Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly decided to weigh in on the tragedy in Las Vegas, posting to his blog Monday that the massacre was unfortunately “the price of freedom.”
“This is the price of freedom. Violent nuts are allowed to roam free until they do damage, no matter how threatening they are,” O’Reilly said in a blog post to his website. “The Second Amendment is clear that Americans have a right to arm themselves for protection. Even the loons.”
So far authorities report that at least 58 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in the single largest mass shooting in modern American history. The perpetrator, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, took his own life as authorities closed in on his hotel room on the 32d floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.
Once the ratings emperor of prime time cable news, O’Reilly was knocked off his powerful perch at Fox News after multiples accusations of sexual harassment and revelations that he and the network reportedly dropped $13 million in settlements.
The former host has consistently maintained his innocence amid rumors of a planned return to the small screen. A partnership with the Conservative One America News Network was reportedly in the works before falling through in June of this year.
Short of regular full time work, O’Reilly has spent much of his quasi-retirement posting photos of his corgi, Holly.
Terror dog Holly celebrates second birthday! pic.twitter.com/fg2sS55UeR
— Bill O’Reilly (@billoreilly) September 27, 2017
… who is apparently a Republican
Holly wants a tax cut! pic.twitter.com/66g9Ogqjht
— Bill O’Reilly (@billoreilly) August 2, 2017