“When they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama

FOX News pundit Bill O’Reilly sent a low blow at Rep. Maxine Waters during a broadcast of FOX & Friends on Tuesday. Instead of focusing on how he disagrees with Waters’ politics, he chose to go with a far more shallow approach and comment on her appearance. 

“I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig,” he said, which was followed by the support of a couple of his fellow pundits.

Waters has spent much of President Donald Trump’s term so far criticizing him for a series of mistakes and controversial decisions. During a meeting on the House floor, she stood by her decision to regularly challenge the president to be better, calling it patriotic, according to USA Today.

“We fight against this president and we point out how dangerous he is,” she said. “…We’re fighting for democracy. We’re fighting for America. We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic, but they turn a blind eye to the destruction he is about to cause to this country. You are not nearly as patriotic as we are.”

O’Reilly later released an apology for his statement, calling it “dumb.”

“As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs,” he said in a statement. “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.”

Regardless, the comment was still made and showed how many of the talking heads of today’s conservative party have beliefs rooted in everything that should have long been removed from society.

Rep. Waters then released a brief statement on Twitter o show that the comments and pushback from the right-wing wouldn’t throw her off course. She later repeated these sentiments on MSNBC.