Thaindian News

Washington, Oct 15 (ANI): Bill O’Reilly’s comment on the mosque near Ground Zero on the show “The View” prompted two of its co-hosts to walk off while the show was on the air.

The Fox commentator was a guest on ABC’s talk show to promote his new ‘Pinheads and Patriots’ book. The discussion got increasingly heated over the “Ground Zero Mosque” debate and he later went on to say “Muslims killed us on 9/11.”

Co-Host Whoopi Goldberg disputed O’Reilly’s claims that the mosque was inappropriate.

“There were 70 families who are muslim who also died in that building,” CBS News quoted her as saying.

“Seventy percent of Americans don’t want that mosque down there, so don’t give me the ‘we’ business,” said O’Reilly to co-host Joy Behar.

Afterward, when pressed by Goldberg and Behar to explain why the “Ground Zero mosque” was somehow “inappropriate,” O’Reilly leaned over and pointed at Goldberg saying, “Muslims killed us on 9/11.”

“That is such bullsh*t,” Goldberg exclaimed in the midst of a cacophony of back-and-forth yelling.

Goldberg shouted, “What religion was Mr. McVeigh? [Referring to Timothy McVeigh, the convicted American-born terrorist who blew up the Oklahoma City Building in 1995] Mr. McVeigh was an Extremist as well and he killed people,” before she and Behar walked off the set in protest. They later came back to finish the show.

Barbara Walters criticized her co-hosts for walking off stage during the live show. But she said O’Reilly should make the distinction that extremists committed the terrorist act.

Behar and Goldberg returned after O’Reilly said, “If anyone felt that I was demeaning all Muslims, I apologize.” (ANI)