Bill O'Reilly: 'Obama Is the Toughest Interview of My Life,' Says President a Patriot
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On Tuesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC, Fox News Channel
“The O’Reilly Factor” host Bill O’Reilly disclosed some of the details
of his interview with President Barack Obama immediately before the
Super Bowl earlier this month. O’Reilly explained why it was difficult.
“My job is to get information,” O’Reilly said. “That’s my job. I’m an old time journalist. I’m going to ask him a certain amount of questions. I only had ten minutes live. It was live. which is really tough. The interview I did this year with President Obama is the toughest interview of my life. I’ve never done anything more difficult. You’re up against the clock from day one. All right? From second one. And President Obama can do 20 minutes on your socks. I mean, the guy is very eloquent and he can just take it where he wants to take it. But my job is to not have him do that, to answer a series of questions. So therefore I have to interrupt the most powerful man in the world. Which I did because I’m obnoxious, that's what I do -- part of my charm. But you can't do it in a way that denigrates him, that makes him look bad. Now, this is my third interview with Barack Obama. I think I know him pretty well. So I know where I can get in. and before the interview, I say to him, ‘You know it's me, OK? This isn't -- I’m going to ask you one question and you're going to fly with your spin. That’s not going to happen. This is more of a conversation.’ And to his credit, he said OK. And he delivered."
O’Reilly also acknowledged he likes Obama as well as his predecessor, former President George W. Bush and said he thinks they have the best of intentions for the country.
“I like Barack Obama as I liked George W. Bush,” O’Reilly said. “I think they're both patriots, OK? Now, you may not agree with their policies, you may think they're not managing well. That’s fine. Everybody has an opinion. But as human beings, I think they're both trying to do what's best for their country. So I admire that. I respect that.”
“My job is to get information,” O’Reilly said. “That’s my job. I’m an old time journalist. I’m going to ask him a certain amount of questions. I only had ten minutes live. It was live. which is really tough. The interview I did this year with President Obama is the toughest interview of my life. I’ve never done anything more difficult. You’re up against the clock from day one. All right? From second one. And President Obama can do 20 minutes on your socks. I mean, the guy is very eloquent and he can just take it where he wants to take it. But my job is to not have him do that, to answer a series of questions. So therefore I have to interrupt the most powerful man in the world. Which I did because I’m obnoxious, that's what I do -- part of my charm. But you can't do it in a way that denigrates him, that makes him look bad. Now, this is my third interview with Barack Obama. I think I know him pretty well. So I know where I can get in. and before the interview, I say to him, ‘You know it's me, OK? This isn't -- I’m going to ask you one question and you're going to fly with your spin. That’s not going to happen. This is more of a conversation.’ And to his credit, he said OK. And he delivered."
O’Reilly also acknowledged he likes Obama as well as his predecessor, former President George W. Bush and said he thinks they have the best of intentions for the country.
“I like Barack Obama as I liked George W. Bush,” O’Reilly said. “I think they're both patriots, OK? Now, you may not agree with their policies, you may think they're not managing well. That’s fine. Everybody has an opinion. But as human beings, I think they're both trying to do what's best for their country. So I admire that. I respect that.”
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