Bill O’Reilly on his new book, Ted Cruz, Obamacare, and the future of this country

On radio this morning, Bill O’Reilly, author of the recently released Killing Jesus, joined Glenn to talk about his new book, the looming government shutdown, the future of this country and more. Bill made headlines this morning for an interview he did with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell on last night’s 60 Minutes, in which O’Donnell made it clear she has little knowledge of Christian teachings or beliefs.

In discussing his new book, Bill explained he felt a calling to write the book. “I believe, because I’m a Catholic, that comes from the Holy Spirit,” he said of the motivation and idea to write the book. “My inspiration comes from that and so I wrote ‘Killing Jesus,’ because I think I was directed to write that.”

O’Donnell responded by noting that the host seemed to be distinguishing himself as especially important. “You are suggesting that you’re the chosen one, Bill,” she quipped. Bill reiterated that he’s not the “chosen one,” but that he is someone who has been given gifts that he uses for good.

“Look, I set everybody straight. That was a provocative question and I set her straight,” Bill said on radio this morning. “Everybody's inspired to do good and everybody's tempted to do evil and then you select.”

Despite his Catholic faith, Bill explained that this book is not at all religious. Instead, it is a historical look at the life and death of Jesus.

“There's really no religion in this book,” Glenn asked.

“No. It's a history book and that's what it says on the cover. Look, this book is for people to know what happened to Jesus while he walked the Earth. That's it. It's very simple,” Bill said. “He's the most famous human being who ever lived, most famous person who walked this planet. How did that happen? He had no money, no infrastructure, no PR guy, no mass media.”

“There are two things that I took away from the book for me personally as a human being. Number one, we just discussed, how do you become the most famous human being with no infrastructure. And the second is why were thousands of people following Jesus around? Back then you had to work to eat. It wasn't like you had a refrigerator and stored‑up food, okay, go down to the Safeway and buy what you want. So every day you had to work to eat, okay? You had to fish and farm. You had to whatever,” he continued. “These people stopped doing that and they followed the Nazarene around to backwaters all over Judea. Why? Why would they do that? Couldn't hear him. There were thousands of people. He didn't have a mic. Couldn't hear him, okay? He was doing something that attracted all these people. Now, I don't say in Killing Jesus he was performing miracles because how would I know? No doctor there. I can't report that as a historian. What I can report is that the Romans and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Sanhedrin were receiving reports of these miraculous healings, which would have driven crowds like that. That's the only explanation. Jesus was doing something that got the word out and these thousands of people were converging on where they thought he was going to be. Just to see him or touch his robe. And that had never happened before. And I don't think it's ever happened since.”

Switching gears, Glenn asked Bill about his thoughts on Ted Cruz.

“You know, I have two minds on Ted Cruz. Number one, I understand exactly what he's doing. He wants to run for president. He wants to be the head of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. This was his view. That's why he did what he did. I think he really believes that Obamacare is bad for the country. I think he's a sincere man and I think he was representing the sentiments of his district,” Bill said. “All of that is good, but I think in the end you have to compromise to some extent to get anything done long term. And so I would like to see Senator Cruz say, ‘All right, if you give us a year and don't have the individual mandate for a year, we'll talk about it.’ I don't want my way or the highway.”

One of the more interesting elements of this debt-ceiling showdown and Obamacare debate has been the lack of public interest in the topic. The television ratings for coverage of the situation are abysmal, which is disheartening when you consider what that means in regards to an informed electorate.

“What does it say about us and how do we fix our country if people don't pay attention to real news,” Glenn asked.

“Listen. With the computers now people are creating their own lives, they're playing games, they're watching porn, they're doing whatever they want to do, and it's an addiction. So they are becoming addicted just like it would be to a drug. They have to have a machine in their hands, they have to text, they have to play a game, whatever,” Bill explained. All that takes you away from the serious business of running the country and the serious business of living your life. So I do not see that ever changing. So you will have an elite that rules the country and then you'll have some people who pay attention, and most people will be living lives of escapism. Just like in Roman times.”

“That leads you to an elite governing the country. Now, whether that leads to a collapse or not remains to be seen. But you're going to have a very few people calling the shots because most people aren't paying attention and don't know what the hell's going on,” he continued. “That's why Barack Obama was reelected. The so‑called low‑information voters just voted on emotion. That's what they heard. Do they know anything… But that doesn't mean there's going to be a collapse. You know, if a good, smart person who cares about the American people and the country gets elected, they happen that person will be able to do a lot of good. But if you're telling me that the folks are going to rally back into the arena and pay attention, with all these machines that they have? Not going to happen.”

“So wait a minute. So you are saying then we will not be a real republic anymore,” Glenn interjected. “Will be more of a – and I hate to use this word because it's so inflammatory, but basically what you were describing is a fascistic sort of rule.”

“It depends on who's in power, if he's not a fascist. Look… I'm not as pessimistic as you are,” Bill responded. “But I will be pessimistic in this sense: I think right now 50% of Americans have no blankin' clue what's going on. And I think that number will rise to 60, 65% in the next ten years.”

So what will happen if Obamacare impacts people’s lives the way it looks like it’s going to?

“Then the Democratic Party will be banished for 10, 15 years. That's what will happen. They will be banished. They will lose. There will be a Republican president the next time around,” Bill explained. “You know, there are enough people getting subsidies from Obamacare who are going to like those subsidies. So it's not a clear black and white. But do I think it's a chaotic thing that will collapse? Yes, I do. Will it collapse overnight? I don't think so.”

“Next two years,” Glenn asked.

“Maybe,” Bill said. “It depends how many doctors bail… If you get doctors bailing out on this that say, ‘I am not going to take the exchange insurance rates,’ then you will have a revolution in this country, not just ‘We hate the Democrats.’”

Watch the entire interview below:

How Trump is WINNING at the Panama Canal

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Despite the doubts of the nay-sayers, Trump's Panamanian plans have already borne fruit.

Shortly before his inauguration, President Trump drew national attention to the Panama Canal. He reminded Americans of just how important the canal is for the U.S. and highlighted the Chinese influence that has been slowly taking control of the vital passage ever since America handed it over to Panama.

President Trump was immediately mocked and ridiculed by the Left, who called him delusional and an imperialist. However, earlier this week, Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made a trip to Panama and spoke with the Panamanian President, José Raúl Mulino, and Rubio made some serious headway. As Glenn has explained, Trump's boisterous talk is part of his strategy. Invading Panama was never the goal, just one of several options to get what America needed, and after Rubio's visit, it seems like America's needs will be met.

Here are the TOP THREE takeaways from Marco Rubio's visit to Panama:

1. Marco Rubio makes headway

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On February 2nd, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha and President José Raúl Mulino where they discussed critical regional and global challenges, including the canal. Rubio drew attention to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal in which the U.S. promised Panama ownership of the canal on the condition of its guaranteed neutrality. Rubio argued that China's growing influence qualified as a breach of the treaty and that it gives the U.S. the power to take necessary measures to rectify the faults, given Panama doesn't act. As of this week, reports say Panama agreed and promised to take immediate action to purge Chinese influence from canal operations.

2. Panama is ditching China's Belt Road

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After his meeting with Rubio, Panamanian President Mulino agreed that Panama would step away from China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI). The BRI is a Chinese effort to establish China as the main economic power in developing nations across the world. In 2017, Panama signed on to this initiative, and China's influence in the small nation has exponentially grown. However, after Rubio's visit, President Mulino has not only stated that Panama will not renew its agreement with China, but moreover, the country will also look for ways to back out of the agreement early. This is a massive win for the Trump Administration and the American people.

3. The Chinese may lose their ports on the canal

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Shortly after Rubio left Panama City, two lawyers spearheaded the effort to kick out a Chinese company that controls two major ports on the Panama Canal. The Chinese company—CK Hutchison Holdings—has operated one port on both ends of the canal since 1997, which could potentially give China a massive degree of control over traffic. After analyzing the contract, the Panamanian lawyers argue that the contract is potentially in violation of the Panamanian constitution and should be revoked. It is unclear if the constitutional issues relate to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, but even on its own merit, this is a huge victory for America.

Top 15 jobs AI is TAKING OVER

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The AI takeover has begun.

Last week, Glenn delved into the World Economic Forum's 2025 summit in Davos, where our malevolent overlords focused especially on AI and how it can replace millions of workers worldwide. We are at the precipice of a monumental change in how the world is run—WEF founder Klaus Schwab called it "The Fourth Industrial Revolution"—and in time, AI will augment every one of our lives.

Already, AI is taking jobs. Thousands, if not millions, of tasks are slowly being delegated to it. The affected fields are largely data entry, admin tasks, and clerical work, along with graphic design and some customer support roles. However, as AI becomes more sophisticated, the scope of its abilities will only grow. The WEF is all for it, and last month they released a shocking chart

that revealed what jobs were already feeling the pain. Check out the top 15 jobs that are already disappearing:

1. Postal service clerks

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2. Bank tellers

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3. Data entry clerks

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4. Cashiers and ticket clerks

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5. Administrative assistants and executive secretaries

6. Printing workers

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7. Accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll clerks

8. Material-recording and stock-keeping clerks

9. Transportation attendants and conductors

10. Door-to-door salesmen

11. Graphic designers

12. Claims adjusters, examiners and investigators

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13. Legal officials

14. Legal secretaries

15. Telemarketers

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3 stories that prove USAID is a criminal organization

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Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has one mission—to eliminate government waste—and it's starting with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a federal agency that, on paper, is responsible for distributing foreign aid to conflict-ridden zones across the world. However, for years, Glenn has revealed that the USAID acts more like a second CIA, but without the regulation or oversight under the State Department. Elon Musk concurred, describing the federal agency as not merely "an apple with a worm in it" but rather "just a ball of worms."

Don't fall for the left's narrative calling USAID a "humanitarian" organization. Here are the top three stories that reveal just how corrupt the USAID really is:

1. USAID has funded terrorist organizations and Osama bin Laden

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In 2023, USAID provided "assistance" to nearly 130 countries, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Yemen, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria (which is currently run by a terrorist that received aid from the Obama-era CIA). Under Obama, USAID gave funds to an organization known as the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), which was known at the time to help finance Jihadist groups and had been labeled by the U.S. Treasury Department as a "terror-financing organization."

The ISRA also funded and gave shelter to the 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden—U.S. taxpayer dollars sent straight to the perpetrator of the deadliest terrorist attack in history and the most lethal attack on U.S. soil.

2. USAID "loses" funds that happen to end up in individuals' pockets

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A recent investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) revealed that in 2016, Chemonics International colluded with a USAID subcontractor to massively overcharge a USAID project to pocket extra funds from the project's bottom line. Moreover, the USAID project used "self-reported" performance metrics, which made it impossible to verify the actual progress of the project and how the funds were being used.

Even the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has USAID's sticky fingerprints all over it. In 2014, USAID provided $38 million to an EcoHealth Alliance project called "Predict-2." One of the subcontractors, Ben Hu, headed the Wuhan Institute of Virology's gain-of-function research and was one of the first three people infected with COVID-19 in late 2019. That means U.S. taxpayer dollars were likely used to fund the very research that gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. USAID operates as a second "CIA" with no accountability

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The CIA isn't the only agency that meddles in the political inner workings of foreign powers. USAID has conducted similar operations since the 1950s. USAID notoriously sowed dissent in Cuba to grow U.S. influence, and they even taught South American police forces Nazi torture methods. In the late 1990s, 300,000 Peruvian women were forcibly sterilized in a "poverty reduction strategy" that received $35 million in funding from USAID.

More recently, USAID's foreign influence has grown significantly under former Obama adviser, Samantha Power, called USAID America's "soft power arsenal." Under her leadership, the organization meddled in the political affairs of several nations, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, and, Bolivia. Several domestic, left-leaning influence groups, such as the Tides Center, received several grants and aid.

Top THREE reasons we NEED the Panama Canal

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Is Trump seriously planning a military conquest of the Panama Canal?

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Donald Trump launched the Panama Canal into the national spotlight. The canal is one of the most important passages in the world, and its continued operation has been critical for both the U.S. military and economy since its construction.

Since America relinquished sovereignty of the canal, China has asserted its authority in the region. The Chinese Communist Party has been growing its influence in Panama and neighboring Latin American countries, convincing them to join their "Belt and Road Initiative," an effort to poise China as the main economic power in developing nations across the world. Panama in particular is quickly becoming a Chinese puppet state. There are currently over 200,000 Chinese living in Panama, a Chinese company runs two of the canal's five major ports, and another Chinese company provides telecommunication service for a large portion of the canal. The government of Panama has even gone as far as cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

It's clear that the Panama Canal is under serious threat of falling into Chinese hands, but President Trump doesn't intend to let them move in. Here are the top three reasons we need the Panama Canal:

1. The canal was built by the U.S.

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Without the United States, neither Panama nor the Panama Canal would exist. In 1903, after Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama, President Teddy Roosevelt devised a controversial plan. He supported a Panamanian independence movement, which swiftly overthrew the local Colombian government. Meanwhile, he stationed a U.S. warship off the coast, preventing Colombia from sending military forces to retake Panama.

The moment Panama declared its independence, the U.S. recognized it and struck a deal with the new government: the U.S. would control the Canal Zone, while Panama would receive $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000. Construction of the canal took over a decade, cost $375 million, and resulted in thousands of American casualties, making it the most expensive U.S. construction project of its time.

Fast forward to 1964 when tensions between the U.S. and Panama over the canal erupted into a riot. President Lyndon B. Johnson decided it was time to transfer control of the canal to Panama. However, this proved more complicated than expected. In 1968, General Omar Torrijos, a known ally of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, seized control of Panama in a coup. Negotiations over the Canal stalled, as many Americans opposed giving such an important asset to a controversial figure. It wasn’t until 1999, following the deployment of 27,000 U.S. troops to facilitate yet another change in power, that the Canal was officially handed over to Panama.

2. The canal is vital for the U.S. economy

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The U.S. relies heavily on the Panama Canal for commercial shipping. Between 13 and 14 thousand ships use the Panama Canal every year, which is roughly 40 percent of the global cargo ship traffic. Additionally, 72 percent of ships traversing the canal are either heading toward or leaving a U.S. port.

The time ships save using the Panama Canal reduces shipping costs massively. For example, when the canal first opened in 1922, it was estimated that a ship’s journey from Oregon to the UK, was shortened by 42 percent, reducing costs by 31 percent. If the Panama Canal was blocked or destroyed, or if American merchant vessels were denied passage, the effects on the U.S. economy would be tremendous.

3. The canal is a key defense point for the U.S. military

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Similarly, the canal is key to the U.S. military and national security. The canal shaves off approximately 8,000 miles of the voyage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. If U.S. Navy ships were denied access in a time of crisis, the extra time required to bypass the canal would be disastrous. Conversely, if the U.S. can keep the Panama Canal from being used by foreign aggressors, it would provide a massive advantage in future conflicts.

A foreign enemy could easily exploit the canal's current vulnerability. This was proven in 2021 when a cargo ship accidentally blocked the Suez Canal for a week, paralyzing global trade. Imagine China intentionally sabotaging the Panama Canal, considering it controls ports on both ends, owns a bridge that spans the Canal, provides its telecom services, and has the second-largest fleet of ships using the route.