Bill O"Reilly Defends Controversial White House Slave Comments

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Transcript for Bill O"Reilly Defends Controversial White House Slave Comments

We move on to that bill O"Reilly backlash under fire for saying after michelle Obama"s speech that the slaves were well fed in decent lodgings. He is responding now and linsey Davis has the latest. Reporter: Even though he says smear merchants are distoring his words last night bill O"Reilly offered more details to support his incendiary comments that the slaves who bill the white house were well fed and had decent accommodations. This morning, Fox News host bill O"Reilly is doubling down on his controversial fact checking of the first lady"s dnc speech Monday night after Michelle Obama pointed out the historical significance of being the first black family to live in the white house. I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent black young women playing with their dogs on the white house lawn. Reporter: On "The O"Reilly fact"s" tip of the day he angered some by describing what he called historical context. Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government. Reporter: He then added further fuel to the fire with this commentary. So Michelle Obama is essentially correct in citing slaves as builders of the white house but there were others working as well. Reporter: Outrage was swift. Audra McDonald had these stark pictures with captions like dear bill O"Reilly, live in this. Wear these. And take a ride on this, maybe now you"ll get why people are having a hard time with your description of the slaves" am San diegos. TV producer and writer Shonda rhimes tweeted, the idiocy never ceases to amaze me. Try slavery, bill. Let us know how good the food is while you wear chains. Leave it to Fox News to provide a fair and balanced view of slavery. More vicious attacks from the far left media deceivers. Reporter: Last night O"Reilly elaborated on his point and lashed out at critics. In order to keep slaves and free laborers strong, Washington"s administration provided meat, bread and other staple, also decent lodging on the grounds of the new presidential building. That is a fact. Not a justification, not a defense of slavery. Just a fact. Anyone who implies a soft on slavery message is beneath contempt. The author who wrote the book "The invisibles untold to story of african-americans in the white house" has weighed in on all of this saying we don"t know the quality of the food or housing because there are no historical records that support that judgment. What is undeniable is that the slaves were not given a choice on what they ate or where they lived and my question is really. Is this something that needs to be debated at all? We are after all talking about slaves. George and robin. It"s just surreal that we"re even talking about it.

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Source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/bill-oreilly-defends-controversial-white-house-slave-comments-40953682