Bill O'Reilly Says White House Slaves Were "Well Fed"
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, so we have some pictures for you. We're watching closely to see if we can see the woman of the week here, Hillary Rodham Clinton. This is her plane. The nose of her plane. Trying to see -- get a sneak peek of her. We have not seen her yet in Philadelphia. This is the first time she has arrived. And just a quick reminder she obviously is - this is all for her so tomorrow night it's her big night when she speaks in prime time and it is her daughter who has been here. We've seen glimpses of her, especially as her dad spoke last night so lovingly about her mother. Chelsea Clinton will be introducing her tomorrow. So, I'm going to keep one eye on that plane and guys just get in my ear if we want to go back to that picture.</s>BALDWIN: But for now, shall we move on? Let's talk about Fox News host Bill O'Reilly who is being criticized after appearing to defend the living conditions of the slaves who built the White House. He was specifically responding to the first lady's speech Monday night here at the DNC where she said she wakes up every morning in a home that was built by slaves. And this is how Bill O'Reilly responded.</s>BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor. So Michelle Obama is essentially correct inciting slaves and builders of the White House, but there were others working as well.</s>BALDWIN: Let's go there. Michael Smerconish is with me, CNN political commentator and anchor to "Smerconish" here on CNN. Also with us, Bakari Sellers, CNN commentator and former Democratic member of the South Carolina House. Bakari, let's call him out - let's call him out.</s>BAKARI SELLERS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean it's easy to just label this as being ignorant. It's easy to label this as being below what most journalists hold to be the bar. But I think it is deeper than that. I think it's the fact that many times African Americans in this country don't get their life valued. There is a question about human decency. There is a question about human dignity. And in that clip, Bill O'Reilly didn't display any of that. I think any - it's not an appearance to defend slavery. What he did say was that slaves were well fed which is beyond the pale. And it is not as if he gave the appearance of anything. He was speaking in a way that was disrespectful to the legacy of many people who came to this country in shackles and actually were tormented, who died, were beaten. And if they had any other choice, no, Mr. O'Reilly, they wouldn't be there building the White House. They would be living free. And I think the fact that he can't understand that, that he can't wrap his head around those words of dignity and decency, I really have no use for him at all.</s>BALDWIN: Strong words from you. From you, just the politics of it all. The first lady's speech, you know, she's a tough one to criticize and yet are you surprised this came of it?</s>MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR "SMERCONISH": No. I think if you put Bill O'Reilly, Fox News and the worth slavery in the same sentence, you've got a twitter sensation. It was awkward. I don't get the well fed reference. You know I think we've all become expert today in learning what kind of labor built the White House. I like the historian who said it was a mansion built in the south during slavery. Of course there was slave labor involved. I think awkwardly he was fact checking her and concluded that she was correct but I don't understand the fed basis for that reference because there seems to be no historical support for it.</s>BALDWIN: OK. Let's move on. I'm done with that. Let's talk about Mayor Michael Bloomberg who is speaking this evening.</s>BALDWIN: I think it goes - I think it goes Biden, Bloomberg, Kaine, Obama. You're excited to hear from him, why?</s>SMERCONISH: Are you not giving a shout out to my suspenders?</s>BALDWIN: Oh, my gosh!</s>SMERCONISH: What's the deal. You put me on with Bakari.</s>BALDWIN: Shame on me, I - take your jacket off.</s>SELLERS: You're officially - you're officially the most handsome person --</s>BALDWIN: I need a defender, sorry, I'm in the zone - I'm in the zone baby.</s>SMERCONISH: I upped my game because of Bakari sitting here next to me and like you're ignoring it. I am excited about Michael Bloomberg.</s>BALDWIN: Tell me why Mr. suspenders, tell me why.</s>SMERCONISH: Because Gallup says 43% of Americans are Independents. They're not D's, and they're not R's, they're I's, I happen to be one of them. Now if you say OK, to whom does the independent community look for leadership? I don't know. It's a short list but he is on it. And I like this guy, I would have liked to have seen him get into this race. And I think that he's put on that stage, yes, because he's an A-lister who is endorsing Hillary Clinton, but also because you got the Gary Johnson factor out there. Johnson at 13% or so in the polls. And I think this is deliberate to make sure that movement doesn't go too far.</s>BALDWIN: It is white middle-aged men, many of whom in this country who do not have college degrees where Hillary Clinton is not doing well with. Maybe he can help pull that in. Maybe Tim Kaine tonight. You, you love you some President Obama. You're not shy about that.</s>SELLERS: I'm not shy about that at all, I mean we're two skinny guys with funny names right. So I think that Barack Obama is definitely in the White House right now, going through scribbling on that pad.</s>BALDWIN: He's probably ripping up part of it and re-writing (inaudible).</s>SELLERS: -- after Donald Trump made those comments that showed that he wasn't prepared to be President of the United States. I think the President is going to have a lot of fun with this speech. I think the energy is going to be amazing. I think he's going to take us somewhere. But I also think that the President doesn't want to have the second-best speech in his house. Because Michelle Obama took it to another level. And if he doesn't come with his A-game, then Sasha and Malia are going to give him just pure trash over the next few days. So it's a really high bar. I'm excited for it. I think tonight's going to be a great night. I have a really low bar for your friend, Michael Bloomberg, so I think he can beat expectations.</s>SMERCONISH: Did they want my salt shaker off the table?</s>BALDWIN: He may need your suspenders actually.</s>SELLERS: They need your suspenders tonight.</s>SMERCONISH: They would look good on Michael Bloomberg, OK. They'd look good on you Bakari for your speech tomorrow night.</s>SELLERS: I might rock them.</s>SMERCONISH: Think about it.</s>SELLERS: I might rock them.</s>BALDWIN: All right gentleman, we'll have a sartorial conversation at the commercial break. Bakari and Michael, thank you very much. Watch this guy, Saturdays 9am and 6pm. Thank you so much. Forgive me suspenders my goodness.</s>BALDWIN: Straight ahead though we have to be serious and talk about a very pivotal moment for the time then-Governor Tim Kaine, the massacre of the mass shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia at Virginia Tech. We'll talk with a father whose son was injured. He took four bullets during that shooting. He says Kaine was the first official to come to his son's bedside. That personal story coming up. You're watching CNN's special live coverage from Philadelphia.