When Oprah Winfrey shared her views on the Trayvon Martin shooting story on ‘Extra’ earlier this week, FOX News host Bill O’Reilly was quick to respond to her comments on his own show ‘The O’Reilly Factor.’
In an interview with ‘Extra’ on Wednesday, Oprah said about the case that “It is a tragedy and it is a shame that we’re sitting here 33 days later and there hasn’t been an arrest, or questioning of what actually happened. It’s a tragedy and it is a shame and we all know it.”
She also noted that people of all colors, not just black or white, around both the country and the world share the same opinion that the incident was a “tragedy.”
O’Reilly agreed with Winfrey that Martin’s death was indeed a tragedy, but he criticized her comments about the lack of questioning that has come in the wake of Martin’s death.
Said O’Reilly, “Ms. Winfrey saying that there hasn’t been a questioning of what happened is simply absurd, and I’m surprised at her. Oprah’s usually responsible and fair in her assessments. …Her intentions are usually good. Not on this one.”
Oprah’s comments came in the wake of the shooting of 17 year old, unarmed Florida native Trayvon Martin. Martin was shot dead by a self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Since Martin’s death, Zimmerman has not be charged or prosecuted for Martin’s death, angering many across the country.
Here, watch O’Reilly share his views on FOX’s ‘The O’Reilly Factor’:
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.NYCsheridan | Apr 15, 2012, 10:38 AM EDT
McNamara31, you must be so embarrased to go back and read your comment, which is nothing but a pack of lies, repeated.
seanomelb | Apr 06, 2012, 01:52 AM EDT
wdwrk371 the glaring commonality with both crimes is the easy accessibility to guns in the USA.Between 1965 and 1975 130,000 Americans lost their lives to gunshot wounds.I find the American love affair with flag, guns, God and religion will cause the downfall of civil society in the U.S.A.
wdwrkr371 | Apr 04, 2012, 07:46 AM EDT
Tom Walsh's murderer wasn't standing over the body gun in hand when police arrived and allowed to go free without a single charge. Tom Walsh's murder is tragic but there are big difference's.
Maggie47 | Apr 03, 2012, 10:54 PM EDT
Was there an arrest in Tom Walsh's Murder? Where is the outrage?
pilib04 | Apr 03, 2012, 08:50 PM EDT
The problem in the Trayvon Martin case is that the murderer was not arrested. All of the other rantings are window dressing. Zimmerman should have been arrested. Now the Sanford police have involved themselves in a racist coverup.
McNamara31 | Apr 03, 2012, 10:18 AM EDT
“Absurd”: Let’s look at the facts : Yesterday Tom Owen of Owen Forensic Services — who is chair emeritus at the American Board of Record Evidence — performed voice tests and believes the terrified screams to be “not” of Zimmerman. He also said voice analysis would stand up in court. 1)We know Martin had every right to be there and was coming home to his father’s house in a multiracial gated community. 2)Zimmerman called 911 stating he saw a suspicious “black male” and when told to back off and not to follow he ignored the 911 directive 3)At least three witnesses heard and saw some activity 4)While one witness called 911 they were able to record the “terrified screams” of a person that ended with a “gun shot” 5)Investigators first on the scene, stated in his opinion this was manslaughter with bias issues. When Zimmerman arrived at the police station there were no visible signs of injuries. 6)Martin’s body lay in a morgue for three days (as a John Doe)without his family being notified even though police knew his name from the time of shooting 7)The mortician who worked on Martins body gave a statement that there was no evidence of cuts on knuckles or knees or any other place on the body indicating any struggle took place. The only wound was the gunshot to the chest.
McNamara31 | Apr 03, 2012, 10:17 AM EDT
8)In 2005, Zimmerman, was arrested and charged with “resisting officer with violence” and “battery of law enforcement officer,” both which are third-degree felonies. The charge were reduced to “resisting officer without violence” and then waived when he entered an alcohol education program. 9)Also in 2005, Zimmerman’s ex-fiancee, Veronica Zuazo, filed a civil motion for a restraining order alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman counter filed for a restraining order against Zuazo. The competing claims were resolved with both restraining orders being granted. 10)On Feb. 26, in Sanford, Fla., Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, who was unarmed. 11)Zimmerman’s father is a retired court magistrate and his mother a court clerk.
McNamara31 | Apr 03, 2012, 08:49 AM EDT
For every Duke LaCrosse and Tawana Brawley case there is a Sean Bell or Amadou Diallo who was shot 41 times by police while reaching for his wallet. The important issue is the facts, and sometimes it requires public outrage for the facts to come out as in the present case of Trayvon Martin.
PiperMac52 | Apr 03, 2012, 01:09 AM EDT
To Proud Canadian: White people are killed by Blacks by a ratio of 10:1 in the U.S. Most cases go virtually unnoticed and never are presented as racially motivated. Blacks are killed by Blacks every day in the major cities throughout America yet Jesse jackson and Sharpton only appear when it benefits their agenda. Both have made a cottage industry and become wealthy via their seeing race as a motivating factor in every situation where the victim is Black. I spent many years working the streets on a major city P.D. Let's suffice it to say the double standard is glaring.
PiperMac52 | Apr 03, 2012, 01:01 AM EDT
There is a double tragedy here. A young man lost his life and it is understandable that his family and friends want answers. Having said that, the second tragedy is the use of this lamentable incident by the race hustlers to sow divisiveness and a media which in the case of NBC, has outright lied and doctored video of Zimmerman being led into the Police station so as not to show lacerations to the back of his head as well as editing the 911 audio to Make Zimmerman appear as a racist. Do the research people. Zimmerman has death threats against him and a bounty put on his head by the "Black Panthers", not a word of recrimination from Eric Holder or President Obama. As I said before, justice works at it's own pace. All is not what it seems as presented by a out of control media which only exacerbates a sensitive issue into a racial tinderbox. These are sad times in America indeed. The only journalists to bring some light of truth to the story are criticized as "a disgrace to the Irish"? Give me a break. Neither O'Reilly or Hannity have defended Zimmerman. They only seek the truth and the American ideal of "innocent until proven guilty". I assume all of you would want the same if it were a member of your family involved.
Murph46 | Apr 02, 2012, 11:49 PM EDT
Again most of you are obfuscating the real point-let the system work =we have had enough Duke LaCrosse team &Tawana Brawleys!
McNamara31 | Apr 02, 2012, 09:44 PM EDT
O’Reilly and Hannity are a complete disgrace to all things Irish.
ProudCanadian | Apr 02, 2012, 08:32 PM EDT
This waste of skin gets far to much press. If this was a white person killed by a black person, O'Reilly would be calling for a lynching. Florida PD are dragging there feet on this no doubt.
jamthecat | Apr 02, 2012, 07:33 PM EDT
Parents, obviously you do not know how cell phones work. Trayvon was from Miami, as was his cell phone. Had he dialed 911, he'd have gotten Miami's emergency services, not Orlando's. What good would that have done? I've dealt with Miami's police force, before; they do not care. He'd have been lucky if they told him so much as a phone number to dial in Orlando for help. Yeah, that's gonna work. As for Bill O'Reilly, his opinion is no one should have an opinion different from his, and if they do, they should not be expressing it even though he should always be allowed to express his own. What a two-faced weasel.
seanomelb | Apr 02, 2012, 07:32 PM EDT
A 16yr.old Muslim girl was murdered by a right wing loony recently no mention of it on Fox.He demanded all Muslims leave America.Where was guttersnipe O'really and his no spin zone then.
manhattan | Apr 02, 2012, 07:28 PM EDT
Bill can't get a break on Irish Central. Everything he says gets twisted. I have always found him fair and balanced. Not like the left wing press and people like the person who wrote this column.
maryosullivan | Apr 02, 2012, 06:41 PM EDT
Sorry ... should have read " just before Dr Tiller was murdered ..."
maryosullivan | Apr 02, 2012, 06:39 PM EDT
O'Reilly .... Remember your comments regarding " tiller the killer" several times just before Dr Killer was murdered, when you knew there were several attempts on his life.
seanomelb | Apr 02, 2012, 06:13 PM EDT
O'really is the ringmaster in the theatre of the absurd,otherwise known as Fox.
Greendays | Apr 02, 2012, 04:52 PM EDT
The young man is dead, Zimmerman is walking around, and how still no clarity on what created this moment. Black folk know they have been targeted sinc the first carg ship sailed from Africa and this activity(killing blAck people) has been covered up by whites; it's nothing new and it's stii happening in spite of the new dialogue of acceptance and inclusion, which serves as another cover up in Americ's denial of "what's happening here".
orlandofl | Apr 02, 2012, 02:20 PM EDT
There are way too many uninformed people jumping on the bandwagon of speculation here. Wait until the full investigation is finished. I am surprised that there is no mention of the Irish Restaurant mamager that was murdered just up the road from Sandford this weekend. Very sad, but hey, he is white so the news is not interested.
orlandofl | Apr 02, 2012, 02:02 PM EDT
I'm not an O'Reilly fan but I'm with him on this one. Yes, it was a tragedy but to suggest that there has been no questioning of the shooting is not factual. There has been a national hue & cry, marches, vigils and several investigations underway at both federal and state levels. That said, I do believe that these "Stand Your Ground" laws need serious review in those states where they apply. They can be, in practice, a license to kill. A shooter can simly say that he believed his life was in danger - so he used deadly force. With no witnesses to testify otherwise, prosecutors are reluctant to try the case. This is a new kind of Wild West justice. In several states you can carry a concealed, loaded gun into a bar for a night of boozing and in Virginia there is a proposed bill before the legislature that would permit college-age students to carry concealed weapons on campus. Where does this lunacy end?
Parents | Apr 02, 2012, 12:55 PM EDT
I think until all the facts are in everyone should keep their mouths shut. There is still lots of work to do on this and just wait. Had he intented to do harm I don't think he would have made a call to 911. If the boy thought he was in real danger he shouold have been talking to 911 not the gf. We really don't know what happened, lets wait and see.
TheOldPerfessor | Apr 02, 2012, 12:36 PM EDT
The experts already had their say in this. They hauled Zimmerman to the station. He told them that he sure enough killed the kid but it was okay because he felt threatened. Case closed. Go home and have a nice sleep. If word about this had not come out on the Internet, that would have been that.
kilgara | Apr 02, 2012, 11:48 AM EDT
I never understood Oprahs' appeal or discerned her talent. WHO cares what she says?This appears to be a media lynch-mob when the investigation is far from over. It also looks like the vitims family is chomping at the bit to cash in .
FastEddy | Apr 02, 2012, 11:48 AM EDT
What? No news about the property tax revolts?
Murph46 | Apr 02, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT
Again for the 8th time -let the system work,there is a supposed gag order so why is Oprah commenting anyway?
PHELANJM | Apr 02, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
I am afraid Bill is correct on this one. Oprah is simply throwing red meat to the mob. The facts will be know in a court of law. Most of the over anxious pundits have already started back peddling. Oprah will also.
joreilly | Apr 02, 2012, 10:31 AM EDT
Typical of my namesake "O'Reilly"----create controversy in order to boost ratings !!! A sad commentary on our media,in particular "FOX NEWS". Jacko.