Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters said Tuesday night she will not allow criticism from Fox News host Bill O'Reilly or anyone else to silence her.
"I'm a strong black woman," she said on MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes." "I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O'Reilly or anybody.
"I'd like to say to women out there everywhere, don't allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you," she said. "Be who you are. Do what you do. And let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country."
O'Reilly came under fire after he joked about Waters during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
While Waters' speech on the House floor was being played, O'Reilly could be seen in a small screen mocking her. Afterward, when asked what he thought of the speech, O'Reilly said, "I didn't hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig."
O'Reilly issued and apology for the "dumb" remark, which he repeated on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Tuesday night. But he stuck by his criticism of Waters' viewpoint.
"No, I don't want to respond to him," Waters initially said when MSNBC's Chris Hayes asked her about it, though she did go on to attack O'Reilly and former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes over past accusations they have harassed women. O'Reilly has denied any wrongdoing, though Ailes was forced to resign last year amid lawsuits and accusations of sexual misconduct.
Waters said she is familiar with the "tactic" used against her.
"When you talk about them, when you pin them down, when you are able to unveil all that they're doing, they'll try to shut you down," she said. "I am not going anywhere. I am going to stay on message. I am going to fight for the people of this country. I'm going to fight for comprehensive healthcare, and I don't care about Bill O'Reilly, or Ailes, or Trump, or any of them."
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