Bill O'Reilly Weighs in on Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly Changing Their Stance on Donald Trump: 'They Aren't Journalists!' 

Ex-Fox News star Bill O’Reilly blasted his former colleagues during an interview on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" by dismissing right-wing commentators like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly as "personalities" rather than "journalists."

O'Reilly used the appearance to critique how many prominent conservative media figures shifted their editorial stances to align with President Donald Trump.

O'Reilly argued that modern conservative commentators operate as profit-driven entertainers, claiming they prioritize keeping their audience happy and chasing internet engagement over practicing traditional, objective journalism.

Both Carlson and Kelly famously held highly critical or complicated views of Trump in the past (such as Carlson's leaked private texts expressing hatred for Trump and Kelly's infamous 2015 debate clash).

However, both have since shifted to heavily courting the MAGA base through their independent digital platforms and podcasts.

Interestingly, while O'Reilly critiqued their shift, all three figures — Reilly, Carlson, and Kelly — each have independent multi-million-dollar podcast and digital media businesses managed by the same Fox Corporation-owned production firm, Red Seat Ventures.

The comment sparked widespread discussion across political media, highlighting the ongoing rift between the old guard of commentators, who see themselves as traditional broadcasters, and the new wave of direct-to-consumer online media influencers, who lean heavily into audience capture and algorithm-driven content.

Mainstream outlets and media critics quickly highlighted the irony of O'Reilly calling anyone a "personality" rather than a "journalist," noting that O’Reilly himself pioneered the theatrical, opinion-heavy primetime model at Fox News.

Left-leaning commentators capitalized on his remarks, framing them as an admission from an industry insider that modern right-wing media figures are forced into "audience capture"— shifting their beliefs on Trump to sustain their subscriber bases and profits.

MAGA influencers hit back at O’Reilly, labeling his perspective outdated and accused him of clinging to old corporate media gatekeeping that no longer exists or holds power.

Online defenders of Carlson and Kelly pointed out that O'Reilly has frequently shifted his own political tone to remain relevant in the podcast space, rendering his lecture on "journalistic purity" hypocritical.

“Bill O'Reilly isn’t a journalist. He’s a GOP chat head,” noted one critic.

“He says the others aren’t journalists (they aren’t), but being gullible and silly like that about Iran and the Trump administration doesn’t make him much of one either,” said another.

“Coming from Bill O'Reilly, who's also a personality,” quipped someone else.

Observers familiar with Fox News history noted that the bad blood between O'Reilly and Kelly is deeply personal. Kelly previously spoke out publicly against O’Reilly regarding sexual harassment allegations, leading many to view O'Reilly's recent comments as a continuation of a multi-year personal feud rather than objective media analysis.

O'Reilly left Fox News in April 2017 after a major New York Times investigation revealed he and the network paid out millions of dollars to settle multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Following the report, over 50 advertisers pulled their sponsorships from his highly rated show, The O'Reilly Factor. This immense financial and public pressure led the parent company, 21st Century Fox, to part ways with its longtime anchor.