Comedian Rosie O’Donnell put her money where her Trump hating mouth is, when she bet Bill O’Reilly $10,000 that former President Donald Trump will be convicted in court.
The former panelist of ABC’s morning talk show “The View,” appeared on the Wednesday episode of ousted CNN anchor Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation show along with the O’Reilly, where the pair butted heads against her arch-nemesis Trump.
The long-time Trump hater has feuded with Trump since the early aughts, and history repeated itself when O’Donnell had nothing but scathing things to say about Trump and his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
She began sparring with the former Fox News host, when she insisted that Trump is “the worst thing that ever happened to this nation” and that Democracy hangs on the verdict of his upcoming criminal trials.
Rosie O'Donnell had a feud with Trump after she went at him on air while she was on The View. Tonight, Rosie came on to discuss what happened and share her perspective on where we are right now and how we got here…then we brought in Bill O'Reilly to the conversation! pic.twitter.com/BApjA6lWiJ
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 18, 2024
O’Donnell said that “Democracy is on trial” as Trump’s criminal proceedings begin this year. “Without this, we’re nothing as a nation,” she noted dramatically.
The former Fox News star wasn’t interested in her hot take. “Rosie, with all due respect, you’re not going to be successful saying that democracy is on trial and anybody who supports Donald Trump is a fascist,” O’Reilly shot back.
“You’re not. Those people are going to reject you 100 percent. There’s a lot more to it than you’re presenting,” he added.
The “No Spin News” star pointed out that there was not a single attack on the country in the four years Trunp was president until Jan. 6.
“That was a large mistake he made. I don’t believe he was behind it,” O’Reilly stated. “I think that if that trial ever gets up, he’ll be acquitted.”
The former “O’Reilly Factor” star believes there is “too much exculpatory evidence” to convict Trump, and when O’Donnell tried to interrupt him, he scolded that she wouldn’t be bringing anyone together by “demonizing” the ex-president, or the 72 million people who voted for him.
Rosie O'Donnell on Chris Cuomo's program:
"I think he's [Trump] the worst thing that ever happened to the United States."
The worst, really? What an insult to Americans who have witnessed unspeakable tragedies like Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and the Rosie O'Donnell Talk Show. pic.twitter.com/roc9CCcdDN— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) April 18, 2024
When Cuomo jumped in to let O’Donnell respond, she called Trump a “dictator” and an “authoritarian leader.”
“I totally disagree with you that he didn’t have anything to do with the insurrection, that he didn’t instigate it, plan it, demand it of his fans, because he did, Bill,” she retorted.
That’s when O’Reilly decided to bet a serious amount of coin that the former talk show host was wrong about the 45th president.
“We’ll see in court what is presented, and if you are correct, I will take a $10,000 bet right now with you to your favorite charity or mine that Donald Trump will not be convicted of insurrection, because he’s not charged with it,” he wagered.
Cuomo countered that O’Reilly was a “cheap-o” for betting on a charge that technically isn’t one of the many charges against Trump, when O’Donnell upped the ante.
“$10,000 that he is found guilty—not of [insurrection]—the other charges,” she doubled down. “Anything he is charged with, I agree he will be guilty.”
O’Reilly must not be making Fox News money since striking out on his own, because he awkwardly changed the subject without taking the bet.
“I’m not really fearful for our democracy,” he countered. “My freedom was not impeded one iota during the Trump administration. I don’t know any broadcasters’ freedom who was.”
He poked O’Donnell by bringing up her former ABC show. “You still have The View on every day pounding Trump into pudding, nothing happens,” O’Reilly taunted.
“All the working people I know we’re better off under Donald Trump, so there wasn’t any economic consequence,” he added. “So I really don’t know what the hyperbole is, and I reject it.”
His argument clearly wound O’Donnell up, because she repeated “that’s bull” over and over again, until questioning how many Americans Trump killed “by his COVID inaction.”
“Let’s start right there. Are you kidding me? People were better with him? You’re out of your mind! Out of your mind,” she shrieked.
O’Reilly simply pointed out that made a deal with Big Pharma and “brought a vaccine to the nation in less than a year.”
Cuomo conceded that Operation Warp Speed “definitely” produced a quick vaccine, but still managed to slide in a jab about Trump.
“He was slow at the beginning, and then he got cold feet about the vaccine when people went anti-vax on him,” the show’s host commented.
“That’s the story that the American people have to reconcile with their vote in November.”