During a time of great political division, hatred, and politically motivated violence coming from the left in America, the cast of ABC’s The View has no issue turning up the rhetoric to possibly dangerous levels. And during Thursday’s edition of the show, co-host Sunny Hostin ominously demanded “get rid of Republicans” because they’re “the party of massacres.”
“And Republicans get in lock step against gun safety because all they care about is power,” proclaimed Hostin, who has a history of being mentally unstable. Briefly turning her rage back to gun rights, Hostin wrote off red flag laws as “a minor solution” and seemed to call for launching all AR-15s into space: “Get the AR-15s off the planet, really, in my view!”
It’s unclear if she wants to arm the Space Force with them.
She went on to add: “And just get rid of bump stocks, get rid of these weapons of war. And it’s not going to happen with Republicans in power!” That’s when she returned to attacking Republicans and seemingly calling for something terrible to happen to them:
Get rid of Republicans, get rid of the party. The party as it stands now – because it’s the party of white supremacy, it’s the party of insurrectionists, it’s the party of massacres, at this point. It’s the party that you just – you can’t trust it!
Co-host Joy Behar quickly jumped in and tried to make Hostin’ comments about elections. Thinking she was being funny, Behar suggested to the campaign slogan should be: “Vote for Democrats, save a Republican’s job!” Hostin objected and said it should be: “Vote for Democrats and save our children!”
So, a vote for Republicans is a vote to kill children? That sounds sane.
Former Republican and self-described “conservative” Tara Setmayer agreed with Hostin’s assessment of her former party but pushed back on her objection to red flag laws. “Listen, I don’t want you to minimize red flag laws because they are actually proven effective,” she said as Hostin tried to argue over her.
“It is not a minor solution. It is not because it’s a practical solution and one that you can find compromise on,” Setmayer tried to continue as Hostin took the not-so-reasonable approach of just calling for a ban on ARs.
Even though Setmayer also believes in banning ARs, she pointed to the fact that more handguns are used in “mass shootings” than AR-15s. And what did she get for sticking to the facts? She got co-host Whoopi Goldberg accusing her of “blowing smoke” (Click “expand”):
SETMAYER: Let me explain something about this. And I don’t have a problem with banning AR-15s. The issue here is, that the majority of mass shootings in this country are committed with handguns, not AR-15s!
HOSTIN: How do you define “mass shooting?”
SETMAYER: The FBI defines mass shootings as four or more people--
HOSTIN: Four or more!
SETMAYER: -- which are committed with handguns in a majority of this country. So—
GOLDBERG: You know what. You know what.
SETMAYER: -- the argument of just banning AR-15s is not going to solve the mass shooting problem!
GOLDBERG: You guys are blowing smoke. You’re blowing smoke right now.
While Setmayer is right about handguns being used in more mass shootings, it’s worth pointing out that the definition she uses does not come from the “FBI” as she claims. That definition comes from the Gun Violence Archive, an anti-gun group and something we’ve debunked here at NewsBusters. The FBI doesn’t define “mass shooting,” they define “mass killing.”
After taking the floor back from Setmayer, Goldberg took the opportunity to continue her unholy crusade against legal ownership of AR-15s. “I’m sick and tired of people making excuses why they can’t—It’s one gun, get it off the market! It’s one gun, just do that,” she demanded, ignorant of what enforcement would look like or mean.
This dangerous anti-Republican rhetoric was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Ensure and Consumer Cellular. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
ABC’s The View
June 2, 2022
11:09:01 a.m. Eastern(…)
SUNNY HOSTIN: And Republicans get in lock step against gun safety because all they care about is power.
JOY BEHAR: That’s right.
HOSTIN: So, I do not think that you can – and all everyone’s talking about – even with red flag laws – is about temporarily taking guns away. It’s a minor solution. The solution here is – as Whoopi has said all week—
TARA SETMAYER: Not a minor solution
HOSTIN: -- get the AR-15s off the planet, really, in my view! And just get rid of bump stocks, get rid of these weapons of war. And it’s not going to happen with Republicans in power!
So, I’m now with you, Joy. Get rid of Republicans, get rid of the party. The party as it stands now – because it’s the party of white supremacy, it’s the party of insurrectionists, it’s the party of massacres, at this point. It’s the party that you just – you can’t trust it!
TARA SETMAYER: That’s why I left the Republican Party!
[Crosstalk]
BEHAR: Here’s the motto. Here’s the motto: Vote for Democrats, save a Republican’s job.
HOSTIN: Yeah. Yeah. Save our children! Vote for Democrats and save our children!
BEHAR: They don’t respond to that. But they’re jobs, yes.
[Applause]
SETMAYER: You know what? Listen, I don’t want you to minimize red flag laws because they are actually proven effective. To Sara’s point –
HOSTIN: But it’s a minor solution to this problem.
SETMAYER: It is not a minor solution. It is not because it’s a practical solution and one that you can find compromise on. Banning guns is not going to—
HOSTIN: Is it going to get rid of AR-15s?
[Crosstalk]
SETMAYER: Let me explain something about this. And I don’t have a problem with banning AR-15s. The issue here is, that the majority of mass shootings in this country are committed with handguns, not AR-15s!
HOSTIN: How do you define “mass shooting?”
SETMAYER: The FBI defines mass shootings as four or more people--
HOSTIN: Four or more!
SETMAYER: -- which are committed with handguns in a majority of this country. So—
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: You know what. You know what.
SETMAYER: -- the argument of just banning AR-15s is not going to solve the mass shooting problem!
GOLDBERG: You guys are blowing smoke. You’re blowing smoke right now.
SETMAYER: No I’m not!
GOLDBERG: Yes. And let me explain why.
SETMAYER: No. I take issue with that.
GOLDBERG: You’re telling me I’m not going to—
SETMAYER: I’m saying I’m not blowing smoke.
GOLDBERG: I feel you’re blowing smoke.
SETMAYER: I’m telling you a practical solution.
GOLDBERG: I think everyone is blowing smoke at the table and let me explain why.
[Camera cuts to see Hostin taking a sarcastic sip of coffee]
SETMAYER: Go ahead.
GOLDBERG: The issue here – there are all of these things. You’re right, strengthen all the laws that exist. Do all of that. But get the AR-15 off the market! And I know, you say that’s not a way to do it, but you know what?
SETMAYER: You can start there but it’s not going to solve it!
GOLDBERG: It will start the possess because right now, nothing has been done.
SETMAYER: Not nothing.
GOLDBERG: And quite honestly, personally, I’m sick. I’m sick and tired of people making excuses why they can’t—It’s one gun, get it off the market! It’s one gun, just do that! And do everything else you keep saying you want to do.
SETMAYER: It’s not going to pass Congress.
GOLDBERG: Well, then we’ll sit around and we’ll watch more people go.
(…)
