Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly clashed this week with USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers over her claim that racism is a “serious issue” in the United States and that Americans must work to resolve it.
The thrust of O’Reilly and Fox contributor Monica Crowley’s counterargument to Powers’ was: Those who say racism is prevalent in the United States do so only because they’re trying to tear down the country.
“The world is being told by anti-American haters that we are a rank racist society,” said O’Reilly. “And that is a lie.”
Powers at one point let out an audible sigh, which prompted O’Reilly to demand that she cease from making such “derisive” noises.
Claiming that left-wing forces are trying to promote a narrative that characterizes America as a hotbed of racial strife, O’Reilly said to Powers, “I don’t know why you are so unable to see that.”
If Powers can’t see that liberals are just trying to harm the country, O’Reilly continued, then she “must be living in a hut somewhere with no electricity.”
Powers responded amid the shouting, “I’m living in the real world, where you can actually defend America and people don’t attack you…I defend America all the time.”
The Fox host countered her claim that America has a race problem by stating that every country has race problems, alleging also that there is more “racial harmony” in the United States than in many of the countries he has visited.
“We don’t have a system where racism is acceptable at all,” O’Reilly stated. “We don’t.”
Powers reiterated that there are a good number of Americans who harbor racist sentiments, which didn’t sit well with O’Reilly.
“Most Americans are not racist! They’re not!” he responded. “If you think most Americans are racist, I’m ashamed of you.”
