Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly addressed President Donald Trump’s reaction to the death of Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who oversaw the 2016 investigation into Russian election interference, in a Monday column on his website that predictably defends Trump’s perspective.

“The death of former FBI chief Robert Mueller at 81 stimulated President Trump to say, ‘I’m glad he’s dead, he can no longer hurt innocent people,’” O’Reilly wrote to start off his “Message of the Day” column. “Tough analysis, no question.”

Mueller died Friday at the age of 81, and while many people on both sides of the aisle shared their thoughts respectfully, Trump wrote Saturday on his Truth Social platform, “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” He was skewered over what many called a “disgusting” and “insane” post.

Though O’Reilly called it a “tough analysis” in his column, he also defended Trump’s viewpoint and took a swipe at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while doing it.

“By all accounts, Mueller’s staff put the Trump family through hell and then, in the final report that exonerated the Trumps, failed to spell out the incredible dishonesty of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and FBI chief James Comey,” he wrote. A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee later concluded that Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election took place to Trump’s apparent benefit.

O’Reilly continued, painting Mueller as someone who crusaded against Trump.

“The truism that people believe what they want to believe applies to the saga of Robert Mueller,” wrote O’Reilly. “He very much wanted to destroy the political career of President Trump, but simply could not find a way.”

The former “O’Reilly Factor” host, who was ousted from Fox News and settled a sexual misconduct suit for $32 million in 2017, continued defending Trump and his callous post.

“Speaking ill of the dead is not generally noble,” O’Reilly wrote Monday. “But I certainly understand Mr. Trump’s sentiment. My family has also been attacked by venal people. I will not be unhappy when they depart.”

While many MAGA voters expressed similar sentiments on social media, O’Reilly faced heavy criticism in the comments under his own post.

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