On “The O’Reilly Factor” Tuesday, the conservative host evoked the name of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.), who in the 1950s fueled paranoia that liberal people, in particular Hollywood types, were communists out to subvert the United States. That led to a show business blacklist “where people were not hired because McCarthy smeared them,” O’Reilly said.

Fast forward to the upcoming inauguration, which at the moment features such low-wattage acts as Jackie Evancho from “America’s Got Talent” and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (A fellow mormon launched a petition imploring them not to appear at the Jan. 20 event and one choir member resigned in protest against the president-elect.)

“The harsh truth is that there is reverse McCarthyism going on in the entertainment industry,” O’Reilly said.