Politics & Government
Why Bill O'Reilly Came Under Fire For Mocking A Congresswoman's Hair
"O'Reilly crosses a huge, bright, red line," said one commentator.
Bill O'Reilly critiqued a speech about patriotism by Rep. Maxine Water (D-Los Angeles) by mocking her appearance Tuesday, claiming on "Fox and Friends" that he couldn't hear a word she was saying because of her "James Brown wig."
"I didn't hear a word she said," O'Reilly said. "I was looking at the James Brown wig. If we have a picture of James, it's the same wig."'
If that wasn't surprising enough, O'Reilly followed it up with something truly rare: an apology. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)
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"As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs," he said. "I said that again today on Fox & Friends calling her 'old school.' Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair which was dumb. I apologize."
A Fox News spokesperson said he would address the issue on his Tuesday night show.
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Watch the clip below of the Fox and Friends segment, originally spotted by Media Matters:
African-American woman in Congress speaks up against the president, Bill O'Reilly says he won't listen because of her hair. pic.twitter.com/GVOkZNBNX9
— Media Matters (@mmfa) March 28, 2017
Many commentators argued that O'Reilly's comments were racist and sexist, singling out the California Democrat for her appearance as a black woman, rather than listening to the content of her remarks.
Ainsley Earhardt, a co-host on the show, defended Waters on air after O'Reilly made the comment.
"No. OK, I've got to defend her on that," Earhardt said. "I have to defend her on that. She — you can't go after a woman's looks. I think she's very attractive."
On Twitter, Joy Reid, a political commentator, said of the clip, "O'Reilly crosses a huge, bright, red line."
Before O'Reilly made his comments, a video clip showed Waters discussing patriotism in response to President Trump:
We have suffered discrimination. We have suffered isolation and undermining. But we stand up for America oftentimes when others who think they're more patriotic, who say they're more patriotic, do not. When we fight against this president and we point out how dangerous he is for this society and for this country, we're fighting for the democracy. We're fighting for america. We saying to those who say they're patriotic that they've turned a blind eye to the destruction that he's about to cause this country. You're not nearly as patriotic as we are.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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