Maxine Waters Responds To Those Offensive Comments

On Tuesday, Rep. Maxine Waters responded to offensive comments made about her earlier that day by Bill O'Reilly. In an interview on MSNBC, Waters delivered her message less to O'Reilly and more to her fellow women, saying, "I cannot be intimidated."

O'Reilly's comments came Tuesday morning during an appearance on Fox & Friends. O'Reilly watched a clip of Waters' recent address to the House of Representatives, in which she called President Trump "dangerous" for society. Following the clip, O'Reilly said he was distracted by Waters' hair.

I didn't hear a word [Waters] said. I was looking at the James Brown wig. If we have a picture of James, it's the same wig.

O'Reilly later apologized for his remarks, saying, "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."

The superficial comment about Waters' appearance raised many an eyebrow. Fortunately, however, Waters herself seemed unfazed. She told MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Tuesday night that she had a message for all women in response to O'Reilly's comments.

Let me just say this, I'm a strong, black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O'Reilly or anybody. And I'd like to say to women out there everywhere, don't allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are, do what you do, and let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.

For Waters, one of the most pressing issues to discuss seems to be the president. As shown on Fox & Friends, she delivered remarks to the floor of the House on Monday night, blasting the president and his administration. "I oppose this president. I do not honor this president. I do not respect this president," Waters said.

For his part, O'Reilly appeared to give Waters some credit for her boldness. "People get angry with Maxine Waters. I want more of it," he said on Tuesday.

Still, those statements are likely irrelevant to the congresswoman, who criticized O'Reilly's credibility in her response on Tuesday night. Waters seems apt to take her own advice as she pushes for the impeachment of President Trump: "Be who you are, do what you do."