A conversation about House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) decision not to seek re-election quickly escalated to a shouting match between Meghan McCain and Joy Behar on Wednesday. The two cohosts of ABC’s “The View” squared off after Whoopi Goldberg brought the topic to the table, noting that she hoped to see “thoughtful” Republicans bring the party back from the brink.
Behar jumped in then, saying that Speaker Ryan was essentially complicit in the Trump agenda. “He’s been an enabler. Paul Ryan has been an enabler of Trump.”
McCain, who has often backed Paul Ryan as one of the more reasonable Republicans in Congress, fired back immediately. “No he hasn’t, that is factually inaccurate. He has gone up against Trump, it’s part of the reason he’s stepping down right now. That’s is factually inaccurate, and that … no, he has gone up against Trump time and time again. He’s been crucified by hardcore conservative media as a result of it.”
Behar attempted to argue, throwing out a few issues upon which Ryan and President Donald Trump had worked together. “It’s one of the reasons … he got the tax cut through … he got Neil Gorsuch …”
But McCain wasn’t finished. “You know he was one of the few who came out during the ‘grab them in the blank’ tape, that came out the same day against him? This is the problem though. What do you want? If Paul Ryan isn’t good enough …”
Behar interrupted, yelling back, “I want them all out!” to cheers and applause from the studio audience.
McCain argued that simply getting rid of the opposition entirely should never be the goal of someone who values the democratic process. “But that’s not logical! We shouldn’t want that. We live in a democracy, we should want two healthy parties …”
Behar interjected, “I do want two healthy parties,” but McCain kept right on going. “… debating against each other. But if you … if Paul Ryan is the greatest sin … This is how we got Trump, because if Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney and people like this are the ‘worst kind of politicians’ then you deserve Trump, because he’s not. He’s a truly decent man who was trying to fight for democracy and conservative ideals. And now, what’s going to be left, I have no idea.”