Bill O’Reilly, King of the World, threatened to add Mexico to his list of boycotted countries – again last night. You may recall that Mexico narrowly escaped a 2012 boycott when they submitted to O’Reilly’s mighty microphone and released an American prisoner he previously used to threaten the country. Now, with another American in a Mexican prison under even more dubious circumstances, “I don’t do boycotts” O’Reilly issued his threat. Release her this week or else I collapse the economy! UPDATED
There’s no doubt the arrest of Yanira Maldonado is extremely suspicious. But it’s more than a little ridiculous for someone who’s supposedly a news host to step into the middle of it and threaten a country. But that’s what O’Reilly did. “I think this is the end of Mexico tourism if they charge her. I think that’s it. I don’t think any American’s gonna go there,” he told guest Megyn Kelly on last night’s O’Reilly Factor.
You can’t keep throwing Americans in jail… You can’t keep doing this! …The heavy evidence is that this is a frame-up, that they wanted to shake her down. And that’s what a lot of Mexicans do… and it’s a corrupt country. We know that. But I’ll tell you what. I think this is the tipping point. I think if Mexico goes ahead and prosecutes this woman and keeps her in a filthy prison, that Americans are gonna say, “Know what? Adios. We’re not going there.” And if that happens, the Mexican economy collapses.
…Guess who’s gonna lead that boycott, Ms. Megyn? …I’m keeping my powder dry until Friday. We’re gonna give ‘em a chance to do the right thing. They do the wrong thing… If the judge does not throw the case out, it will be muy malo for Mexico.
Everybody laughed.
Update: Maldonado has been freed. Mexico can breathe a sigh of relief now!
And if said pompous ass thinks I’m going to stop eating Mexican food I have news for him.
(snark warning, JIC)
Are you telling me if the Mexican gov’t lets this woman go and drops the charges, that O’Loofah is gonna take credit for it once again???
I don’t know why he doesn’t demand to be named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Because it seems when he speaks, the Mexicans listen. Heaven forbid his vast listening audience boycotts some all-inclusives in Cancun or the Maya Riviera.
But an “American” who’s arrested for violating another country’s drug possession laws, and BillO’s going to be in that person’s corner. (Unless, of course, that American had a history of supporting Democrats.)
(The above is snark. But it does seem to be something you’d expect from one of O’Reilly’s fans.)