3-29-2017-ERNIE ALLEN’S-TOP STORY-

Well, that was fast. Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly, after a drumming on social media, quickly apologized for referring to Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ hair as a “James Brown wig.”

He aptly called his comment dumb, reports The Hill:

“As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs. I said that again today on ‘Fox and Friends,’ calling her ‘old school,’ ” said O’Reilly in a statement. 

“Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair, which was dumb. I apologize.”

The apology comes after O’Reilly said earlier Tuesday on the morning program “Fox and Friends” that he “didn’t hear a word” Waters said during recent comments on the House floor because he was focused on “the James Brown wig.”

“We have suffered discrimination,” Waters said Monday about Black Americans while speaking on the floor of Congress, notes MediaMatters. “We have suffered isolation and undermining, but we stand up for America. . .When we fight against this president and we point out how dangerous that he is for this society and for this country, we’re fighting for the democracy. We’re fighting for America. We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic that they turned a blind eye to the destruction that he’s about to cause this country. You are not nearly as patriotic as we are.”

As the clip played, O’Reilly could be seen mocking Waters on split-screen. When asked to comment on her statement, he said, “I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig.”

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt chimed in. “I have to defend her on that,” she said to O’Reilly. “You can’t go after a woman’s looks. I think she’s very attractive.”

“I didn’t say she wasn’t attractive,” O’Reilly responded, later stating, “She’s a sincere individual . . . I love you, Maxine. I wanna see you on ‘The Factor,’ and when hell freezes over, I’m sure that’ll happen.”

This isn’t a first for Fox and Friends. Previously, Fox host Eric Bolling told Waters to “step away from the crack pipe,” only to later claim that he was “kidding.” The remark came after Waters referred to GOP House Leaders as “demons.”

“Congresswoman, you saw what happened to Whitney Houston,” Bolling said on the show. “Step away from the crack pipe, step away from the Xanax, step away from the Lorazepam because it’s going to get you in trouble.”

The apology came after O’Reilly was hammered on social media. Here are a few choice tweets:

SOURCE: The Hill, Media Matters

PHOTO: AP

Stephanie Long