President Donald Trump defended Fox News Host Bill O’Reilly Wednesday against allegations that the TV personality sexually harassed several women, calling him a “good person” and saying that he didn’t do anything wrong.
In an interview with the New York Times in the Oval Office, Trump reportedly praised O’Reilly, saying that O’Reilly adequately covered the story about former Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Trump then apparently went on to defend O’Reilly from allegations of sexual harassment.
“I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,” Trump said.
O’Reilly made headlines after a New York Times report on Saturday revealed that at least five women took a total of $13 million in settlements from O’Reilly or 21st Century Fox after making allegations of sexual harassment and other behavior against him. Nearly two dozen advertisers have pulled out of his show amid the allegations.
Trump told the Times that he does not think O’Reilly should have settled because he does not think O’Reilly did anything wrong.
“I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled,” said Trump said, according to The New York Times. “Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”
Trump himself is no stranger to settling lawsuits. Though he often boasted on the campaign trail that he doesn’t settle, he most recently settled a suit against his failed business program Trump University to the tune of $25 million.