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Maxine Waters Brushes Off Bill O’Reilly’s Backhanded On-Air Apology: ‘I Cannot Be Intimidated’

Bill O’Reilly’s likening U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters’ hair to a “James Brown wig” isn’t keeping her down, so she didn’t bother to dignify the comment with a response.

“No, I’m not responding to him,” Waters said on “All In with Chris Hayes” Tuesday, March 28, after Hayes noted O’Reilly made fun of her again during an apology on “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Waters thanked former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for “standing up for all women and in particular Black women,” and affirmed she won’t be frightened.

“I’m a strong Black woman,” Waters said. “I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought of to be a friend of Bill O’Reilly or anybody. And 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. Be who you are. Do what you do and let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.”

Waters added O’Reilly and former Fox News CFO Roger Ailes “have no credibility” and noted their sexual harassment cases.

“We also know that when a woman stands up and speaks the truth to power that there will be attempts to put her down,” the congresswoman said. “And so, I’m not going to be put down, I’m not going to go anywhere. I’m going to stay on the issues.”

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