Seething hatred and disinformation were coursing like a raging river on the set of ABC’s The View Monday morning as the cast lashed out at those, particularly right-wingers, who dared to criticize President Biden’s move to trade Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for anti-American WNBA player Brittney Griner. And according to faux Republican Ana Navarro, Fox News anchors Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity were such good buddies with dictator Vladimir Putin they could just fly into Russia and free Paul Whelan, the Marine still imprisoned on trumped-up espionage charges.
Navarro bloviated about how Republicans supposedly didn’t care about Americans being held hostage overseas. She called it a “darned thing to watch really that all of a sudden, the right-wing who had been silent on Paul Whelan for the four years, all of a sudden came out.”
She also suggested that members of the Trump family and Fox News anchors “Sean Hannity” and “Carlson Tucker” (she couldn’t even bother to get his name right and had to be corrected by co-host Whoopi Goldberg) “have very good relationships with Putin. Tucker Carlson's a celebrity in Russia.”
“Guess what, he can do what Bill Richardson does. They can get on a plane now and they can go get Paul Whelan. If they really care so much about Paul Whelan,” she bitterly shouted, without evidence.
Despite the fact that these claims have no basis in reality, racist Sunny Hostin exclaimed that she “would like to see that!”
Navarro was also irritated with allegations that Griner was picked for trade by the Biden administration because of her skin color and sexual preferences. She countered that argument by admitting she was picked because of her skin color and sexual preferences:
NAVARRO: And it also irritated me how they tried to make it, you know, that so-called “identity politics” [air quotes] “Oh they're doing this because the progressive groups are pushing because she's black because she's gay.” Yeah, you know, because she's black, because she’s gay, because she’s 7-foot-tall, and they had her in a cage. And they were treating her incredibly bad.
GOLDBERG: Because she's American. Don't forget that part.
Earlier in the segment, Hostin blamed Trump for Whelan’s capture and suggested that nothing was done in an attempt to secure his release. She even seemed to suggest that the administration tried to cover up the story. “But the other thing is Paul Whelan, the Marine who served his country, was taken under President Trump's watch. That was 2018, and he did nothing. He didn't talk about it. We didn't hear about it,” she declared.
Of course, all of this was said without evidence.
“So how dare you, former, twice-impeached, one-term President say this? How dare you,” screeched the two-time failed Chopped competitor.
The show was kicked off with disinformation as Goldberg began by claiming the Trump administration had released 5,000 Taliban fighters in exchange “for no one” in return. But according to The Washington Post, the deal entailed “The United States would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners; the Taliban would release 1,000 of its prisoners” (A.K.A. our Afghan allies).
The View’s hatred and disinformation were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Macy’s and Procter & Gamble. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
December 12, 2022
11:02:51 a.m. Eastern(…)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, I do want to point out that you-know-who – uh – what does that say? My brain just went.
SARA HAINES: Why aren't they 5,000 more times upset with you-know-who?
GOLDBERG: Because you-know-who traded –
HAINES: Yup.
GOLDBERG – for no one and gave 5,000 people. He gave 5,000 Taliban guys.
SUNNY HOSTIN: Yes, he did. Didn't he?
GOLDBERG: He traded them for no one.
HOSTIN: Why?
GOLDBERG: How come nobody's bitching about that?
(…)
11:03:54 a.m. Eastern
HOSTIN: I think it's just a sheer hypocrisy of it because I have and I've said it here, always felt conflicted about negotiating with terrorists because I do think it will encourage a terrorist to grab other Americans. And I don't like that Pompeo was saying, you know, you don't trade terrorists for celebrities. She's a person. She's a human being.
[Applause]
She's someone that someone is loved and she's an American. So, it's about Americans, not just celebrity.
But the other thing is Paul Whelan, the Marine who served his country, was taken under President Trump's watch. That was 2018, and he did nothing. He didn't talk about it. We didn't hear about it. And, in fact, you don't have to listen to me because his brother, his sister, his family, they're all pointing out the hypocrisy. In fact, his brother said that Trump was not prepared to or interested in working towards his brother's release. Not interested. His sister said, it just is really distressing to me that people can't do the math and realize that Trump was the president when Paul was arrested and that he was the president for the next two years.
So how dare you, former, twice-impeached, one-term President –
[Applause]
-- Say this? How dare you. And Adam Kinzinger, I'm a little surprised at you too.
(…)
11:06:11 a.m. Eastern
ANA NAVARRO: It was – it was – you know – It was uh – It was uh – a darned thing to watch really that all of a sudden, the right-wing who had been silent on Paul Whelan for the four years, all of a sudden came out. And it's, you know, Donald Trump Jr, Donald Trump Sr., it's Sean Hannity, it’s Carlson Tucker. Listen, Carlson you’re a big guy— Tucker Carlson
GOLDBERG: You mean Tucker Carlson?
NAVARRO: Thank God. I could have called him something else.
[Laughter]
But you know what? All of these people have very good relationships with Putin. Tucker Carlson's a celebrity in Russia.
HOSTIN: Oh. Oh, he is.
NAVARRO: You know, Donald Trump is a celebrity in Russia. He claims they're good friends. Guess what, he can do what Bill Richardson does. They can get on a plane now and they can go get Paul Whelan.
HOSTIN: I would like to see that!
NAVARRO: If they really care so much about Paul Whelan.
And it also irritated me how they tried to make it, you know, that so-called “identity politics” [air quotes] “Oh they're doing this because the progressive groups are pushing because she's black, because she's gay.” Yeah, you know, because she's black, because she’s gay, because she’s 7-foot-tall, and they had her in a cage. And they were treating her incredibly bad.
GOLDBERG: Because she's American. Don't forget that part.
(…)
