(Fox News)

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Wednesday engaged in a heated debate with Denver Post editorial page editor Curtis Hubbard over a recent column, written by Hubbard, which the Fox News personality says accuses him of being a "homophobe."

The column, which O'Reilly referred to as "libelous speculation," came after O'Reilly brought up the fact that Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino is openly gay while arguing in favor of "Jessica's Law," a proposed law designed to give mandatory minimum sentences to child sex offenders.

"O'Reilly's fear-mongering should offend all Coloradans. He was saying 'gay,' but what he wanted his listeners to hear was 'pervert-pedophile,'" the column reads.

After delving into the Denver Post column, O'Reilly called Hubbard a "charlatan" and a "smear merchant" who is misleading readers.

"You don't know anything, and all you can do is smear," O'Reilly told Hubbard. "You don't know anything about Jessica's Law."

Hubbard then argued that the concept behind Jessica's Law, mandatory minimum sentences, results in "unintended consequences" and said Colorado already has strong offender laws.

Watch the video via Fox News below:

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