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In a recent episode of Howie Mandel, commentator Bill O’Reilly was invited to discuss Trump’s possible third term, O’Reilly rejecting the scenario of such a term while Mandel jokingly referred to Trump’s upsetting behavior. The talk was instantly met with mixed and split responses on social media, which emphasized the permanent and still present national rift regarding the ex-president’s political future and his personal behavior.
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The funnyman uploaded a video collage of his podcast where the hotly debated former Fox News host was a guest. O’Reilly, during the talk, was very clear regarding the whole talk about Trump’s securing of the next presidential term, saying it would be against the law. “Trump’s out of the run,” O’Reilly made his point during the talk. “Third term, he knows this is important. Never gonna do that.”
Mandel, meanwhile, revealed his own vivid critique of Trump’s style giving politics, saying that the ex-Big Apple’s “hobby outside of golf is getting people he doesn’t like upset.” This description of Trump’s political tactics as personal fun was at the heart of the online debate that followed.
Bill O’Reilly’s very presence drew considerable comments and many netizens even referred to his infamous exit from Fox News. One user did not mince words and said, “Bill O’Reilly was fired from Fox News in April 2017 due to an accumulation of sexual harassment allegations,” listing the financial settlements given to several women. This objective narration of O’Reilly’s career was very much replied to with some supporting the commentator and others showing their disgust at the facts mentioned.
People who backed Trump were very supportive of the style Mandel attributed to the ex-president. “I love that about Trump,” one ecstatic commentator stated while another opined, “President Trump is a King, the King of trolling the Democrats and they fall for it every single time.” The point of view that saw Trump’s capability of annoying others as a valuable political asset made no distinction whatsoever between asset and liability.
Amidst the criticisms, the merits of the debate and the debaters were both questioned. One user stated that the former’s “hobby conflicts with his responsibility he agreed to take on as the person elected to be our president” in the first place, and hence, by doing the nasty thing of upsetting his political opponents, one presumes the president loses the virtue of being polite and, therefore, effective. Another commenter told not to write off Trump’s dreams stating, “Don’t underestimate or dismiss his threats” about possible future power grabbing.
O’Reilly’s very presence at the venue incited a lot of comments regarding his current state with one user saying, “Dude looks like a corpse,” while another inquired, “I thought O’Reilly was dead?” These remarks denoted incredulity as to the reappearance of the commentator in the political discourse after a long period of relative silence that followed his leaving Fox News.
Some of the responses were directed towards Mandel himself, calling him a “liberal Woke Chump” by one commenter even when the comedian had O’Reilly on the show, whereas another person labeled him a “left wing loonie.” Such mixed criticisms pointed to the divided views of media personalities who give space to disputatious commentators.
The talk between Mandel and O’Reilly seemed to consider Trump’s political strategy along with constitutional limitations among the basic inquiries. While O’Reilly was very assertive in daubing the whole matter of third-term possibility with resolute denial, the talk also unveiled the still blossoming and puzzling issue of politics in the United States concerning not only rules but also the realm of what is considered appropriate. The very strong reactions from all sectors prove how Trump’s unorthodox style remains to be a conversation starter even years after his presidency.
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The public’s reaction to this clip was largely divided and thus showcased the continuous polarization with respect to Donald Trump’s political style and future aspirations. Be it annoying, if at all, his theatricality was always good and/or necessary for the skit’s, if any, catharsis, trump’s still-to-gain-interest and perhaps more so his power-that-be, as shown by the raging debate sparked by Howie Mandel’s podcast with the too-controversial Bill O’Reilly. This episode also reminded viewers of Mandel’s role on AGT and his personal stories he often shares.
