Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said on his Monday program that he should been clearer about a guest last week who was billed as a "Swedish defense and national security advisor," conceding "the criticism is valid."

O'Reilly's admission on "The O'Reilly Factor" came after officials in Sweden said they hadn't heard of the man introduced as a national security adviser, Nils Bildt. Bildt argued on O'Reilly's program last Thursday that immigrants in Sweden were linked to an increase in crime and social problems.

Critics pounced on O'Reilly and the network, prompting the host to address the issue on the air at the close of his Monday program.

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"We looked into the situation and the criticism is valid. It’s valid," O'Reilly said. "Mr. Bildt does consulting work on terrorism, that’s true — but we should have clarified that he had no direct role with the Swedish government.

"To be fair, the information we gave you in the segment was accurate but in hindsight a more relevant guest should have been used on the anti-immigrant side. You should also know that before the segment was booked we asked the Swedish ambassador to appear; he declined. That invitation stands."

Sweden's immigration policy was thrust into the spotlight after President Trump specifically noted a rise in crime due to an influx of migrants into the country during a rally in Florida earlier this month.