Wednesday marks the third day in a row of shocking blowups on The View. Georgia’s Senator-Elect Raphael Warnock was being blessed with heavy praise and softball questions from the liberal hosts when conservative co-host Meghan McCain changed things by asking him a real critical question. But when she kept pressing Warnock for a direct answer, she faced the wrath of co-host Whoopi Goldberg and the show’s producers.
Before this crazy part, each host shamelessly fawned over their Democrat guest. A beaming Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t contain her excitement:
I'm thrilled. I'm nice to wake up to good news for a change! First, okay [laughing] Congratulations. Let's start with that. We are thrilled to welcome this man to The View right now. Congratulations. I mean, what has this been like for you to be able to say, thank you for electing me the first black senator from the state of Georgia? What did that feel like?
Co-host Sunny Hostin told Warnock her father had “tears in his eyes” and that her family was “so very proud” of Warnock winning his race, before asking about Warnock's family's reaction to his win.
Co-host Sara Haines gushed, "I'm going to go ahead and address you as Senator...Those words almost bring me to tears. Your election is an example of the hope I have in the country and the world that things will always continue to get better...” before asking about the other GA Senate race.
However, the softballs and worship ended when Meghan McCain got the last question in to Warnock:
You talked a lot about unity on the campaign trail and the need to unify the country and unify Georgians, but Progressives across the country are celebrating that your election could mean adding two states, eliminating the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court with more members. Your colleague Joe Manchin has joined with Republicans to reject those ideas. Chuck Schumer this morning tweeted, quote, buckle up. So you can understand how hard it's hard for Republicans like me to believe in the spirit of unity, and I want to know, will you do the same thing as Joe Manchin [D-WV] and agree not to follow up with those things?
Warnock didn't directly answer but said he wasn't focused on these "beltway" issues because Georgians weren't. Instead, he talked about improving health care. As he kept to his talking points, McCain pressed him again:
"I do believe that average Americans care about packing the courts and I just want to know if you agree and if you would agree with Joe Manchin and agree that you are not for that," she posed. But Warnock again denied these were issues his constituents cared about and would make no promises.
McCain let him finish his response before trying once more. But that was one time too much. Whoopi angrily yelled at McCain she needed to "end this:"
MCCAIN: Senator, I understand that.
WHOOPI: Okay, I’m going to--
MCCAIN: I'm just asking you a direct question. I just wanted to know if you -- I just wanted to know if you would join
[CROSS-TALK]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I'm actually going to end this.
[McCain silent]
WHOOPI: [shouting] Hey, listen! We're going to say thanks to the Senator-elect Reverend Raphael Warnock, and we will be right back. Thank you for coming back sir. [shaking her head and rolling eyes]
This segment was followed up by another gooey segment where all the liberal hosts gushed over how great it was that Democrats would control the presidency and both chambers of Congress, along with a clearly flustered McCain. At the very end of the show, one of the show’s producers actually called in to clean up this chaotic segment. He explained it away as simply a time issue, and that he and several other people were yelling in Whoopi’s ear that they needed to go to break because they had run out of time.
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Read the relevant transcript below:
The View
1/6/2021
MEGHAN MCCAIN: Congratulations, Senator. You know, I watched the race closely just like everyone else, and you talked a lot about unity on the campaign trail and the need to unify the country and unify Georgians, but Progressives across the country are celebrating that your election could mean adding two states, eliminating the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court with more members. Your colleague Joe Manchin has joined with Republicans to reject those ideas. Chuck Schumer this morning tweeted, quote, buckle up. So you can understand how hard it's hard for Republicans like me to believe in the spirit of unity, and I want to know, will you do the same thing as Joe Manchin [D-WV] and agree not to follow up with those things?
RAPHAEL WARNOCK: Well I'm not focused on any of those things. And as I’ve moved across Georgia, you know, those are interesting conversations inside the Beltway, but I have been on the campaign trail for months and I'll tell you what ordinary people are asking me about. They're wondering, are they going to lose their health care in the middle of a pandemic. We've got 1.8 million Georgians who have preexisting conditions and, you know, sometimes these words become political buzzwords. So we got to unpack what that means---
MCCAIN: I do believe that average Americans care about packing the courts and I just want to know if you agree and if you would agree with Joe Manchin and agree that you are not for that.
WARNOCK: I -- my job is to take the job and take the concerns that are being raised by my constituents and what I'm telling you is that they're asking about their health care, they're asking about whether or not they can earn a liveable wage while working hard every day, and they're wondering when in the world they're going to get relief after waiting for it for months, and right now what is the Senate doing? They're engaged in this shameless exercise of privilege and power, challenging the basic norms of our government. The people of Georgia rose up and rebuked that kind of politics last night and I intend to represent their interests in the U.S. Senate to make sure they have healthcare, to make sure they enjoy liveable wage and their voice can be heard in their democracy.
MCCAIN: Senator, I understand that.
WHOOPI: Okay, I’m going to--
MCCAIN: I'm just asking you a direct question. I just wanted to know if you -- I just wanted to know if you would join
[CROSS-TALK]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I'm actually going to end this.
[McCain silent]
WHOOPI: [shouting] Hey, listen! We're going to say thanks to the Senator-elect Reverend Raphael Warnock, and we will be right back. Thank you for coming back sir. [shaking her head and rolling eyes]
