Political commentator Bill O’Reilly argued Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s endorsement no longer carries the same political weight it once did, pointing to the ongoing war with Iran and its economic consequences.
O’Reilly made the comments during an appearance with NewsNation host Chris Cuomo as the pair discussed Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who secured the Republican nomination for Florida governor.
Trump has endorsed Donalds, although the Florida Republican has said it is up to the president whether he joins him on the campaign trail.
“I don’t know if that means anything now, because Donald Trump has got to solve the Iran thing,” O’Reilly said. “That is really hurting him.”
O’Reilly argued that prices connected to the conflict are also “haunting” Trump politically.
“So I don’t know if the endorsement — it’s not going to hurt you if you’re a Republican. No, but it doesn’t have the cachet that it did,” he said.
O’Reilly predicted Donalds will win November’s election and succeed Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, though he warned the contest could be close unless Donalds can “shake” Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly during a debate.
Cuomo then pushed O’Reilly on Trump’s handling of the Iran war, its economic impact and the conflict’s unpopularity among Americans.
O’Reilly said he does not receive daily intelligence briefings and therefore does not know what information Trump has. But he argued the conflict has become inseparable from the president’s legacy.
“All I know is that this is tied into President Trump’s legacy now,” O’Reilly said.
“So he’s got to come out as the winner in Iran somehow,” he added.
O’Reilly said there was “no doubt” Trump would not try to sell taking over Iran’s Kharg Island, which accounts for roughly 90% of the country’s crude oil exports.
Cuomo argued that selling the war itself was Trump’s “big problem.”
O’Reilly said he was “not sure about that,” pointing to the Trump administration’s argument that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was the reason for the conflict.
Republican lawmakers have largely supported Trump’s military action against Iran, though some have warned it could become a political problem in November. Democrats have also incorporated the conflict into their campaign messaging.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., whose term ends in January, recently warned that Iran could become America’s “next forever war.”
Mace pointed to rising gas prices and declining oil reserves, arguing that while the Iran conflict itself will not appear on November ballots, affordability and the cost of living will.
Polling conducted by Politico in July also suggested the conflict could hurt Republican turnout in the midterms.
Retiring Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, meanwhile, told CNN that Washington should negotiate “from the rubble,” warning that a back-and-forth approach could drag the conflict into the midterm elections.
