Close associate of Donald Trump has suggested that the former US president possesses undisclosed information about Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has reportedly allowed him to exert influence over Putin.
Conservative political commentator Bill O’Reilly, widely recognized for his hosting of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, made these claims during an interview with Tucker Carlson, which was posted on X on Wednesday, September 27.
According to O’Reilly, Trump effectively managed his relationship with Russia during his presidency through undisclosed leverage he held over Putin, although the nature of this leverage remains undisclosed. The interview clip, shared by Carlson, has garnered over 9.1 million views.
O’Reilly, 74, described Trump, 77, as an effective president, labeling him a populist who focused on making deals throughout his tenure.
“He won’t tell me what he has on Putin,” O’Reilly remarked during the interview, “But I know he has something.”
The interview coincided with the second Republican presidential primary debate, aired on Fox News, a network that formerly employed both O’Reilly and Carlson. Notably, Trump did not participate in this debate, leading his competitors to criticize his absence. Presidential candidate Chris Christie humorously remarked that if Trump continued to avoid such events, people might start calling him “Donald Duck.”
O’Reilly has a history of friendship with Trump and authored a book in 2019 titled “The United States of Trump: How the President Really Sees America.” The book provided an insider’s perspective on Donald Trump’s life and included interviews with Trump and his children. In the book, Donald Trump Jr. was quoted as saying, “I don’t second-guess because there’s always a method to the madness with him.”
In 2021, O’Reilly and Trump embarked on The History Tour together, a series of events where they discussed the history of the Trump administration with audiences across America, further indicating their close relationship.
These recent claims regarding Trump’s supposed hold over Putin have added another layer of intrigue to the ongoing controversies surrounding the former president and his political connections.
Sources:
Newsweek: Donald Trump ‘Has Something’ on Putin to Control Him—Bill O’Reilly
Politico: Christie doubles down after Trump ‘Donald Duck’ comment
