Bill O’Reilly comes unglued at Obama event.
Pushes 6′ 8″ Obama aide out of the way.
A U.S. Secret Service agent (C) steps in to intervene after Fox News Channel television talk show host Bill O’Reilly (L) shoved Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s National Trip Director Marvin Nicholson (R) while trying to get to the Senator at the end of a campaign rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, January 5, 2008. (REUTERS/Jim Bourg)
Lynn Sweet reported:
NASHUA, N.H.– Fox News host Bill O’Reilly got into a confrontation with an Obama aide after O’Reilly started screaming at him as he tried to get Barack Obama’s attention following a rally here. O’Reilly eventually did chat briefly with Obama and asked him to be a guest on his show.
The incident was triggered when O’Reilly–with a Fox News crew shooting–was screaming at Obama National Trip Director Marvin Nicholson “Move” so he could get Obama’s attention, according to several eyewitnesses. “O’Reilly was yelling at him, yelling at his face,” a photographer shooting the scene said.
O’Reilly grabbed Nicholson’s arm and shoved him, another eyewitness said. Nicholson, who is 6’8, said O’Reilly called him “low class.”
“He grabbed me with both his hands here,” Nicholson said, gesturing to his left arm and O’Reilly “started shoving me.” Nicholson said, ” He was pretty upset. He was yelling at me.”
Secret Service agents who were nearby flanked O ‘Reilly after he pushed Nicholson. They told O’Reilly he needed to calm down and get behind the fence-like barricade that contained the press.
Obama had his back turned at this point and did not see any of this.
O’Reilly yelled “sir” at Obama and Obama walked over, not aware of what happened and told him he had an overflow crowd to visit. According to the time code from a photographer shooting the two, Obama and O’Reilly talked near 11:45 a.m. eastern time.
HotAir has video of O’Reilly phoning into FOX News to tell the story.
The Obama aide would not move from in front of the FOX cameras.
There was no scuffle.
The Factor will show the episode on Monday Night.