Former U.N. ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley got a surprise supporter on Thursday when co-host of ABC’s The View, Joy Behar proclaimed “I like her.” And when some of the other cast members expressed shock, she defended herself and promoted Haley’s ability to take the fight to former President Trump. But her enthusiasm wasn’t shared by everyone at the table.
“Look, I like her. I mean, I like her. I like Nikki,” Behar repeatedly said to the shock of the rest of the panel. “I like what Nikki’s doing. I don't have to approve of everything in her policies. And at least she won't be governing from cell block 11.”
Behar commended Haley’s campaign as “serving a purpose” of “kicking” and “punching” Trump. Moderator Whoopi Goldberg that she was the “gnat” in Trump’s soup:
BEHAR: But the woman is, like, serving a purpose the way Chris Christie was serving a purpose by basically kicking him, punching him – what do you call that? – needling him!
[Crosstalk]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: A fly, a gnat in his soup.
BEHAR: He's so, like, insecure, like she says, and so transparent.
“Remember, again, I bring you back years when he attacked Rosie O’Donnell on this show. He was so vicious to her. You can’t even imagine. On every station,” she recalled, eager for someone to dish it back at Trump. “He cannot stand any kind of attack. So, the more you needle him and punch him a little bit, the more insecure he gets, the more senile he sounds.”
On the opposite side of Behar’s praise was staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin, who called Haley a hypocrite for getting upset by disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon’s sexist/ageist attack on her:
The other thing that I find her to be hypocritical about, is she went off because Don Lemon said she was older, that she was past her prime. This is what she says Saturday in New Hampshire: “My parents are up in age and I love them. But when you see them hit a certain age, there is a decline. That’s a fact.” She's talking about her own parents. Then she says – she starts attacking Joe Biden and Donald Trump on their age. She's an ageist, yet she was offended when someone talked about her age. Hypocrite.
“Yeah, but remember, you're talking a man old at 80 and a woman at 50. So, that’s the problem!” co-host Sara Haines pushed back. Hosting couldn’t handle the counterargument and started shouting: “It doesn’t matter! It’s still – it’s still –it’s still hypocritical!”
Hostin calling Haley a hypocrite was particularly rich considering their history. In 2022, Hostin falsely accused Haley of adopting “Nikki” as a fake name to appear white; when, in reality, it’s her middle name, a popular name in India. Haines did the right thing then too and called out Hostin for adopting a fake name for herself. Hostin’s real first name is “Asunción” and “Sunny” was a fabrication.
“I have to defend Don Lemon a little bit, ‘cause I don't think he meant that he thinks a woman is over the hill. A woman is perceived as over the hill,” Behar interjected.
But that wasn’t true. Lemon was most definitely talking about Haley directly and personally. “Nikki Haley isn't in her prime—sorry,” he declared.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
January 25, 2024
11:04:34 a.m. Eastern(…)
JOY BEHAR: Look, I like her. I mean, I like her. I like Nikki.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: You like what she’s doing.
BEHAR: I like what Nikki’s doing. I don't have to approve of everything in her policies. And at least she won't be governing from cell block 11.
[Laughter]
But the woman is, like, serving a purpose the way Chris Christie was serving a purpose by basically kicking him, punching him – what do you call that? – needling him.
[Crosstalk]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: A fly, a gnat in is soup.
BEHAR: He's so, like, insecure, like she says, and so transparent.
Remember, again, I bring you back years when he attacked Rosie O’Donnell on this show. He was so vicious to her. You can’t even imagine. On every station. He cannot stand any kind of attack. So, the more you needle him and punch him a little bit, the more insecure he gets, the more senile he sounds.
SARA HAINES: I love watching him deal with her for two reasons. One, I like that it's the last person standing was a woman against him.
BEHAR: That was a good one. I like that. That’s kind of cool.
(…)
11:07:47 a.m. Eastern
SUNNY HOSTIN: The other thing that I find her to be hypocritical about, is she went off because Don Lemon said she was older, that she was past her prime. This is what she says Saturday in New Hampshire: “My parents are up in age and I love them. But when you see them hit a certain age, there is a decline. That’s a fact.” She's talking about her own parents. Then she says – she starts attacking Joe Biden and Donald Trump on their age. She's an ageist, yet she was offended when someone talked about her age. Hypocrite.
HAINES: Yeah, but remember, you're talking a man old at 80 and a woman at 50. So, that’s the problem!
[Crosstalk]
HOSTIN: It doesn’t matter! It’s still – it’s still –it’s still hypocritical!
HAINES: But I think it’s kind of highlighting and magnifying [inaudible].
[Crosstalk]
BEHAR: Can we just say – I have to defend Don Lemon a little bit, ‘cause I don't think he meant that he thinks a woman is over the hill. A woman is perceived as over the hill.
HAINES: But that's my point, is that the world perceives 50 [inaudible]
[crosstalk]
HAINES: At 80 those men are still kicking it.
(…)
