Trump defends Bill O'Reilly amid sexual harassment accusations
President Trump on Wednesday defended Fox News host Bill O’Reilly despite a report that found several women who accused him of harassment.
“I think he’s a person I know well -- he is a good person,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with The New York Times.
“I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled,” he added. “Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”
The New York Times reported over the weekend that O’Reilly and Fox News’ parent company, 21st Century Fox, had paid five women $13 million to settle allegations of sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct. In exchange, the women agreed not to pursue litigation or speak about their accusations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.
Two of these settlements came after former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes resigned from the company after a former Fox anchor, Gretchen Carlson, sued him for sexual harassment.
In recent days, at least 19 advertisers have pulled their spots from his show or promised to do so. They include household names such as automakers BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi, drug makers GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi, and financial services stalwarts Allstate and T. Rowe Price, as well as less known brands such as Constant Contact.