Hey, this Republican's out of office and courageously trashing his own party to sell books? Sounds like the perfect guest for The View!
Former Speaker of the House John Boehner made a pitstop at the ABC political talk show for a mostly cozy conversation plugging his new memoir. The hosts egged on Boehner to say nasty things about his former GOP colleagues, while pushing him from the left on the Tea Party and President Obama.
Joy Behar started off salivating over Boehner calling Jim Jordan and Ted Cruz, “terrorists.” She suggested they should be “held accountable, I mean even criminally liable” for the violence on January 6.
Sunny Hostin also touted Boehner blasting his party’s “crazies” before pushing him from the left: “Is there a way really to rehabilitate the party and considering in all fairness that you did your fair share of backing some of their Tea Party predecessors when you were in office, do you feel you were perhaps part of the problem?”
Hostin followed up later by commending Boehner for defending Obama's lack of bipartisanship and saying that impeaching Bill Clinton was "a mistake."
But Boehner insulting his party seemed to energize the hosts. Sara Haines asked about the media’s favorite trash talk from the book, where Boehner attacks “Lucifer” Ted Cruz: (click “expand”)
SARA HAINES: You've never been shy about your animosity for Senator Ted Cruz, but you take it to the next level in the book writing, there is nothing more dangerous than a reckless bleep who thinks he is smarter than everyone else. You say even Mitch McConnell hated him with a passion. I didn't know Mitch had in him. And we hear you ad libbed some rather colorful commentary we can't repeat here when you recorded the audio book portion about him. What is it about Cruz that gets you so fired up? Because Cruz says you're obsessed with him.
JOHN BOEHNER: Well, this guy was not even a member of the U.S. House. He's a member of the Senate. He's coming over to the House side of the Capitol stirring up some of my knuckle heads and pushing them to do things that were about the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life. And he’s not even a member of our caucus. Just a bit bizarre that I've never seen happen before or since like the activities of Ted Cruz. And uh, you know, I don't really beat up too many people in this book, except one, Ted Cruz, Lucifer in the flesh.
At that, Whoopi Goldberg whooped, “Ooh! Yes!” before giggling. “He does not hold back!” she added as they went to commercial.
In fact, Boehner’s Republican trash-talking only got one pushback question from Meghan McCain.
She pointed out how while President Biden ran on bipartisanship promises, he’s issued dozens of executive orders and hasn’t reached across the aisle. She asked if Biden was following in President Obama’s tradition.
But Boehner only had praise for Biden, saying he was a “good guy” and promised McCain, “I worked with him for 30 years. I know this guy inside and out. There isn't a thing in the world that Joe Biden and I couldn't work out together.”
The interview ended with the friendly hosts sharing pictures. Meghan McCain showed a picture of her late father with Boehner and "some Democrats" out for a meal. The hosts chuckled over a picture of a smiling Joy Behar being bear-hugged by Boehner at a restaurant. After friendly teasing, Behar flattered the “very funny” Boehner and suggest he become a television host. “I see you actually as having a TV show because you're actually very funny and you're fun and you're very succinct. I like that about you. Don't be writing books. Get a job on TV!” she urged.
That really tells you all you need to know about how much conservatives should care what John Boehner thinks about the GOP.
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Read transcript portions below:
The View
4/12/2021
JOY BEHAR: In this book you come right out and say that Trump incited that bloody insurrection by perpetuating the election lie and that it was especially sad to see some house and members of the senate assist him. Quote, although some of the people involved did not surprise me, the legislative terrorism I witnessed as speaker had now encouraged terrorism. So, if as you describe members of your own party provoked this terrorism, should they be held accountable, I mean even criminally liable for it, John? What do you think?
(...)
SUNNY HOSTIN: Speaker, talking about crazies, throughout this book you describe how your party has been taken over by kooks and lunatics who want to blow up Washington. You said you were the mayor of “crazytown.” Now your party has Marjorie Taylor Greene who blamed jewish space lasers for wildfires, in this big tent along with Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz. Is there a way really to rehabilitate the party and considering in all fairness that you did your fair share of backing some of their tea party predecessors when you were in office, do you feel you were perhaps part of the problem?
(...)
SARA HAINES: You've never been shy about your animosity for senator Ted Cruz, but you take it to the next level in the book writing, there is nothing more dangerous than a reckless bleep who thinks he is smarter than everyone else. You say even Mitch McConnell hated him with a passion. I didn't know Mitch had in him. And we hear you ad libbed some rather colorful commentary we can't repeat here when you recorded the audio book portion about him. What is it about Cruz that gets you so fired up? Because Cruz says you're obsessed with him.
JOHN BOEHNER: Well, this guy was not even a member of the U.S. House. He's a member of the Senate. He's coming over to the House side of the Capitol stirring up some of my knuckle heads and pushing them to do things that were about the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life. And he’s not even a member of our caucus. Just a bit bizarre that I've never seen happen before or since like the activities of Ted Cruz. And uh, you know, I don't really beat up too many people in this book, except one, Ted Cruz, Lucifer in the flesh.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Oooh! Yes! [chuckles]We'll be back with former speaker John Boehner when we come--when we return. He does not hold back!
(...)
SUNNY HOSTIN: Mr. Speaker, although you said that Pesident Obama never made reaching across the aisle a priority, I do appreciate your candor in stating that President Obama might not have been inclined to work on bipartisan deals because you say how do you find common cause with people who think you're a secret, Kenyan, Muslim traitor? So I appreciate your candor in that respect. You also say you regret impeaching Bill Clinton and you admit that it was all a political tactic to win house seats, which actually didn't work out in your favor. When did you come to this realization and why are you telling us about that now?
(...)
JOY BEHAR: Okay. So, a lot of us are wondering about what took you so long to write this book. If this is how you've been feeling all this time, then why not speak out sooner. You have the third most powerful position in the country. Don't you think your opinion could have at least poked a few holes in the cult of Trump and we wouldn't have had to suffer through the last four years of this insanity we've all been through?!
(...)
BEHAR: I see you actually as having a TV show because you're actually very funny and you're fun and you're very succinct. I like that about you. Don't be writing books. Get a job on TV!
