Donald Trump's Rise Laid The Groundwork For Bill O'Reilly's Fall

Bill OReilly weathered sexual harassment charges for more than a decade, but not this time: Fox News has fired the controversial host.

The media company was under extreme pressure from advertisers, protesters and its own employees all fed up with a company culture that enabled OReillys misbehavior for too long.

But behind all that was the growing power of women, more emboldened than ever before, to protest sexual harassment and assault. For this, at least in part, we can thank President Donald Trump .

Trumps surprise victory in November sparked a massive wave of energy among progressives, activists and especially women, outraged that the reality TV star had won office despite more than a dozen sexual assault accusations, a record of strikingly misogynistic comments and insults, and a damning video in which he boasted of grabbing women by their genitals and kissing them without consent.

Youd think that Trumps election would have sent the message that speaking up doesnt matter. Instead, it galvanized an already growing movement.

Fox knew about Bill O'Reilly's behavior towards women for 15 years. He was held accountable by good journalism + women-led activism

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Fox knew about Bill O'Reilly's behavior towards women for 15 years. He was held accountable by good journalism + women-led activism
Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) April 19, 2017

I never thought a man who openly bragged about committing sexual assault could get elected, said Karin Roland, chief campaigns officer for UltraViolet, a womens group that helped organize several anti-OReilly petitions and protests at Fox News headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

Women are now trying to figure out how to make [sexual misconduct] something that would doom a future presidential candidate or aspiring athlete or a Fox News host, Roland said.