Two weeks ago, the cackling coven of ABC’s The View mocked Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker for how he talks and suggested he had brain damage. Earlier this week, they used the term “stroke” to malign Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s debate performance. But on Wednesday, following the Pennsylvania Senate debate, the cast decried criticism of Democratic candidate John Fetterman as “unempathetic” and accused Republican candidate Mehmet Oz of “bully[ing] a stroke victim.”
“What makes the Republicans think that Herschel Walker is coherent and he hasn't had a stroke?” Joy Behar proclaimed on October 13. She then read off some inartful remarks Walker made about climate change and shifting patterns of clean and dirty air. Co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines busted out in mocking laughter:
HOSTIN [Mockingly]: That's a very valid point!
HAINES [Mockingly]: Oh! Okay, I get it now!
The conversation pushed an unsupported allegation that Walker suffers from CTE brain damage from his time as an NFL running back, and that’s why he talks the way he does.
On Tuesday, hours before the debate on Pennsylvania, Behar mocked how DeSantis responded to a hostile question hinting at a possible run for president in 2024. “DeSantis has the charisma of this cup…he looks like he’s having a stroke,” Behar chided again.
But 24 hours later, Behar was outraged that people would have serious concerns about Fetterman’s post-stroke mental condition.
“The Republican Party is running a bunch of ads about showing Fetterman, you know, stumbling on things because of the stroke,” she whined. “What kind of a doctor is behind that? Aren't you supposed to do no harm? It's so unempathetic to the guy, you know?”
Building off of Behar, Hostin attacked Oz and suggested: “he chose to bully a stroke victim.” “He obviously was bullying him,” she added with Behar’s agreement.
In almost the same sentence, Hostin commended Fetterman for being brave in showing his “weakness” and suggested there was nothing wrong with him:
HOSTIN: And I think it takes real courage to show that you’ve been knocked down. I think it takes real bravery to allow people to see your weakness. Right?
[Applause]
And we know that Fetterman's cognitive abilities have not been compromised.
“It's about expression that has been compromised,” Hostin quickly added. She also defended him by arguing that “this is a smart guy. He got a degree in public policy from Harvard, his master's degree” and “was mayor for many years.”
None of which he accomplished after he had his stroke.
Sunny attacks NBC's Dasha Burns, says it was "inappropriate" for her to admit that Fetterman is struggling.
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 13, 2022
"Maybe she's bad at small talk! Maybe it's her!" Whoopi chides.
Sunny claims Burns broke journalistic ethics and defends Fetterman saying she too requires closed captions. pic.twitter.com/yaknFJ0fqe
And while The View was trying to defend Fetterman’s poor condition and poor performance in the debate, they once assailed NBC correspondent Dasha Burns for exposing just how deteriorated his condition was two weeks ago.
Hostin said it was “inappropriate” for Burns to admit to Pennsylvania voters that Fetterman was struggling. “Maybe she's bad at small talk! Maybe it was her!” co-host Whoopi Goldberg screeched at the time. Hostin agreed, “Maybe it was her.”
This hypocrisy of defending Fetterman while mocking Republicans was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Sandals and Procter & Gamble. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
October 26, 2022
11:03:53 a.m. Eastern(…)
JOY BEHAR: The Republican Party is running a bunch of ads about showing Fetterman, you know, stumbling on things because of the stroke. What kind of a doctor is behind that? Aren't you supposed to do no harm? It's so unempathetic to the guy, you know?
And I just want to say that Oz is very slick. He's a TV guy, remember that. There's another woman in Arizona, Kari Lake, also a TV woman. So, they're very slick, you know? And Fetterman's kind of like with the stroke and without the stroke he's not as slick. But he has ideas and he has governed, you know?
Oz, and I know Oz. I’ve been to his house, and he has apart of him -- You know, I called him one time to help with the recommendation for a doctor and he was right there for me. He's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at this point. I don't know which one is the real Dr. Oz, but voting for the slick person on TV is like voting for me. Don't vote for me for politics.
[Laughter]
I know how to work on television, that doesn’t mean – that's the same thing. We had Donald Trump. Now we have Oz and now we have this Kari Lake. Don't be fooled by that.
SUNNY HOSTIN: It was really strange to me that he chose to bully a stroke victim.
BEHAR: Yeah, exactly.
HOSTIN: He obviously was bullying him. And, you know, I don't think the people of Pennsylvania or the people in general liked that because Fetterman raised $1 million after that debate. And I think it takes real courage to show that you’ve been knocked down. I think it takes real bravery to allow people to see your weakness. Right?
[Applause]
And we know that Fetterman's cognitive abilities have not been compromised. It's about expression –
BEHAR: Right.
HOSTIN: -- that has been compromised.
SARA HAINES: Aphasia.
HOSTIN: Aphasia, exactly. And this is a smart guy. He got a degree in public policy from Harvard, his master's degree. So, this is not a stupid guy. This was a guy, as you mentioned, was governor of Pennsylvania –
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Lieutenant governor
HOSTIN: was mayor – l lieutenant governor – was mayor for many years, and as well, you know, has just led his life in public service. So, why would you vote for the whack doctor --
BEHAR: The quack.
HOSTIN: The quack.
BEHAR: He's not really a quack.
HOSTIN: And not vote – Well, I mean, I was on his show many, many times, but he, you know, he really rode the line.
BEHAR: He did for money and power.
HOSTIN: Yeah, he really did.
(…)
