When conservative Fox News host Bill O'Reilly was asked during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" to comment on U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters' impassioned remarks about President Donald Trump's policies, O'Reilly said he hadn't heard a word she'd said because of her "James Brown wig."
"This dude..." sighed Deanna Brown Thomas, president of The James Brown Family Foundation in Augusta, where she gave us a tour of the James Brown exhibition at the Augusta Museum of History in the video below. " It amazes me how they have no problem with making jokes when serious issues are being discussed."
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The California Congresswoman's response: "I am a strong black woman. I cannot be intimidated, and I'm not going anywhere." #BlackWomenAtWork
She discussed it later on MSNBC:
Earlier, Twitter let O'Reilly have it.
Here's the remark that drew such ire. (Media Matters posted a longer clip; this is a shorter segment).
Incidentally, James Brown's hair, costumes, performances and his legendary work ethic were always flawless, but that's beside the point. Here's our video with Deanna:
Godfather daughter Yamma Brown Alexander threw some shade O'Reilly's way.
"That was a compliment Bill O’Reilly ..dad's hair was always laid!! But that's all you got from what Maxine Waters said? Sad!" she posted on Instagram and Facebook.
O'Reilly has apologized, saying in a statement:
"As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs. 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."
Waters' beliefs, by the way:
