CLEVELAND, Ohio – Montel Williams is learning the hard way that being a press whore isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The former talk show host turned crazed Twitter activist was scheduled to appear on Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly program Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention. But when Montel Williams learned that his goals and O’Reilly’s didn’t mesh, he bailed. The argument at hand: Montel had an agenda and wanted to discuss LGBT issues. But according to Montel, O’Reilly wanted to discuss a poll depicting President Obama as a racist.
A producer for “The O’Reilly Factor” told The Hill‘s Joe Concha that Montel was mad about “some gay thing.” O’Reilly said Montel would never be invited back. He told Concha that Montel knew well ahead of time what topics would be discussed. As in FOUR hours ahead of time.
Whatever the precise reason for his anger, Montel walked.
And O’Reilly called him a “coward” for it.
Montel was one of several bizarre celebrities drawn to town this week for the RNC — others included Antonio Sabato Jr. and Scott Baio (a.k.a. Chachi and Charles in Charge). Earlier that day, he attended an America Unity Fund event with Caitlyn Jenner. At the event, his idiotic “political spokesman” Jonathan Franks declared that The Daily Caller reporters in attendance had “begged” him to interview his boss. Begged was a delusional way of describing reality — which is that a reporter asked to ask Montel a question and Franks said no. He insisted that a fiery exchange with The Mirror that morning was responsible for his petty decision to not allow The Daily Caller to interview his boss.
Let’s be clear. Montel wasn’t in town to support Trump. He has been a vocal John Kasich supporter from the onset. Rather, he was here to push his fame and get some press attention.
O’Reilly’s c-word was like pulling the pin from a grenade — and thin-skinned Montel Williams went absolutely HAYWIRE.
He produced a Periscope video in which he ripped into O’Reilly.
“You want to talk about coward homeboy, when you point a finger this way, you’ve got three pointing back,” he said angrily, using his fingers as props. He said O’Reilly shirked his responsibility to his country by not serving in the military like Montel has. He raised the issue of O’Reilly’s divorce and included ugly details that emerged in court docs. “Leave me alone. ..In the history of the O’Reilly show I’ve only done it three times. I DON’T CARE.”
For someone who doesn’t care, Montel sure was apoplectic.
He quickly hooked up with America Now With Meghan McCain for more venting.
“I’m a coward?” he asked rhetorically. “That little sissy never put on a uniform.”
This is a serious head-scratcher. Montel — not exactly the most media savvy man in the world considering he has a “political aide” who has the spelling and grammar skills of a third grader — didn’t realize that O’Reilly was a so-called “sissy” before agreeing to appear on his program?
Montel lashed out at O’Reilly in tweets. Astonishingly he called O’Reilly a “delusional narcissist.” (Montel may want to re-visit his one finger, three finger rule.) He also threatened O’Reilly Wednesday, saying, “If Bill keeps this going tomorrow we will release even more truth about him.” At an earlier point in the day, he said, “We’re giving @FoxNews @oreillyfactor 15 minutes to tell the truth voluntarily.”
According to a statement, Montel joined the America Now program “immediately” after walking off “The O’Reilly Factor.”
Here’s what he told McCain about the O’Reilly incident:
“The bottom line is, there’s plenty of people around here to talk to – I didn’t do the interview. Now, O’Reilly, who out of nowhere then comes up on air – and you can go look at it yourself – he calls me a coward, he calls me all of these names because I didn’t want to speak to him? I’m a COWARD? Excuse me. I’ve got 22 years in the military. The last time I looked that little sissy never put on a uniform, though he talks a lot of trash about how quickly we should send other people’s children off to die. Then he makes some ignorant statement about ‘I don’t know what it’s about, is it some GAY thing?’ and then he says something – look – I’m not here to get in a battle with O’Reilly, but I am here to tell that when you want to use the word ‘coward’ let’s make sure that we identify the true coward. Cowards drag their wives down steps and let their children report that in court cases. Cowards lie and embellish their military journalistic acumen. Cowards lie like they’re lying right now.”