Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly called Hillary Clinton "despicable" for branding half of Donald Trump's supporters as racists.
During the opening of Monday's "O'Reilly Factor," the host played video of the Democratic presidential nominee at a Friday fundraiser at which she said, "You could put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racists, sexists, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic. You name it."
Clinton has used the phrase in the past, but when called out on it Saturday, she issued a statement saying she regretted saying "half."
"Branding people racist is despicable," O'Reilly said.
"Everybody knows that — unless there is undeniable proof of that charge."
O'Reilly said he was surprised when he heard Clinton use the "basket of deplorables" line.
"She is usually a measured speaker, and that line was written for her," he said. "It was on a [Tele]prompter. Somebody should have known it would give Donald Trump a major advantage. But, again, campaigns are very strange things."
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