O’Reilly threatens to sue after media reports ‘History Tour’ with Trump has low ticket sales

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly reportedly threatened to sue a Politico reporter over an article revealing that sales for his “History Tour” with former President Trump were low, citing conversations with venue ticketing officials. 

Politico’s Daniel Lippman on Friday reported that tickets for the tour, which has four stops scheduled at locations in Texas and Florida this December, went on sale June 14, though venue officials said sales have so far been slow compared with other events held at the arenas. 

For example, a box office employee at Orlando, Fla.’s 20,000-person Amway Center, which will host Trump and O’Reilly on Dec. 12, told Politico, “There’s still a lot of tickets open.”

“We have concerts that are doing a lot better than this,” the employee added, speaking on the condition of anonymity. 

The employee said that a Bad Bunny concert scheduled for March at the arena sold out in two days and  that tickets for a Dec. 3 Kane Brown concert were almost gone. 

Employees at Houston’s Toyota Center, Dallas’s American Airlines Center and Sunrise, Fla.’s BB&T Center all said that a large portion of seats for the Trump-O’Reilly tour remain unsold, with a BB&T box office official telling Politico they expected sales to have been “definitely higher” at this point. 

However, Trump and O’Reilly have both pushed back on Politico’s reporting, with Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington saying in a statement, “The History Tour has already sold over $5 million of tickets, and the excitement and enthusiasm is unlike anything we’ve seen before.” 

“Come December, the sold out shows will be a memorable night for all,” she added. 

Lippman reported that in a phone interview, O’Reilly said claims that ticket sales were lagging were “false” and “totally ridiculous.” 

O’Reilly reportedly argued that ticket sales were at $7 million, higher than the number Harrington gave. 

“We haven’t spent a nickel on marketing, nothing,” he said. “All those 7 million for four shows were done on the announcement. Marketing will start in about a week. Nobody has sold tickets this fast at this price, and VIPs are sold out at three of the four venues.”

The television personality specifically pushed back on reports that Orlando ticket sales were low, calling it “bullshit,” although he did not know exactly how many tickets had been sold at that arena. 

O’Reilly then reportedly threatened Lippman, saying, “You put one word in there that’s not true, I’ll sue your ass off, and you can quote me on that.”

“You’re just a hatchet man, and that’s what you are,” he added, according to Lippman.

The Hill has reached out to representatives for O’Reilly for comment. 

Upon announcing the tour last month, Trump and O’Reilly said they would discuss “how things were accomplished, as well as challenges, both good and bad,” with Trump saying the events will be “wonderful but hard-hitting sessions” that will discuss the “real problems” occurring in the U.S.