Bill O'Reilly defended his allegations that Bowe Bergdahl's father "looks like a Muslim" on Wednesday night.
The Fox News host was responding to criticism of his earlier remarks about Robert Bergdahl, whose son was just released after being held captive for five years by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Bergdahl has spent the past five years growing a beard and learning the language of his son's captors, sparking allegations from critics he showed sympathy towards the Taliban.
"Now, the reason I said that Robert Bergdahl looked like a Muslim is that he looks like a Muslim," O'Reilly began on Wednesday night.
He claimed that it was obvious from Bergdahl's appearance at the White House over the weekend.
"A. he absolutely looked like a Muslim. B. he talked in the language of the Taliban, and C. he thanked Allah," O'Reilly told fellow Fox News host Howard Kurtz. "I thought the appearance was totally inappropriate. I said it, I will stand by it."
Kurtz and others have pointed out that Bergdahl has been living with the stress of missing his son for the past five years, but O'Reilly said that was no excuse for his appearance.
"Okay, is he over the edge because of his boy? Maybe. And I feel bad for him if that's the case, but what he did and how he presented himself was inappropriate," O'Reilly argued.