OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
“The View” co-host Joy Behar took a hard stance against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week, calling him a “threat” to President Joe Biden’s chances of winning reelection and “very dangerous.”
Remarking that RFK Jr. was “very dangerous,” Behar’s segment featured a clip from his interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. Kennedy maintained that former President Donald Trump posed less of a threat to democracy than President Biden.
Below is a transcript of the exchange:
Goldberg: “No Label does not have a candidate in the 2024 race, but the third-party candidate people seem to be talking about right now is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reportedly, you know, people are saying, oh, the Democrats are going — he’s going to take votes from Biden, and a lot of Republicans are pushing that narrative too, but I’m not sure that that’s so. But I’ll ask you all. What do you think of this third-party situation or possibility?”
FARAH GRIFFIN: “I just want to say — send love and well wishes to the Lieberman family, who was somebody I greatly admired in politics. I think it feels like an end of era of centrism and trying to prioritize working across the aisle. It’s like we so often demonize moderation in this current era, so he will be missed. But on this third party, RFK has to be taken seriously, even though I think his beliefs are out there. Some of them are very dangerous, some of the anti-vax sentiment. But he has money, he’s organizing, he is on the ballot in a number of key battleground states including Nevada, two battleground states, but we know this, we know it from 2016, Jill Stein alone was enough to keep Hillary Clinton from winning in Michigan and changed the course of the election. I think it’s an open question who he takes more votes from. You see kind of people pointing fingers right now. Trump world is saying he’s a left-wing liberal so that right-wingers — “
BEHAR: “But he’s an anti-vaxxer.”
FARAH GRIFFIN: “Yes. But Democrats are also organizing and they have hired some smart operatives to start challenging him on the left. I think it’s very much an open question.”
HAINES: “Trump is trying the reverse psychology of saying, like, ‘I think it’s great he is running.’ And do you remember when Putin said, ‘I really prefer a Biden presidency?’ You know, like, he’s flip-flopping on this, but I think he might appeal more to Trump — “
BEHAR: “You think so?”
HAINES: “Yeah. Because some of his takes, RFK Jr., I think strangely line up almost more with Donald Trump’s, and he’s kind of a personality figure that they like, and — I don’t know. I feel like that’s going to potentially hurt Trump more.”
BEHAR: “Someone has to ask him, why are you doing this? Why do you want to destroy the election and hand it to Trump if possible? I mean, he’s a Kennedy. His forefathers are rolling over in their graves. His own family is telling him — we already have one clown in the race. Do we need two of them?”
HAINES: “A lot of people, including myself, believe in time, there is space for a third party. So I tend to think the people that take this on aren’t coming at it like, ‘I’m going to ruin the election for everyone.’ I truly think they believe there is a lane to try to create something. I just don’t think it’s this election.”
BEHAR: “I think many times delusion has destroyed a country, and that’s what we’re dealing with here with this. The polls are too close. Even though you don’t believe in them — “
Goldberg: “I don’t.”
BEHAR: “I know, Whoopi. But they’re very close.”
Goldberg: “Tat’s why I don’t believe in them.”
BEHAR: “Even though now Biden is only slightly ahead of him, it’s only April now. People are starting to focus and realize the danger that Trump poses. I believe that. I’m not a religious person, but I’m making a novena. Thank you.”
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