Michael Bay on ‘13 Hours’: ‘We were just saying the facts’

Director Michael Bay said his newest film “13 Hours” sticks to the facts of what transpired in the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist siege at a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, but politics surrounding the attack got in the way of the bigger “human story” he wanted to tell.

“We were just saying the facts,” Mr. Bay told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly Tuesday night. “Here’s the thing: The politics got in the way of this great human story that happened, and this is really to honor these type of men that do this every day — that put themselves in harm’s way — that’s what this movie is about.”

“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” is based off the 2014 book “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi,” written by former Boston Globe reporter Mitchell Zuckoff, which recounts the true-life events of six members of a security team who fought to defend the American compound.

“We tried to be very accurate and obviously keep it in a two-hour movie window,” Mr. Bay said. “The message really is one where I have been able — I’ve been fortunate enough — to work with these special operators for 20 years. I’ve been friends with many, many SEALs, and they’re an extraordinary group of people. They’re very selfless, and this is a very tragic story. It avoids the politics. It gives you the facts, but in the end of the day it’s an inspirational story.”

The film has caused a stir leading up to the 2016 presidential election, putting renewed focus on then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s role in the tragedy. The film doesn’t explicitly mention Democratic front-runner or other top officials, and The Washington Post said it avoids politicizing the attack. The New York Times, however, called the film politically divisive and the liberal Salon magazine said it “crassly exploits” the tragedy.

“Listen, we’ve gotten amazing feedback on this movie,” Mr. Bay said in its defense. “I’ve had two four-star generals and several other generals really praise the movie, and both sides of the aisle are very impressed with the movie and the emotional story that’s told.”