O'Reilly on his Michelle Obama remarks: "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody"

During the February 21 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, discussing the controversy surrounding his prior remarks about Michelle Obama, host Bill O'Reilly stated: "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody. That, of course, was not the intention. Context is everything." Just prior, O'Reilly described his previous comments about Obama as follows: "While talking to a radio caller, I said there should be no lynching in the case -- that comment off [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas saying he was the victim of a high-tech lynching. He said that on 60 Minutes, you may remember." However, as Media Matters for America documented, during the February 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, O'Reilly said: "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down" (emphasis added).

As Media Matters noted, on the February 21 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, O'Reilly said in reference to his earlier comments about Obama: "The word 'lynching' was used because I said it quite clearly. I'm not going to go on some lynching party against Michelle Obama; that's ridiculous."

From the February 21 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: "Back of the Book" segment tonight -- "The Dhue Point." Plenty of mail on Michelle Obama this week and tons of calls on The Radio Factor. As you may know, I believe Mrs. Obama was only referring to politics when she said that for the first time in her adult life, she is proud of her country. Now, if you look at both of the speeches that she made -- and I have -- the context is purely political. So I defended Mrs. Obama on both radio and TV.

While talking to a radio caller, I said there should be no lynching in the case -- that comment off Clarence Thomas saying he was the victim of a high-tech lynching. He said that on 60 Minutes, you may remember. I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody. That, of course, was not the intention. Context is everything.

Joining us now from New York, your ombudsgal, Laurie Dhue, with plenty of letters about Michelle Obama.

—A.I.