Bill O'Reilly Vows Action Against "Left-Wing Cabal" in First Interview Since Fox Exit

The host says he will be naming those he says orchestrated a smear campaign against him.

In his first interview since he was fired last month, Bill O’Reilly has vowed to take legal action against what he sees as an “organized left-wing cabal” that seeks his destruction.

“This was a hit, and in the weeks to come we’re going to be able to explain some of it,” O’Reilly said Friday on Glenn Beck’s radio show.

O’Reilly spoke of a group, possibly funded by progressive billionaire George Soros, “that goes in and terrorizes sponsors. That threatens people behind the scenes; that pays people to say things.”

Beck then chimed in with his own anecdote about Soros, who partially funds Media Matters for America and other progressive groups: “When I was at Fox News, as you’ll remember, I did ‘George Soros the puppet master,’ because we had received what we felt was a serious threat to life from one of George Soros’ intimate surrogates.”

The former host of the now-canceled Fox News hit show, The O’Reilly Factor, said he’s gathering facts, has obtained legal counsel and will be naming those he says orchestrated a smear campaign against him.

Fox News fired O’Reilly amid allegations of sexual harassment that came about a year after former chief Roger Ailes was fired after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Fox News parent 21st Century Fox recently said it has spent $45 million to settle some lawsuits and fight others related to Ailes, O’Reilly and former executive Bill Shine, who recently resigned.

“I was target No. 1, and it’s sad,” O’Reilly told Beck. “It’s grossly dishonest. I did what I thought I had to do to protect my family. But those days are over. From now on, when I’m attacked, I’m going to take action — mostly legal action. But it’s not going to happen anymore to me.”

O’Reilly said the organized attacks on him were going on two years ago when he, like Brian Williams of NBC News, was accused of exaggerating past experiences.

“It was bull. It was all a lie,” O’Reilly told Beck on Friday. “Now it’s ramped up since President Trump was elected. It’s ramped up to a place where I think this is going to become a major story in the next six months.”

Beck also asked O’Reilly how he learned he was being fired.

“My attorneys told me, and we were all shocked. But I’m not going to say anything more than that,” O’Reilly said. “It’s their prerogative. They can do whatever they want. They run the company and they own the company. So, if that’s what they felt was best for the company, I’m not going to hammer them.”

“I was thinking of writing a new book called Killing O’Reilly,” joked Beck.

“Well, they did,” O’Reilly responded. “'They' being not the company so much, but when you have organized people being paid to demonstrate outside of your headquarters and all of that, I mean, it’s intense. So, I gotta do this methodically. I’ve gotta do it in a way where we don’t make any mistakes, and we will.”

O’Reilly added: “We’re accumulating information and hopefully some day it will be clear. … The press in certain precincts is as vicious and evil as it gets.”

Hear the 11-minute interview below.