Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is urging President Donald Trump to put Americans’ minds at ease with regard to the economy, as fears of a recession escalate amid high inflation and a turbulent week at the stock market.
Appearing on NewsNation’s “On Balance” Monday, O’Reilly suggested Trump would be best served by finding a “calm, credible economist” who could better break down details around tariffs and other policies.
“I think he should be concerned with the fear factor, certainly, and he should be looking to reassure Americans,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t know if that would have any kind of immediate soothing formula, but you have to calm everything down and then you have to explain.”
“Just take Canada for example. You know, why the beef with Canada?” he added, alluding to Trump’s attempts to ramp up a trade war with America’s northern neighbor. “Just explain it so even I can understand it. I don’t think that the White House has done that.”
Watch a clip of Bill O’Reilly’s NewsNation interview below.
O’Reilly’s remarks come as Trump has declined to rule out the possibility that his policies could trigger a recession. On Monday, the stock market experienced its steepest decline of the year thus far, with investors saying they’re unnerved by government layoffs, spending freezes, and the president’s mercurial imposing of tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
Later in his NewsNation chat, O’Reilly said he’d “guarantee” the president’s administration would soon secure “a deal” with Canada “that’s more fair,” though he kept mum on specifics.
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Though polls found the economy and high consumer prices to be top issues among voters in the 2024 presidential election, O’Reilly said he doesn’t believe most Americans are “hurting economically” at the moment.
“Jobs are plentiful. They have cash,” he said. “Prices are too high, but they will come down because of the easy fossil fuel access that we have in America.”