The co-hosts on The View criticized Michigan protesters who demonstrated their frustration with the governor’s latest stay-at-home orders.
Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Lansing on Wednesday in their cars while flying Trump 2020 and American flags to show their discontent with coronavirus measures they believe are excessive.
Reports indicating that Confederate flags were present at the protest, which was dubbed “Operation Gridlock,” drew the ire of the hosts of The View, who discussed the situation on Thursday’s episode.
“If you are indeed upset about the stay-at-home order, I can understand that because it is probably, I think, the most restrictive in the country, and people are very concerned about that,” Sunny Hostin remarked. “But I guess I just didn’t understand the manner within which it was done … I thought rather than it becoming sort of a stay-at-home order protest, it seemed to become some sort of racist protest.”
Meghan McCain accused the state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, of government overreach, while Joy Behar jumped in and declared, “I would like to ask [the protesters] if they’re willing to sign away their right to treatment if and when they get infected.”
“Are you going to say ‘I don’t need a ventilator because I thought I should go out and defy the governor’s order’?” Behar asked. “They blocked an ambulance the other day. Can’t they be charged and arrested for that? I understand the fact that, you know, they’re upset because they can’t get their veggies, but hello! We’re talking about this disease being way more infecting and worse than they even thought.”
After that, Behar pivoted to Fox News and took shots at the network’s opinion hosts for their coverage of the coronavirus.
“They’re watching Fox a little too much,” Behar said of the protesters. “They’re watching Laura Ingraham, who tweeted, ‘Time to get your freedom back.’ And then the brilliant Jeanine Pirro. In early March, she was parroting Trump that the infection rate would drop as the weather warms. I mean, this is who they’re listening to. So again, do you say, ‘I won’t get the treatment if I get the virus?’ That’s my question.”
Last week, Whitmer extended social distancing guidelines in the state through the end of April and banned the sale of nonessential goods, including clothing, gardening seeds, and car seats. An online petition to recall Whitmer has gained traction as residents grow increasingly frustrated with the Democrat’s response to the pandemic.
