‘I Shouldn’t Be Laughing’ Host Admits
As the nation recoiled in horror and erupted in outrage, one man expressed a different emotion toward the image of an defenseless man being physically dragged off United flight 3411 to make room for airline employees: laughter.
Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, the subject of countless news stories over the past ten days following a New York Times exposé revealing he and his employer had paid about $13 million to five women after they accused him of sexual harassment, found humor in seeing someone’s civil rights being violated.
After playing a portion of the clip showing the man, partially unclothed, being dragged by law enforcement officers down the plane’s aisle, O’Reilly Monday night chuckled.
“I shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s just so bizarre,” the 67-year old TV host told viewers.
“They had to get some United Airlines personnel from Chicago to Louisville,” O’Reilly continued, “they had to get them there and so they asked for volunteers, and obviously, this guy didn’t volunteer,” O’Reilly explained, still laughing.
Later video showed the man, clearly distraught, back on the plane, his face apparently cut and bloodied, clutching a cabin curtain, and repeatedly saying, “just kill me.”
United CEO Oscar Munoz also came under fire after issuing a statement apologizing for “having to re-accommodate” the passenger.
O’Reilly has lost about 75 advertisers since the devastating Times article, and his show has ended early on at least one night. Stunningly, his ratings have improved.
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Video via Media Matters
Image: Screenshot via Fox News