Mika Rips O'Reilly for Failing to Defend Megyn Kelly Against Trump Attacks

January 28th, 2016 7:16 AM

On today's Morning Joe, a seething Mika Brzezinski ripped Bill O'Reilly for his failure, during his interview of Donald Trump on last night's Factor, to defend Megyn Kelly against Trump's attacks on her. Trump has called Kelly a "third-rate reporter," a "lightweight" and "not good at what she does." Rather than challenging Trump over his criticism of Kelly, O'Reilly spent the segment importuning him to change his mind and appear at tonight's debate.  At one point, as we noted here, O'Reilly even resorted to citing the biblical tenet of forgiveness, to which an unyielding Trump shot back that the Bible also speaks of "an eye for an eye."

Brzezinski suggested O'Reilly should have retorted: "excuse me? You're talking about her intellect? She's a lawyer . . . she's a mother of three. You do not undermine the credibility and the intellect of my colleague." Concluded Mika: "where was that, Bill? That was lame!" 

Continued Mika: "I wouldn't have let that go. Wow. Ouch!" Joe Scarborough seemed to second Mika's notion, saying "he let all the attacks stand."

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: O'Reilly should have said "excuse me? Excuse me? You're talking about her intellect? She's a lawyer, she's done this, she's done that, she's a mother of three, you do not, you do not undermine the credibility and the intellect of my colleague, the # 1 -- I don't -- where was that, Bill? Hello? That was lame.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: He let all the attacks stand. 

MIKA: That was really -- that was kind of -- that was tough. I wouldn't have let that go. Wow. Ouch!