The crones of ABC’s The View were up in arms again Tuesday as Americans upped their scrutiny of aging politicians who didn’t know when to call it quits. Of course, their reaction was largely spurred on by multiple polls that showed President Biden’s advanced age and lack of fitness for office were a top concern for voters. Their outrage culminated with co-host Joy Behar proclaiming that it would be better for America if Biden was reelected and “dies in office” than have former President Trump for another term.
“So, there's more chatter in the media about candidates' mentality and physical decline,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg huffed at the top of the show. She then vented about how “The New Yorker cover has Biden and other leaders using walkers” and falsely suggested the magazine “doesn't seem to be any concern about [Trump’s] decline.”
The cover indeed included Trump, who was using a walker alongside Biden, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Pelosi being on the cover really triggered Behar:
I hate that cover. Why do they have to put Nancy Pelosi in there?! Nancy Pelosi – If you watch her interviews she's as sharp as a tack as they say. She makes sense and keeps getting reelected by 80 percent of the constituency.
As the two oldest cast members, Behar (turning 81 next month) and Goldberg (turning 68 in November) called it “insulting” that Americans would care about older politicians’ fitness for office. They downplayed how often Biden falls and suggested they fall all the time:
GOLDBERG: Well, you've fallen. I've fallen.
BEHAR: But I fell when I was 20. I always fell, I’m a klutz. I fell the other day in my kitchen because the rubber of my shoe hit the floor and I went flying. What does it have to do with age?
GOLDBERG: Apparent think this is the sign. I feel like we're in a cartoon when we talk about stuff like this. I understand people are concerned that people are getting older. But it's like stop with the beating it in the head.
“Is Biden not doing his job? … Is he not doing his job even though he falls down on the floor?” Goldberg demanded to know. “Joe Biden can fall down 55 times, that's not going to make me think he can't do the job.”
Behar seemingly relented at one point and admitted that perhaps Biden was too old, but morbidly argued that it would be better if he was reelected and died in office. “The question is this: Let's say Joe Biden – God forbid – dies in office, isn't that still okay for the country? The country will survive it but if Trump wins, the country will not survive it. That's a fact,” she proclaimed.
If that wasn’t morbid enough, the radical liberal crowd applauded the idea.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
September 26, 2023
11:02:07 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, there's more chatter in the media about candidates' mentality and physical decline. Axios is reporting that Biden's team is concerned he might fall again. The New Yorker cover has Biden and other leaders using walkers and when it comes to you-know-who there doesn't seem to be any concern about his decline.
JOY BEHAR: I hate that cover. Why do they have to put Nancy Pelosi in there?! Nancy Pelosi – If you watch her interviews she's as sharp as a tack as they say. She makes sense and keeps getting reelected by 80 percent of the constituency.
GOLDBERG: Because it goes with the mythology that these folks are too old to be doing what they're doing. Which is a bit insulting to people who are over 70 who are – you know – who are actually doing their jobs and able to do it. And I keep asking aside from -- well, you've fallen. I've fallen.
BEHAR: But I fall when I was 20. I always fell, I’m a klutz. I fell the other day in my kitchen because the rubber of my shoe hit the floor and I went flying. What does it have to do with age?
GOLDBERG: Apparent think this is the sign. I feel like we're in a cartoon when we talk about stuff like this. I understand people are concerned that people are getting older. But it's like stop with the beating it in the head.
BEHAR: Yeah.
GOLDBERG: I feel like I'm getting hit over the head with it and it's pissing me off because I'm getting older and failing for lots of different reasons. Things are happening and I'm not near these -- well, maybe I am. Nearer to a lot of these ages and I understand the point. What's the solution? Is Biden not doing his job?
BEHAR: He is.
GOLDBERG: That’s the question I have.
BEHAR: He is.
GOLDBERG: Is he not doing his job even though he falls down on the floor?
(…)
11:06:06 a.m. Eastern
SUNNY HOSTIN: Whoopi said, “Is he doing his job?” That was the question.
[Applause]
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I think that he is fit for office. I think he’s a man of character. I have a lot of criticisms of him. The border, his own party, 60 percent say he's not doing enough to address the border.
GOLDBERG: But – but – He is doing – but – but – I guess what I’m saying is –
FARAH GRIFFIN: Like, he's showing up for work, he’s functioning.
GOLDBERG: He's doing more than showing up for work and functioning. He’s doing the job that we put him in there for. What many of us put him in there for.
[Applause]
[Crosstalk]
But my issue is always – Listen, if someone's not doing their job, the reason people started looking at Ronald Reagan is because he started doing stuff like you saw you-know-who doing and people started to go, “wait, something is going on.” But until I start -- Joe Biden can fall down 55 times, that's not going to make me think he can't do the job.
(…)
11:10:02 a.m. Eastern
BEHAR: The question is this: Let's say Joe Biden – God forbid – dies in office, isn't that still okay for the country? The country will survive it but if Trump wins, the country will not survive it. That's a fact.
[Applause]
[Crosstalk]
FARAH GRIFFIN: I don't see the world in such black and white terms of just like -- listen, once he's the nominee we can talk about it that way.
BEHAR: He will be though.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I'm still praying and dreaming there's another option out there or something --
BEHAR: Trump is kicking all their butts over there.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I know, I just refuse to accept that this country is going to elect an indicted, multi-time criminal.
BEHAR: Well, accept it. It’s going to happen.
GOLDBERG: You don't know until it happens.
(…)
