In a sit-down interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity on Monday, Vice President Mike Pence was asked about the bitter bigoted comments from ABC’s Joy Behar attacking all Christians made on The View. The Vice President accepted an over-the-phone private apology but encouraged her to make a public apology on her show to all Christians.
“Well Sean, my Christian faith is the most important thing in my life,” Pence explained. “So, when I heard that ABC had a program where my Christian faith was described as a mental illness, I thought it was important for me to speak out. Not on my own behalf. You and I know the criticism comes with the public life. But I felt it was important that I defend the faith of tens of millions of Americans against that kind of slander.”
Pence told Hannity that he gave Behar “a lot of credit” for reaching out to him to apologize. “She was very sincere. And she apologized. And one of the things my faith teaches me is grace. Forgive as you have been forgiven,” he told Hannity.
Although she did apologize to him privately, he wants her to make a public one as well:
But I did encourage her and I am still encouraging her to use the forum of that program or some other public forum to apologize to tens of millions of Americans who were equally offended by what she and people said.
Pence echoed Media Research Center Founder Brent Bozell in the desire to hear a public apology to all the Christ followers she offended. “Their apology should, therefore, be as public as their insult,” he argued in a press release.
The Vice President also explained that when he spoke out, it wasn’t because he took it personally it was to speak for those Behar wouldn’t hear:
No, I didn't take it personally. I thought it was important in this moment that I speak out on behalf of the faith of tens of millions of Americans. My hope is that Joy and others on the airwaves will come to appreciate the meaning and, if I can say, the joy that comes with the faith and respect that.
The pressure for Behar to apologize has been intense following a Media Research Center campaign to hold The View’s advertisers accountable for her anti-Christian hate. Through the campaign, supporters have made over 45,000 calls to ABC along with separate calls to View advertisers insisting they hold the ABC show accountable.
As mentioned, we're still waiting for the public apology.
Transcript below, click expand to read:
Fox News Channel
Hannity
March 12, 2018
9:49:25 PM EasternSEAN HANNITY: You have an incident, comments made by Joy Behar of The View. Bob Iger said that she called you privately to apologize. Can you bring us behind the scenes and tell us what happened. But she didn't say it publicly. Although the original comments that she made about Christianity were made publicly.
MIKE PENCE: Well Sean, my Christian faith is the most important thing in my life. My wife and I spend most mornings, a little bit of time on the bible and a little bit of time in prayer. We are typical Americans. I think, tens of millions of Americans cherish their faith. So, when I heard that ABC had a program where my Christian faith was described as a mental illness, I thought it was important for me to speak out. Not on my own behalf. You and I know the criticism comes with the public life. But I felt it was important that I defend the faith of tens of millions of Americans against that kind of slander. And I did so. I give joy a lot of credit. She picked up the phone. She called me. She was very sincere. And she apologized. And one of the things my faith teaches me is grace. Forgive as you have been forgiven.
HANNITY: So does mine but I'm not as good as it as you.
PENCE: Well look, but I said to Joy, “of course, I forgive you.” That is part of my faith experience. But I did encourage her and I am still encouraging her to use the forum of that program or some other public forum to apologize to tens of millions of Americans who were equally offended by what she and people said.
HANNITY: It makes me question the sincerity of it. Because you’re right, it wasn't just a shot against you, it was against -- I'm a Christian -- anybody of faith.
PENCE: But for me, it was never about me.
HANNITY: Understood. You don't take it personally.
PENCE: No, I didn't take it personally. I thought it was important in this moment that I speak out on behalf of the faith of tens of millions of Americans. My hope is that Joy and others on the airwaves will come to appreciate the meaning and, if I can say, the joy that comes with the faith and respect that.
