After inaccurately stating on his show Wednesday night that Republicans were purposely excluded from the March on Washington anniversary event, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is publicly acknowledging his error.
O'Reilly ended his show Thursday by admitting he was wrong to insist that no Republicans were invited to speak at the 50th anniversary event. "Last night during my discussion with James Carville about the Martin Luther King commemoration, I said there were no Republican speakers invited," O'Reilly said. "Wrong. It was wrong. Some Republicans were asked to speak. They declined. And that was a mistake. They should have spoken."
He continued, "Now, the mistake, is entirely on me. I simply assumed that since all the speakers were liberal Democrats, Republicans were excluded. So, here's the 'Tip of the Day'—always check out the facts before you make a definitive statement. And, when you make a mistake, admit it."
O'Reilly's statement comes after reports that many Republican leaders—including House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and former President George W. Bush—did receive invitations to the event, but declined.