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‘Take Your Cheap Applause Line!’ Meghan McCain Squares Off With Sunny Hostin On Impeachment

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin went toe to toe Friday as a segment of ABC’s “The View” devolved into a heated debate on the recent impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill.

WATCH:

McCain began by pointing out the decline in support for impeachment — largely among independent voters — and suggested that the public hearings were not having the impact that House Democrats had hoped they might.

She went on to bring up a clip of Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd, adding, “In case people don’t know. He’s a Republican congressperson who is moderate and he’s not seeking re-election.”

“An impeachable offense should be compelling, overwhelmingly clear and unambiguous, and it’s not something to be rushed or taken lightly. I have not heard evidence proving the president committed bribery or extortion,” Hurd said.

“Is he deaf? He must be deaf. He says he hasn’t heard it. We all heard it.” Joy Behar said.

“Democrats have gotten out over their skis so many times,” McCain continued. “I remember coming on this show last year thinking Mueller had this locked and loaded. Lock him up, put him in handcuffs. This is done, but the problem is there is a distrust, including from people like me of who to believe at this point. He’s going to jail and getting impeached and for Republicans, it doesn’t matter because impeach the — thing on election night?”

“Let me talk about the Constitution. Isn’t that the bottom line?” Behar interrupted.

McCain fired back immediately, saying, “I have a copy of the Constitution on my night stand. Please don’t talk to me about the Constitution.” (RELATED: Meghan McCain Unloads On Impeachment: ‘If You Think This Is Enough To Have It Locked And Loaded, You Are Naive’)

Behar went on to note that “bribery” was listed as a potential crime in the Constitution, and Sunny Hostin agreed.

“It’s enumerated. I was shocked to hear Will Hurd say that. In my view, it says more about Will Hurd than it says about the evidence,” Hostin added. “I think that anyone that was listening heard nine people, nine people. Nine people testify as to what they saw, as to what they heard, people that as Ana mentioned have served our country, someone who has a Purple Heart —”

“He’s from the CIA,” McCain interjected.

“I will also say that it tells me that he is complicit, the Republican Party has enabled this president, continues to enable this president,” Hostin insisted.

“You’re slandering someone from the CIA,” McCain protested.

“[Hurd] is complicit. I don’t know if it’s about a political future,” Hostin continued.

“He’s stepping down,” McCain reminded her.

“This mentality though — it’s that mentality that’s going to get Trump re-elected,” Abby Huntsman cut in.

“It’s about the fact that he heard evidence clear and simple and for him to sit there and say that he — the evidence has to be overwhelming and that he heard no overwhelming evidence, I want to know which hearings he was sitting at. That’s what I think,” Hostin concluded.

“It’s easy to get a cheap applause line here. It just is, and that’s fine. Take your cheap applause line, but I for one —” McCain began again.

“It’s not a cheap applause line. They agree,” Hostin argued.

McCain pushed back, saying, “Let me speak,” and the table erupted again as they all continued to talk over each other.