Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly said on his show Wednesday that President Barack Obama's families ties to Islam make him unable to use the term "radical Islam" when referring to terrorists.
It wasn't a new accusation by the
"O'Reilly Factor" host, but on Wednesday, he illustrated his argument by showing photos of Obama reportedly attending his half-brother's wedding in the 1990s dressed in Muslim clothing.
"Barack Obama's father, who abandoned his family, was a Muslim who turned atheist," O'Reilly said. "Then his mother married another Muslim, moving to Indonesia where he was exposed to the Islamic world, even though he did attend a Catholic school in first grade. "
The wedding, O'Reilly said, is believed to have been held in Maryland, and that "details on the ceremony, the location, whether the reports that Barack Obama was the best man are very difficult to verify at this point. What we can tell you with certainty is that Barack Obama has deep emotional ties to Islam."
O'Reilly compared Obama's refusal to use the term "radical Islam" to O'Reilly's own criticism of the Catholic Church, of which he is a member, during the pedophile priest scandals. He played multiple clips of himself blasting the church from the early 2000s.
Unlike some of Obama's critics, O'Reilly said he takes Obama at his word that he is a Christian, but he bristled when author David Mendell described the president as a "devout Christian."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, devout Christian?" O'Reilly said. "He doesn't go to church on a regular basis. How did you arrive at that assessment? I believe he's a Christian, I'm not one of these guys who says he's a Muslim. But I don't think he's a devout Christian."
Mendell said Obama carries a Bible with him during his travels and frequently refers to it and has given extensive interviews about his Christian faith.
Mendell said that Obama is sympathetic to all cultures, not just Islam.
"Is that good for a commander in chief to be sympathetic for all cultures and religions when thousands are being murdered?" O'Reilly asked.
"Obviously, you think it's a bad quality," Mendell responded.
"You don't?" O'Reilly shot back.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.