March 15 on ABC’s The View, the table briefly discussed the potential firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who is under fire from the Justice Department for allowing FBI officials to talk to reporters about sensitive information regarding the Clinton Foundation investigation, and then going on to mislead Justice Department investigators in their review of this behavior.
As The Washington Post reported March 14, as the Justice Department winds down their investigation, the FBI disciplinary office is recommending Attorney General Jeff Sessions fire McCabe, who is just days away from his retirement. The media have thrown a hissy fit about how unfair this supposedly is, conveniently downplaying the reason why McCabe is recommending to be fired, and the most liberal hosts at ABC’s The View couldn’t handle the news either.
“So in other words Jeff Sessions can fire him before he gets his pension? And then after all the years he started he won't get his pension?” host Joy Behar asked, after Whoopi Goldberg introduced the story.
Behar immediately attributed the move to Sessions’ “cruelty.”
“Well Jeff Session rescinded DACA, allowing for DREAMERS to be deported so he's capable of being cruel that way. So I do not put it past him,” she huffed.
Fellow host Sunny Hostin gushed that this was just more evidence of the “troubling” “war” on the intelligence community:
HOSTIN: I just think we've seen this war on our intelligence community, this war on the FBI. This man is a career agent. He's not a political appointee so Trump can't fire him, but what is concerning to me is what is the -- we don't really know what the investigation showed. Some people are saying he lacked candor when he was interviewed about the e-mail and about speaking to reporters so I don't know what he did or did not do, but I am troubled with this constant attack on our intelligence community.
“Yeah,” Behar agreed. But Hostin wasn’t done, adding this absurdity: “Because that is the stuff that dictators are made of!”
Surprisingly, host Sara Haines was the first to push back on what Hostin said, arguing that if McCabe really did allow confidential information to be leaked to reporters then he should be fired. That prompted McCain to agree that the flack the intelligence community was receiving was well deserved.
“I agree that there is this war on our intelligence communities but some of it is valid. They leak like sieves right now. We're talking about information that can be absolutely lethal when it comes to anything foreign policy related. There is a huge problem,” she argued.
To read the full transcript, click expand below:
The View
3/15/18
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Attorney General Jeff Sessions will decide whether or not to fire FBI Director Andrew McCabe in just two days, that’s two days before he's set to retire. Now, he's under fire for allowing FBI officials to speak to the press about the Clinton Foundation investigation. So is this kind of late? Is it odd? What do you think?
JOY BEHAR: So in other words Jeff Sessions can fire him before he gets his pension?
WHOOPI: Yes.
JOY BEHAR: And then after all the years he started he won't get his pension.
Well Jeff session rescinded DACA, allowing for dreamers to be deported so he's capable of being cruel that way. So I do not put it past him.
HOSTIN: I just think we've seen this war on our intelligence community, this war on the FBI. This man is a career agent. He's not a political appointee so Trump can't fire him, but what is concerning to me is what is the -- we don't really know what the investigation showed. Some people are saying he lacked candor when he was interviewed about the e-mail and about speaking to reporters so I don't know what he did or did not do, but I am troubled with this constant attack on our intelligence community.
BEHAR: Yeah.
[Audience claps]
HOSTIN: Because that is the stuff that dictators are made of.
BEHAR: Right.
SARA HAINES: I read into that example a little bit because I was actually torn, the idea of taking away someone's pension after 21 years who served this country, but the flip side is they haven't had anyone ever fired but some people have gotten administrative leaves or suspensions for --
HOSTIN: A deputy director has never been fired.
HAINES: Right. But the difference is those behaviors are outside of your job. If candor means not being forthright about something--
MEGHAN MCCAIN: He's accused of allowing FBI officials to speak to "The Wall Street Journal" reporters about an investigation into the Clinton foundation.
HAINES: He revealed something that on his job he vows not to, that could be big.
MCCAIN: I agree that there is this war on our intelligence communities but some of it is valid. They leak like sieves right now. We're talking about information that can be absolutely lethal when it comes to anything foreign policy related. There is a huge problem.
We have James Comey coming on this show and to put it lightly, Joy and I have some things to say and I would like to know where it started, where this admission of leaking and this culture started because when I was growing up, it was, you know -- I mean, absolutely detrimental to your career and you should immediately be fired.
JOY BEHAR: It's fascinating, isn't it fascinating that there are leaks in the white house? Who are these people -- in other words, we have things that are written about us and you wonder where the leak is. We can't find a leak. Who knows where a leak comes from. They're right there in the house with them. They can't figure it out.
