Co-host Sean Hannity asked Hasselbeck about Rosie’s anti-Asian remarks and inquired if Rosie should be held to the same standard. "The View" co-host responded that "that would be for Rosie to decide" and noted Rosie’s intentions "were not malicious."The transcript is below.
HASSELBECK: I understand your concern. I mean, we're in the same industry. I believe that, you know, we're all out there saying things that, that we believe. And, but I do believe in consequence. And I believe that people have spoken. And I think that, that has to be respected as well. And the initial, the initial two-week suspension, not enough to satisfy. I just had -- I honestly would have more respect for Don Imus if he would have said: "You know what? I'm going to take a break. I obviously said something and I need to re-evaluate how I’m doing my job if it’s getting this sort of result and reaction, I'm going to take, I’m going to take a year off." That would be so much more respectable in my mind.
HANNITY: Can I put you on the spot? Even though you’re my friend and I don’t like to put you on the spot.
HASSELBECK: Why not?
HANNITY If that’s the standard, and I don’t think it should be, you and I have a disagreement on that, when Rosie made the comments about Asians, should she have taken a step back?
HASSELBECK: That would be for Rosie to decide if she should step back or not. I don’t, you know, Rosie's intentions were not –
HANNITY: But you were making that opinion about Imus.
HASSELBECK: Rosie was not doing anything in a malicious way when she made those remarks.
HANNITY: I felt that it was outrageous, but I accept her apology.
HASSELBECK: She believes -- she apologized.
HANNITY: She did.
HASSELBECK: Her intentions were not malicious.
