Bill O'Reilly: Slaves who built the White House 'were well-fed and had decent lodgings'

On Tuesday night, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly took exception to part of Michelle Obama's Monday night speech to the Democratic National Convention.

Media Matters reported that O'Reilly was piqued that the First Lady pointed out that the White House was built by slaves.

In a mind-bogglingly tone-deaf statement, O'Reilly said that yes, slaves helped build the White House, but not any illegal immigrants because "If you could make it here, you could stay here."

He went on to say, "Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor. So, Michelle Obama is essentially correct in citing slaves as builders of the White House, but there were others working as well. Got it all? There will be a quiz."

The Fox News host later responded to people upset about his comments:

O'Reilly's network has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over apparent rampant sexism and an entrenched culture of sexual harassment. CEO Roger Ailes was forced to step down at the height of the GOP convention last week.

In 2004, O'Reilly was sued for sexual harassment by subordinate Andrea Mackriss, who said that the host harassed her in person and on the phone with graphic sexual fantasies and at one point called her while masturbating and penetrating himself with a vibrator.

O'Reilly and Fox News settled with Mackriss out of court.

Watch the video, embedded below via Media Matters: