The club's American owner Lerner - said to be shocked at O'Neill's swift exit - has flown into Birmingham to meet Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner as the club look to replace a man who led them to sixth in the league, and to the Carling Cup final, last season.
Early on Tuesday evening, a shocked-looking Bill O'Reilly, a firebrand conservative talk-show host, went on the Republicans' favourite news broadcaster, Fox News.