With the state of New Mexico charging actor Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust, the cast of ABC’s The View spent their Friday morning trying to defend their radical liberal friend. They argued that it wasn’t his responsibility to check the gun for live rounds, called it a “tragedy” for this career, asserted the only one who should be taking the fall was the inexperienced armorer, and suggested the person charging Baldwin shouldn’t be trusted because they’re a Republican.
Acting as moderator, Behar was worried for her friend because Baldwin was “facing up to five years in prison.” She whined that other producers weren’t charged and suggested it wasn’t his responsibility, as someone who was handed a gun, to check to see if live rounds were loaded into:
I have to say, before I even throw it out there, that there were four other producers on the show who have not been charged, on the movie. Why? That's one question I have. He is -- he was a producer of story credit. So, he had creative involvement, not exactly the job of somebody who would have to check the gun. That's the job of other people.
“And, you know, as a person who's been in a couple of movies,” she proclaimed as a defense, “all you're thinking of is your part when you are an actor … Somebody else has to worry about that. You're interested in your lines, in your character…”
Self-described Republican Alyssa Farah Griffin noted: “In the state of New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter means unintentionally killing someone by being negligent. So, negligence alone is the standard that you have to meet.” Thus, it wasn’t a good sign for Baldwin.
Eager to pour out more sympathies for Baldwin, faux Republican Ana Navarro quickly noted that this “has been a [Hutchins] family tragedy” before adding that it was also a “tragedy” for “Alec Baldwin [and] his career, if it ever comes back will never be the same again, and this will be on his obituary.”
“But I hate all of this she said, he said going on on TV. Just try the case already,” she complained. She didn’t like how conversations of the shooting were “getting into the weeds” of liability.
Seemingly seeing how these comments could make the show look terrible, co-host Sara Haines stepped in to reframe what the cast was saying:
HAINES: I think, like, everyone feels here that Halyna Hutchins' family, it's a life lost way too soon.
BEHAR: Of course. That goes without saying.
HAINES: I just feel the need to say that because when people don't hear you say that, they’re like “oh, so, you're concerned with the case, but not the life lost.” First and foremost, that’s a tragedy.
“Also, my heart does go out to Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria,” she added.
Haines went on to try to shift all the blame to armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (who was also being charged for the same alleged crime) because “she was young, maybe a little underqualified, got the job because her family had been in the business and they kind of passed it off.”
“To be in charge of lethal weapons on a set is a big responsibility, and to know that first and foremost – regardless of who thought it was a cold gun, the actor, the director, the producers on the show, it is literally your job's definition to be responsible for these lethal weapons,” Haines shouted, ignoring the rules of gun safety that you check the firearms you’re handed.
Stepping back up to the plate to defend Baldwin, Behar was adamant that it was never the actor’s responsibility to check a firearm handed to them, she even seemed to suggest that it was a task too complicated for them to figure out (Click “expand”):
BEHAR: But it is not the actor's job.
[Crosstalk and applause]
BEHAR: Why is it the actor’s – Wait a minute. So, someone hands you, the actor, someone says here's a cold gun. I'm the armorer – whatever they do – and you're supposed to now check it again? How? What are you supposed to do?
NAVARRO: Apparently most do is what – according to the DA, what she said is they've checked with other actors, and accordingly, most do. I think we’re going to see –
BEHAR: But how do they do that? How does the actor –
[Crosstalk]
NAVARRO: I think you open it up and you look.
RACHEL LINDSAY: They open it up and look to see if there's a live bullet or blank, something that's inside of it.
BEHAR: Really?
As they were nearing the end of the segment, Behar asserted that the charges were political and accused First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwives of being “big Republican” and thus shouldn’t be trusted. “Alec Baldwin is a target for Republicans. They cannot stand him. Okay? I'm just saying,” she just said.
But after they came back from the commercial break, she had to walk that claim back. “Clarification! Something I said last segment. It's the special prosecutor [Andrea Reeb] who's now the Republican politician in New Mexico. And not the current DA. I get them mixed up sometimes. So, sue me!” she shouted. “They can't, I corrected it,” she went on to gloat.
This defense of a liberal who killed a woman was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from CarFax and Downy. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
January 20, 2023
11:03:06 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: Um, Alec is facing up to five years in prison, and yesterday his lawyer said, quote, “he relied on the professionals with whom he worked who assured him that the gun did not have live rounds.”
So, do you agree with that? I have to say, before I even throw it out there, that there were four other producers on the show who have not been charged, on the movie. Why? That's one question I have. He is -- he was a producer of story credit. So, he had creative involvement, not exactly the job of somebody who would have to check the gun. That's the job of other people.
And, you know, as a person who's been in a couple of movies, all you're thinking of is your part when you are an actor. You're not worried -- I was not worried that that set -- my brassiere's going to fall off me or whatever. Somebody else has to worry about that. You're interested in your lines, in your character, and where am where was I two minutes ago? That’s it. So, I don't really understand what this is about.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I actually strongly agree with the charges.
BEHAR: You disagree with what I said?
FARAH GRIFFIN: I disagree with you, respectfully. In the state of New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter means unintentionally killing someone by being negligent. So, negligence alone is the standard that you have to meet. And there are incredible processes in place. Guns are used – firearms are using in movies every day and there are processes and steps taken.
(…)
11:05:40 a.m. Eastern
ANA NAVARRO: I've hated this story from day one. I think it’s – The thing we need to focus on is that Halyna Hutchins lost her life and there needs to be some accountability for that. Andros Hutchins, nine-year-old boy, is motherless. Her husband lost his wife. This has been a family tragedy. I think it's also been a tragedy for everybody who worked in the movie, including Alec Baldwin. His career, if it ever comes back will never be the same again, and this will be on his obituary.
But I hate all of this she said, he said going on on TV. Just try the case already. Try the case and do it in a court of law and let a jury decide. I don't think it's -- I don't like all of this getting into the weeds and analyzing this because we don't know what we don't know.
(…)
11:07:15 a.m. Eastern
SARA HAINES: I think, like, everyone feels here that Halyna Hutchins' family, it's a life lost way too soon.
BEHAR: Of course. That goes without saying.
HAINES: I just feel the need to say that because when people don't hear you say that, they’re like “oh, so, you're concerned with the case, but not the life lost.” First and foremost, that’s a tragedy. There are no happy endings to this. Also, my heart does go out to Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria.
(…)
11:07:48 a.m. Eastern
HAINES: The part that frustrates me as a viewer watching this all play out is the armorist. Because this was someone that when you read up on the story, she was young, maybe a little underqualified, got the job because her family had been in the business and they kind of passed it off. To be in charge of lethal weapons on a set is a big responsibility, and to know that first and foremost – regardless of who thought it was a cold gun, the actor, the director, the producers on the show, it is literally your job's definition to be responsible for these lethal weapons.
BEHAR: But it is not the actor's job.
[Crosstalk and applause]
BEHAR: Why is it the actor’s – Wait a minute. So, someone hands you, the actor, someone says here's a cold gun. I'm the armorer – whatever they do – and you're supposed to now check it again? How? What are you supposed to do?
NAVARRO: Apparently most do is what – according to the DA, what she said is they've checked with other actors and accordingly, most do. I think we’re going to see –
BEHAR: But how do they do that? How does the actor –
[Crosstalk]
NAVARRO: I think you open it up and you look.
RACHEL LINDSAY: They open it up and look to see if there's a live bullet or blank, something that's inside of it.
BEHAR: Really?
(…)
11:10:21 a.m. Eastern
BEHAR: Also, you know, the DA who is indicting him or whatever the legal term is right now – she's a big Republican. I'm only saying this because Alec Baldwin is a target for Republicans. They cannot stand him. Okay? I'm just saying.
FARAH GRIFFIN: But the facts are --
BEHAR: I'm not saying anything more than that.
(…)
11:17:07 a.m. Eastern
BEHAR: Clarification! Something I said last segment. It's the special prosecutor who's now the Republican politician in New Mexico. And not the current DA. I get them mixed up sometimes. So, sue me!
[Laughter]
NAVARRO: Be careful.
BEHAR: I know. They will.
[Laughter]
NAVARRO: Cuidado.
BEHAR: They can't, I corrected it.
[Laughter]
(…)
