Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly got into a testy exchange this week while debating President Barack Obama’s policies.
Powell, a Republican, has taken heat from conservatives like O’Reilly for endorsing Obama in two subsequent presidential elections.
“So you basically said to yourself I’m still going to support the guy even though his economic policies haven’t worked for African Americans and pretty much anyone else,” O’Reilly argued.
“Why do you only see me as an African-American, Bill? That troubles me,” Powell replied. “I’m an American.”
O’Reilly then went on to bring up recent Powell criticisms of the Republican Party and its record on issues of race.
Powell has described what he calls a “dark vein of intolerance in some parts” of the Republican party. “They still sort of look down on minorities,” he added.
Click here to watch the Powell-O’Reilly face-off.