Just days before the Fourth of July, the leftist hosts on ABC’s The View rushed to defend athlete Gwen Berry for turning her back as the national anthem played following a U.S. Olympic trial competition. Co-host Joy Behar hailed Berry for “doing her patriotic duty” while fellow co-host Whoopi Goldberg argued that listening to the Star-Spangled Banner was “tough to take.”
“The other day, an olympian called Gwen Berry caused some controversy at the U.S. Olympic trials when she turned her back while the national anthem was being played,” Goldberg explained. After a soundbite played of Republican Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw criticizing Berry, Behar proclaimed: “Well, you know, protest is the very definition of patriotism. It basically is the basis of the country.”
She cited the Boston Tea Party, anti-war protests during Vietnam, “And now, African-Americans are protesting, you know, the fact that people do not want to face their racist past here.” Behar praised Berry: “...she’s basically doing her patriotic duty by saying, ‘I am making a point here.’ That’s all she’s doing. She’s not hurting anybody.”
Minutes later, co-host Sara Haines whined about Crenshaw and asserted: “Gwen Barry is representing the country. She’s questioning an American anthem that maybe doesn’t represent all people in the country.” Goldberg followed up by expressing her own detest for the national anthem: “Well, one of the days – in the upcoming days, we’ll play you the American anthem and let you see what you think of it. Because there’s some stuff in there that makes it a little bit tough to take.”
In between all the anti-American sentiment, co-host Meghan McCain chimed in with a monologue that revealed what true patriotism looks like:
I think in regards to that athlete protesting, I’ve spent the last year and a half hearing every argument possible and understanding why athletes protest in the United States of America, like Colin Kaepernick. The problem I have is the woman is doing this internationally. And if anyone just saw Vladimir Putin’s recent speech when he met with President Biden, he’s using the propaganda that America is an irredeemable craphole against us, saying, “You think your country is so great over there, look at BLM, look at everything that’s happening in your country, you don't even treat your people correctly.” At the same time where he’s literally imprisoning people. And we’re having our enemies and propaganda dictators using our own propaganda against us, which in turn, turns into a real national security risk.
My other problem with this is I don’t understand why we all can’t have shared experiences in this space or have our own stories. Because for some reason, my relationship with the flag isn't allowed anymore. My love of the American flag, my love of the national anthem. And I know that it’s very triggering for people and people get very upset when I talk about my dad, for whatever reason, which is why I really stopped doing it on the show unless it’s really meaningful to me. But when I was growing up, every year on Christmas he would tell me a story about when he was in prison being tortured and his cell mate, a man named Mike Christian, had sewn the American flag, using scraps of material he found in prison, into his prison garb. And every morning, they would say the Pledge of Allegiance to what was sewn into his prison garb. One day, the Vietnamese captors found that and beat the living crap out of Mike Christian, to the point that his eyes and his body was so badly injured that he could barely move. And the second he was able to move again, do you want to know the first thing Mike Christian started doing? He started re-sewing the American flag into his prison garb so his cell mates could say the Pledge of Allegiance and remember what they were doing and what they were fighting for, in prison, for America.
So excuse me if I don’t think some of these athletes are representing America in the same way. And for some of us, I will die for this. I will die on this hill that it is not appropriate or patriotic to go to a foreign country where you’re supposed to be representing America and act like it’s just about you. It’s not about you, it’s about all of us.
Apparently, McCain’s left-wing colleagues can’t comprehend the notion that many have died protecting the American flag and those heroes are why we get to celebrate Independence Day every year.
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Here is a transcript of the June 29 discussion:
11:02 AM ET
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: The other day, an olympian called Gwen Berry caused some controversy at the U.S. Olympic trials when she turned her back while the national anthem was being played. And yesterday, Congressman Dan Crenshaw joined the chorus of people saying she’s got to go. I find it interesting that he’s okay with all of the folks that allowed January 6th to happen, but she’s got to go? Okay, call me crazy. Take a look at the clip.
REP. DAN CRENSHAW [R-TX]: We don’t need anymore activist athletes. I – you know, she should be removed from the team. The entire point of the Olympic team is to represent the United States of America. That’s the entire point. This is the pathology that occurs when we’re teaching critical race theory into our institutions. Because critical race theory, again, basically teaches that our institutions are racist, that our systems are deeply racist. Now, you can’t see the racism, right, because it’s subtle. But the – and if you deny it, it’s because of your white fragility. But you’re teaching people this constantly and this is what it results in, it results in this – in these displays of hatred towards our own country.
(...)
GOLDBERG: So let me ask you, Joy, do you think what Crenshaw is saying makes any sense?
JOY BEHAR: Well, you know, protest is the very definition of patriotism. It basically is the basis of the country. They were protesting at the Tea Party and in the ’60s, the people protested the Vietnam war, which brought it to an end. And now, African-Americans are protesting, you know, the fact that people do not want to face their racist past here.
(...)
BEHAR: The other thing about this is it’s a complete distraction, as usual. You know, Oregon is on fire. The world is burning up, people are not doing enough to combat climate change, and we’re all going to be in the same situation. I don't hear word one about it. Not word one. It should be in that infrastructure plan. It should be number one. And people like Crenshaw should be behind it. Instead of, you know, distracting us with this nonsensical assault on this girl who is basically – she’s basically doing her patriotic duty by saying, “I am making a point here.” That’s all she’s doing. She’s not hurting anybody.
GOLDBERG: Right. Meghan, do you think that Crenshaw has a point with his criticism?
MEGHAN MCCAIN: Yeah, and I agree with him. And I just want to first and foremost say that Dan Crenshaw is an American hero. He’s a Navy S.E.A.L. that got his eye blown out, among other things and was on, you know, Navy S.E.A.L., you know, teams that killed terrorists and did incredible things defending our nation.
Also, in regards to what he said about the Capitol, he said, quote, “On Wednesday the Capitol of the most powerful nation the world has ever known was stormed by an angry mob. Americans surely never thought they’d see such a scene. Members of Congress barricaded inside the House chamber, Capitol Police trampled, and four Americans dead. A woman was shot near the elevator I use everyday to enter the House floor. It was a display not of patriotism, but of frenzy and anarchy.” So that’s what he said about January 6th. So I don’t actually know everyone’s getting that he somehow was okay with it.
I think in regards to that athlete protesting, I’ve spent the last year and a half hearing every argument possible and understanding why athletes protest in the United States of America, like Colin Kaepernick. The problem I have is the woman is doing this internationally. And if anyone just saw Vladimir Putin’s recent speech when he met with President Biden, he’s using the propaganda that America is an irredeemable craphole against us, saying, “You think your country is so great over there, look at BLM, look at everything that’s happening in your country, you don't even treat your people correctly.” At the same time where he’s literally imprisoning people. And we’re having our enemies and propaganda dictators using our own propaganda against us, which in turn, turns into a real national security risk.
My other problem with this is I don’t understand why we all can’t have shared experiences in this space or have our own stories. Because for some reason, my relationship with the flag isn't allowed anymore. My love of the American flag, my love of the national anthem. And I know that it’s very triggering for people and people get very upset when I talk about my dad, for whatever reason, which is why I really stopped doing it on the show unless it’s really meaningful to me. But when I was growing up, every year on Christmas he would tell me a story about when he was in prison being tortured and his cell mate, a man named Mike Christian, had sewn the American flag, using scraps of material he found in prison, into his prison garb. And every morning, they would say the Pledge of Allegiance to what was sewn into his prison garb. One day, the Vietnamese captors found that and beat the living crap out of Mike Christian, to the point that his eyes and his body was so badly injured that he could barely move. And the second he was able to move again, do you want to know the first thing Mike Christian started doing? He started re-sewing the American flag into his prison garb so his cell mates could say the Pledge of Allegiance and remember what they were doing and what they were fighting for, in prison, for America.
So excuse me if I don’t think some of these athletes are representing America in the same way. And for some of us, I will die for this. I will die on this hill that it is not appropriate or patriotic to go to a foreign country where you’re supposed to be representing America and act like it’s just about you. It’s not about you, it’s about all of us.
(...)
SARA HAINES: And to Representative Crenshaw, who says, you know, this is the basic thing of a olympian, to represent the country, Gwen Barry is representing the country. She’s questioning an American anthem that maybe doesn’t represent all people in the country.
GOLDBERG: Well, one of the days – in the upcoming days, we’ll play you the American anthem and let you see what you think of it. Because there’s some stuff in there that makes it a little bit tough to take.
(...)
