“Don’t walk away from it!” yelled Bill O’Reilly to Donald Trump on Wednesday night’s O’Reilly Factor on Fox News. O’Reilly scolded, cajoled, and very nearly begged Trump to reconsider his decision to spurn Thursday’s Fox-sponsored debate because of the candidate’s hurt feelings regarding moderator Megyn Kelly’s previous inquisition of the presidential candidate.

“I don’t like being used,” said Trump regarding Kelly. “She’s a lightweight … I have zero respect for Megyn Kelly.” “And anyway,” Trump added, “it’s not that important.” O’Reilly tried a number of tactics:

Religion: O’Reilly said, “I know you don’t go to church very often—” “Not true!” yelped Trump, seeing Evangelical Christian votes slipping away even as O’Reilly formed the words. “Maybe I don’t go every week, but…” O’Reilly told Trump that one of the “tenets of your church is forgiveness,” so why not forgive Kelly and show up? “I guess so,” said Trump, “but it’s also called an eye for an eye, too.” Ooh, a New Testament vs. Old Testament throwdown!

Related: Megyn Kelly Has Defeated Donald Trump

Shame: O’Reilly said Trump was shirking his responsibility to “the folks” (translation: that’s O’Reilly-speak for “ordinary people” — i.e., voters) by “walking away” from the debate. “I’m not walking away — I was pushed away,” snapped Trump. This man really feels abused by Megyn.

Brutal Realism: O’Reilly told Trump that when he first entered the race, “people thought you were a buffoon,” but that he’d proven them wrong. Trump hated that. “That’s not a very nice way of expressing it!” he bellowed, clearly stung by the word “buffoon.” “I’m a very successful businessman, I had one of the most popular shows on TV…” Bill was getting nowhere. He was desperate.

“Would you just consider [it]; say, ‘I might come’?” O’Reilly asked. There was also something in there about how, having known each other for 35 years, Trump owed Bill a lot of milkshakes (huh?). Couldn’t Trump “forgive” Kelly, and “go forward”?



Trump then said something few people reveal on television: “Even though you promised not to ask that, I’m gonna forget it and answer you.” The answer was no.

O’Reilly became a tad flustered, allowing that, yes, he may have promised Trump not to ask a certain question before they went on-camera, but, mustering his bluster, the host said that no one tells him what questions to ask.



All to no avail. I picture O’Reilly, when the little red camera light went off, ripping his lapel microphone off and thundering, “Well, Roger Ailes, I tried!”



Indeed, he did. And you know what? If I was a betting man, I’d bet that there is still a chance that Trump will reconsider, that he just might show up on Thursday night anyway.



The Republican debate airs Thursday, Jan. 28, at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News.

