries to shut us down."
Factor Mail
Viewers Sound Off
Nita Whaley, Town and Country, MO: "Bill, your interview with Jeff Sessions was one for the record books. I think that was the first time you didn't interrupt, but that may have been because he actually answered your questions."

Troy Swanson, Tower, MN: "O'Reilly, the fact that you never asked Sessions about the bogus Obama wiretapping claim proves that you're a propaganda puppet."

Thomas Schaublin, Clearwater, FL: "Bill, I would like to thank you for insulting half the American people by calling us morons if we pay 24% on our credit cards. Sorry we all don't have cushy TV jobs."

Giacomo Romoli, Florence, Italy: "The mayors of sanctuary cities should be held accountable for crimes committed by illegal aliens."
Tip of the Day
Helping Children in Need
You can help vulnerable kids by donating to Childhelp, which is dedicated to stopping child abuse. The group's website is www.ChildHelp.org, and they have a hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, in case you personally witness an abusive situation.