As Carly Fiorina prepares to return to ABC’s “The View,” one of the show’s co-hosts says the Republican presidential candidate — and other individuals holding or seeking elected office — shouldn’t be treated as a protected class.
“As far as I’m concerned, politicians are open season,” host Joy Behar told The Wrap on Wednesday, just three days ahead of Fiorina’s second appearance on her program.
The liberal-leaning comedian said her decision to return to her previous position as co-host of the weekday morning program hinged on the show’s capacity for political discussions, particularly during the current election cycle.
“I came back to ‘The View’ because I wanted to talk about politicians, and now politicians are talking about me,” Behar said.
Indeed, Fiorina told Behar and her female co-hosts to “man up” after Behar’s colleague, Michelle Collins, said the female GOP candidate “looked demented” at one point during the third Republican debate last Wednesday.
“My message to the ladies of ‘The View’ is man up. If you want to debate me on policies … if you don’t like those facts, man up and debate me on them. But don’t sink to talking about my face,” Fiorina told Fox News Monday.
Behar has, in the past, criticized Fiorina’s position on a handful of women’s issues and healthcare. Shortly after Donald Trump insulted Fiorina’s physical appearance in September, she told a live audience on ‘The View’ that it’s not Fiorina’s “face” that’s the problem, “it’s [her] policy.”
“She has the nerve to use the term women’s suffrage when she’s against Planned Parenthood and women’s maternity leave? She’s against Obamacare. She uses the term women’s suffrage? She should be ashamed of herself,” Behar said at the time.
Fiorina will resume a three-day swing through New Hampshire after she joins ‘The View’ at 11 a.m. ET on Friday.
