A senior US congresswoman has said she “cannot be intimidated” in response to a television host’s comments about her hair.

Bill O’Reilly Jr, the host of The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, said he “didn’t hear a word” of a speech delivered by Maxine Waters, in which she stressed the importance of speaking out against Donald Trump, because of her “James Brown wig”.

“I am a strong black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined,” Ms Waters told MSNBC.

“I cannot be thought 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 dishonourable 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.”

Mr O’Reilly, who also said the African American Democrat should have “her own sitcom”, has apologised for his comments.

In her original speech, stalwart politician Ms Waters – a US House Representative since 1991 who became a California House representative in 1977 – was explaining why Trump supporters are not patriotic.

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The 78-year-old said: “When we fight against this president, and when we point out how dangerous he is for this society, and for this country, we are fighting for the democracy. We are fighting for America.

“We are saying to those who say they are patriotic, [who] turn a blind eye to the destruction that he is about to cause this country, ‘you are not nearly as patriotic as we are’.”

Mr O’Reilly was appearing on Fox & Friends, which the US President has repeatedly singled out as his current affairs programme of choice.

The TV personality has since apologised and said in a statement: “As I have said many times, I respect congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs.

“I said that again today on Fox & Friends calling her 'old school’. Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair which was dumb. I apologise.”

Presenter Eric Bolling, while on Fox & Friends in 2015, also responded to one of Ms Waters’ speeches by telling her to “step away from the crack pipe”.