If you can’t stand the heat, then don’t invite Bill O’Reilly on your show to talk about current events. Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar flew off the handle during a live taping of “The View” on Thursday, storming off-stage during a dispute with O’Reilly over the Ground Zero mosque.
O’Reilly set the two women off after he said that, “Muslims killed us on 9/11.” Goldberg took offense at the statement, exclaiming “That is such bull----!”
“Extremists did that!” yelled a clearly agitated Goldberg. “What religion was Mr. McVeigh? There was an extremist as well and he killed people --”
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At that point Behar stood up angrily, telling O’Reilly that, “I don't want to sit here. I don't. I'm outraged by that statement.”
“You're outraged about Muslims killing us on 9/11?” O’Reilly asked, bewilderedly, as both Behar and Goldberg fled the stage.
“The View” co-host Barbara Walters immediately apologized to the audience and O’Reilly, saying “I want to say something. I want to say something to all of you. You have just seen what should not happen. We should be able to have discussions without washing our hands and screaming and walking offstage. I love my colleagues. It should not have happened.”
Transcript below:
Bill: Let me give an example. The mosque, the mosque down here on 9/11. That's inappropriate. Sure, they have a right to do it, in the constitution. But it's inappropriate because a lot of the 9/11 families, who I know, say, look, we don't want that. It shouldn't be there.
Barbara: But what about the discussion --
Bill: no, no, no. There is the president going ‘they have a right to do it. ‘
Joy: Yes, this is America. This is America.
Bill: Hold it. Hold it. Listen to me because you'll learn.
Joy: Pinhead! Pinhead!
[Cheers and applause]
Bill: So he says to the press, yeah, they have a right to do it. And that's true. And then the question is but what about the wisdom of it, Mr. President? And he goes I'm not gonna comment. Where-upon everybody in the country goes “What”?
Whoopi: Well, wait a minute. Let me ask you this.
Bill: That is the gulf between us.
Whoopi: You're saying that Americans are not smart enough to recognize that, while it is part of our Constitution to say freedom of religion and freedom to worship and there were 70 families who are Muslim who also died in that building. So you're saying that his saying that they have the right to do it and not saying any more than that is why his approval rating has gone down?
Joy: That’s so un-American.
Bill: No. I'm showing that there is a gulf between -- Americans wanted to know what his opinion was on the issue and he wouldn't give it.
Joy: We're Americans. We agree with him.
Bill: You agree with him. Most Americans don't.
Joy: We’re Americans, I'm an American.
Bill: Let me break this to you. 70% of Americans don't want that mosque down there, so don’t give me the “we” bull.
[Applause]
Joy: Where is that poll? I want to see that poll.
Bill: You want to bet on that? I'll show you that poll in a minute.
Joy: All I'm saying is I'm American, too.
Bill: Seventy percent don't want it down there.
Whoopi: But why is that? Why are we saying --
Bill: Because it's inappropriate.
Whoopi: Why is it inappropriate when 70 families died, what are you talking about?
Bill: Because Muslims killed us on 9/11.
Whoopi: No! Not, oh, my god. That is such bull----!
Bill: Muslims didn't kill us on 9/11? Is that what you’re saying?
Whoopi: Extremists did that! What religion was Mr. McVeigh? There was an extremist as well and he killed people --
Bill: I'm telling you, 70 percent of the country --
Joy: I don't want to sit here. I don't. I'm outraged by that statement.
Bill: You're outraged about Muslims killing us on 9/11?
[Joy and Whoopi exit stage]
[Cheers and applause]
Barbara: I want to say something. I want to say something to all of you. You have just seen what should not happen. We should be able to have discussions without washing our hands and screaming and walking offstage. I love my colleagues. It should not have happened.
