Fox News host Bill O’Reilly spent several minutes on Monday’s episode of “The O’Reilly Factor” talking about the PR disaster currently bedeviling United Airlines. But while he kept things largely to-the-facts, he couldn’t help chuckling at the expense of the passenger who was visibly injured while being forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight.
At the start of the segment, O’Reilly played the video, first posted online by passenger Audra D. Bridges, that shows the man, reportedly a Louisville-based Doctor, being dragged off the plane by law enforcement while other passengers react in horror and disgust.
The man was one of four passengers randomly selected to give up his seat so that a United employee flying standby could take it, after the airline was unable to find any passengers willing to voluntarily do so. United has noted that the security guards who removed the man were Chicago aviation officials, not United employees.
As the clip ends and O’Reilly prepares to introduce Fox correspondent Rob Schmidt to talk about the matter, he involuntarily laughs at the situation. “I shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s just so bizarre,” added the host, whose show is having difficulty retaining advertisers in the wake of a scandal related to allegations of sexual harassment.
The New York Times reported earlier this month that O’Reilly and Fox News have paid out roughly $13 million to five women who have acccused him of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. He has denied any wrongdoing and said he was targeted because of his success.
You can watch the clip above.