Bill O’Reilly has issued a blunt warning to Republicans—improve their economic message or face defeat in the November midterms.
The former Fox News host slammed the GOP during a heated exchange on NewsNation on Monday.
“The Republicans are so blanking dumb, they can’t put it together and therefore they may very well lose,” he told host Leland Vittert.
“The Democratic Party has no platform to bring down prices,” he added. “Neither do the Republicans.”
Affordability concerns are dogging both parties ahead of the crucial midterm elections. A Harris survey conducted for The Guardian this summer found that 95 percent of Americans believe the U.S. is suffering an affordability crisis. Around 57 percent said they believed the overall economy was getting worse.
Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to win a majority in the Senate and gain a net of three districts to win a majority in the House.
O’Reilly said both parties are using “gimmicks” to attempt to solve the affordability problem, with even President Donald Trump participating in “gimmick mania.”
He argued that the Democrats were “selling socialism” as an answer to the cost of living pressures facing Americans.
The former Fox News host said Americans needed to protect themselves during tough economic times and not rely on the government.
“When you find yourself, as an American, with no skills, a dicey education, and bills to pay, no matter who is president, no matter what party is in [office], this is capitalism,” he said. “The government is not going to save you.”
“You compete, you do the things necessary to succeed,” he added.
Polling from The 19th and YouGov shows that Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans on every single cost-of-living issue.
Trump’s campaign promised to make Americans better off, but rising gas costs due to the president’s war with Iran have also alienated some voters. In some states, gas prices climbed above the $5-a-gallon mark, placing a strain on many households.
