The liberal ladies of ABC’s The View were in a tailspin from the get-go during Thursday’s episode, as the majority of them fumed over CNN’s town hall with former President Trump the previous evening. But instead of keeping her animosity trained on Trump, co-host Joy Behar immediately started taking swings at the average Americans in the audience. Their crime? Being Republicans and fans of the former President, or as she called them “not American.”
“So, yesterday, CNN had a town hall with you know who. And for me, CNN showed me they were a ball-free zone. What did y'all think of it,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg spat as she turned the floor over to the rest of the table.
Behar said she was wrong to defend Trump’s First Amendment right to appear on CNN as a candidate for president. Her reasoning? Because CNN allowed for pro-Trump audience members.
“I believe everybody should show who they are and let's vote accordingly. But what I didn't know was that the audience would be filled with his cult!” Behar shrieked. Taking things to a dark place, she invoked the Jonestown Massacre and asked if “CNN was passing out Kool-Aid before the event started.”
She demanded to know: “Why would CNN put only Republicans and people who love him in the audience?!” and then compared it to one of her “comedy” shows. “Well, that's what I saw last night. I saw a bad stand-up comedian with a bunch of people in his cult who love him,” she whined.
According to her, “That is not American, as far as I'm concerned. That is not American.”
Meanwhile, the audience The View performs for was made up of liberals who love them. So, perhaps they’re also a cult?
Self-described conservative and CNN employee, Alyssa Farah Griffin defended CNN’s decision to have Trump on the network because, “America got to see who he is last night: a ranting raving lunatic who siding with Vladimir Putin, said he would restart family separation.”
“It’s not the media’s job to decide who is going to be the president, who should be getting a platform, who should be on television –” Farah Griffin began before Behar interjected with: “Wait a minute. You’re saying they should put only pro-Trump people in the audience?”
Co-host Sara Haines spoke up and explained to Behar that the audience was filled with Republicans because the primaries haven’t happened yet. “My understanding was that town halls leading up a primary they do that,” she noted with Farah Griffin confirming that fact.
Farah Griffin picked up from where she was interrupted to defend her CNN colleague Kaitlan Collins and her performance as moderator during the event, much to the outrage of staunchly racist co-host Sunny Hostin (click “expand”):
FARAH GRIFFIN: But I also want to say this: because I know she’s flack from some folks. Kaitlan Collins did a masterful job.
HOSTIN: Masterful job?! Wow!
FARAH GRIFFIN: As a young man, seeing a 30-year-old journalist take it to one of the most powerful men in the world.
HOSTIN: Take it to him?! Wow!
FARAH GRIFFIN: I’ve been bulldozed by him. Hillary Clinton was bulldozed by him. She got in there.
HOSTIN: It only took her an hour to do that.
FARAH GRIFFIN: And I’m sorry, it's easy to Monday morning quarterback it, but she stood there, kept her cool, when he called her sexist things, called her a nasty woman. He lost votes last night.
HOSTIN: That was an hour in.
HAINES: It was an hour, Sunny.
HOSTIN: I don't think that she was prepared. I don't think he should have been given a platform.
BEHAR: I know.
HOSTIN: I was wondering when he was going to be fact-checked in real time!
FARAH GRIFFIN: She did on the very first question.
“Well, I think she needed a producer in her ear and I think we needed a chyron, this is a lie, this is a lie, this is a lie, this is a lie,” Hostin shouted.
Joy Behar’s bashing of the Republican audience was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Leaf Filter and Purina. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
May 11, 2023
11:01:46 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, yesterday, CNN had a town hall with you know who. And for me, CNN showed me they were a ball-free zone. What did y'all think of it?
JOY BEHAR: A ball-free zone. That’s funny.
GOLDBERG: Yes.
BEHAR: I have to say – start his off with I was wrong. She said they shouldn't show him [pointing to Sunny Hostin]. I said they should, because I'm a very big defender of the First Amendment, and I believe everybody should show who they are and let's vote accordingly. But what I didn't know was that the audience would be filled with his cult! I would like to know if CNN was passing out Kool-Aid before the event started.
[Laughter]
The guy is trashing E. Jean again. I wonder if she can sue for defamation again.
SUNNY HOSTIN: She probably can.
BEHAR: He called her a whack job. And when he was trashing her, this annoying audience was clapping.
SARA HAINES: That was disturbing.
BEHAR: Why would CNN put only Republicans and people who love him in the audience?!
You know, if I do a comedy show and everybody loves me, I'm going to be funnier. That's how it works. But if you have people who don't particularly don’t think you're that funny, you have to work harder. Well, that's what I saw last night. I saw a bad stand-up comedian with a bunch of people in his cult who love him. And that is not American, as far as I'm concerned. That is not American.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I do have to respectfully disagree. This is a democracy. 74 million people voted for me. It horrifies me –
GOLDBERG: Voted for you?
FARAH GRIFFIN: I'm sorry. Voted for me?
[Laughter]
I'm so tired! I'm sorry!
74 million people voted for him. He's the GOP frontrunner, outperforming other people by double digits. And by the way, America got to see who he is last night: a ranting raving lunatic who siding with Vladimir Putin, said he would restart family separation. He didn't win a single voter. That was radioactive for independents and moderates.
It’s not the media’s job to decide who is going to be the president, who should be get a platform, who should be on television –
BEHAR: Wait a minute. You’re saying they should put only pro-Trump people in the audience?
[Crosstalk]
HAINES: My understanding was that town halls leading up a primary they do that. Republican primary.
FARAH GRIFFIN: It’s primary. To be honest, I didn't love the platform.
But I also want to say this: because I know she’s flack from some folks. Kaitlan Collins did a masterful job.
HOSTIN: Masterful job?! Wow!
FARAH GRIFFIN: As a young man, seeing a 30-year-old journalist take it to one of the most powerful men in the world.
HOSTIN: Take it to him?! Wow!
FARAH GRIFFIN: I’ve been bulldozed by him. Hillary Clinton was bulldozed by him. She got in there.
HOSTIN: It only took her an hour to do that.
FARAH GRIFFIN: And I’m sorry, it's easy to Monday morning quarterback it, but she stood there, kept her cool, when he called her sexist things, called her a nasty woman. He lost votes last night.
HOSTIN: That was an hour in.
HAINES: It was an hour, Sunny.
HOSTIN: I don't think that she was prepared. The I don't think he should have been given a platform.
BEHAR: I know.
HOSTIN: I was wondering when he was going to be fact-checked in real time!
FARAH GRIFFIN: She did on the very first question.
HOSTIN: Well, I think she needed a producer in her ear and I think we needed a chyron, this is a lie, this is a lie, this is a lie, this is a lie.
(…)
