Meghan McCain complained Tuesday that her cohosts were forcing her to defend President Donald Trump, saying that there was “enough hypocrisy to go around.”
Responding to attacks against Trump for restarting his campaign rallies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, McCain said on “The View” that there appeared to be different standards for allowing protests that were based on political leanings. (RELATED: Meghan McCain: The Push To Defund Police Is ‘Giving Trump A Great Campaign Slogan’)
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“I don’t think anyone should be in giant rallies right now because we’ve been told by medicla experts that it’s not safe, but the message from the media is as long as you are protesting something or going to a rally that is of the right politics you can do it and we’re going to ignore the spread of COVID,” McCain explained. “So going to a Trump rally is somehow much more dangerous than going to a rally in Brooklyn over the weekend.”
McCain noted that in recent days, Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had gone so far as to weld the gate shut to keep people off a local playground — members of the community later cut through the fence and reopened the gate.
“We can laugh all we want on here, but this is the most angry I’ve seen a lot of people I know because the message is confusing,” McCain continued. “Is COVID a pandemic that we all have to stay inside and sheltering in place or is it not? Or is it only a pandemic if you are a conservative and you’re a Trump supporter and then you have to stay inside and you’re a hypocrite if sign this waiver and you go to his rally, but you’re not a hypocrite if you protest someplace else?”
Whoopi Goldberg jumped in then, saying that it wasn’t about politics and that no one should be going out to protest or to rallies, but that didn’t change the fact that they still had a right to do those things.
“It isn’t just — it isn’t Trump folks. It’s folks who are out doing things that we probably should not be doing,” Goldberg explained.
“The what aboutism is irrelevant to me right now. Nobody in the Cuomo administration asked anybody to sign a waiver so they can’t be sued. It’s a whole different ball game,” Joy Behar said, referencing the Trump campaign’s plan to have rally attendees sign waivers prior to entry.
“I’m no Trump fan. Everybody knows that. But you make me defend him when you say things like, ‘he wants people to die, he doesn’t care about public health’ when at the same time there’s a huge controversy in New York City with nursing homes that affected one of my best friends in the world very personally. So let’s be careful with our rhetoric,” McCain replied, adding, “I still can’t buy a crib for my child in person. And there are people that are out protesting everywhere and going to Trump rallies and all I’m saying is it’s confusing … I don’t understand some of the mixed messaging that’s happening and there are a lot of Americans right now who are on the same page as I am.”
Behar complained that the Trump administration had “fired the pandemic team,” complaining about the president being “incompetent.”
“This is an American problem. This is a problem that is bipartisan. It’s not just a Trump administration problem, Joy,” McCain shot back.
“I disagree,” Behar replied.
“I’m sorry. That is ridiculous,” from McCain as Goldberg wrapped the segment and went to a commercial break.