Epic clash between Bill O’Reilly and George Will over the Fox News host’s book on Reagan

Related Link HNN Review of Killing Reagan By James Graham Wilson

The Friday night edition of “The O’Reilly Factor” featured something that doesn’t happen enough on cable news: Two people from the same network ripping the guts out of each other over a topic of some intellectual heft. The combatants in this one? Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and Fox News commentator George Will. The antagonism was already in place before the Friday broadcast, as Will had used his perch as Washington Post columnist to deliver a slam on O’Reilly’s “Killing Reagan.” “Bill O’Reilly Slanders Ronald Reagan,” wrote Will, criticizing the book for its contention that the assassination attempt against Reagan in March 1981 had weakened him over the course of his presidency.

Let’s put aside the history for one second, however, and showcase the harsh words that flew back and forth between O’Reilly and Will on Friday night.

O’Reilly to Will: 

“After reading the column, I can say with certainty, George Will libels Bill O’Reilly.”

“You’re a hack.”

“You are a hack.”

“You are lying.”

“You’re in with the cabal of the Reagan loyalists who don’t want the truth to be told.”

“You are actively misleading the American people.”

Will to O’Reilly

“If you got it wrong, it would not be the first time you got it wrong.”

“You’re something of an expert on actively misleading people.”

“Your book does the work of the American left with its extreme recklessness.”