Fox News host Bill O'Reilly defended his controversial statements on the treatment of slaves who built the White House. | Getty O'Reilly blasts 'smear merchants' over slavery remarks

Bill O'Reilly fired back Wednesday at "more vicious attacks from the far-left media" over his remarks the previous day in which he made note of the working conditions of the slaves who built the White House.

On Tuesday night, O'Reilly had said, "Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802."


At the outset of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Wednesday, the host said, "On Monday, Michelle Obama said that America has come a long way from the days when slaves built the White House. Some criticized her analysis saying saying it demeaned the U.S.A. I disagree."

After playing back the excerpt from Tuesday night's show, O'Reilly called the "commentary 100 percent accurate providing context to Mrs. Obama's remarks and explaining how the administration of George Washington conducted itself in the construction of the executive mansion."

"Is not that important to know? Come on. For doing that I was immediately attacked by smear merchants," O'Reilly said, naming the New York Daily News and USA Today for headlining their stories by declaring that the commentator was defending slaves' conditions.

While saying "it is a given that slavery is an abomination," O'Reilly added, "reporting the story behind Mrs. Obama's very valid points does not diminish the horror of enslavement as these dishonest critics allege."

"As any honest historian knows, in order to keep slaves and free laborers strong, the Washington administration provided meat, bread and other staples, also decent lodging on the grounds of the new presidential building. That is a fact," O'Reilly explained. "Not a justification, not a defense of slavery. Just a fact. Anyone who implies a soft-on-slavery message is beneath contempt. Some celebrities like Steven King, Bryan Cranston, Broadway star Audra McDonald immediately sought to exploit the situation on Twitter by buying in to the defamation. We have invited all of them on the factor. Place your bets on whether they will show up."

O'Reilly then read a viewer message from a man named George, who called it "truly sad that intellectual honesty is so rare in today's world."

"It's beyond sad, George. It's dangerous. Propaganda and hate now dominate the media landscape," O'Reilly said. "And that will be demonstrated in the upcoming presidential campaign."