Behar Calls DeSantis ‘Cowardly’ for Refusing Invite to ‘The View’

News & Politics

NewsBusters readers might recall that back in August, the media team for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rejected a request to appear with the cackling coven of ABC’s The View in spectacular fashion by shoving examples of their hate and disinformation in the face of their booker. The show was silent about the rejection until Friday when they spoke with DeSantis’s Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Congressman and former Republican Governor Charlie Crist when co-host Joy Behar called the popular governor a coward (a criticism she wouldn’t dare level at Hillary Clinton if she refused to go on with Tucker Carlson).

“Your opponent, Ron DeSantis, refuses to come on this show,” Behar whined, lashing out at the Iraq combat veteran. “So, I say, if you are afraid — if you can’t deal with us, how are you going to deal with, you know, Kim Jong-un and Putin if you can’t even take on Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines? It’s, like, a cowardly move on his part.”

She then teed up Crist to spout off. “So, I give you points for coming here today. Why do you think he refuses to come on this show,” she asked.

Crist called it “a shame” that DeSantis refused to waste his time and agreed that he was a coward. He also went unchallenged when he blatantly lied about DeSantis refusing to debate him (click “expand”):

CRIST: I don’t know, you know, he’s also refused to do a statewide debate in Florida, and I don’t know what he’s afraid of. I’m a pretty nice guy, generally, and you’re all lovely people. So, I don’t know why he doesn’t do it.

BEHAR: Well, doesn’t he have a lot of money at this point and he’s ahead of you, so maybe he doesn’t have to debate you?

CRIST: Maybe that’s what’s in his mind. I hope he overestimates things and is overconfident. I mean, that would be a good thing. I’m certainly not overconfident.

Aside from Behar calling DeSantis a coward, it was an opportunity for the rest to attempt to tear down the popular Governor and elevate their candidate.

Not-so Sunny Hostin busted out her usual and unfounded “Death-Santis” smear (despite her heartthrob Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom having more excess deaths in California) and ranting against DeSantis’s legislative victories.

Hostin wined that he was building name recognition and support for a possible presidential run in 2024 “by stoking these manufactured culture wars. He’s signed controversial laws into [law] such as ‘Don’t Say Gay’” and “his Stop Woke Act.” Pressed on this solution, Crist said he planned to “get those laws repealed.”

In a bit of a surprise, a defense for DeSantis came from “conservative” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin. She pointed out the fact that “Florida has people flocking to the state four times faster than any other state in the country” (not to mention it was a haven for Democratic leaders to escape COVID restrictions in their own states).

She shrewdly asked: “What do you attribute that to, and is any of that related to Governor DeSantis’s leadership?”

Crist weaseled out of answering by crediting the state’s natural beauty and was saved by Behar and Hostin who credited the lack of taxes and the weather:

BEHAR: Isn’t it about really taxes, sir? I mean, no city, state taxes in Florida.

HOSTIN: It’s good weather.

CRIS: No state income taxes, great weather.

The harshest opposition on the panel came from “Republican” co-host and Florida resident Ana Navarro, who made it clear that she didn’t like DeSantis nor Crist (despite admitting she’s known the latter for years). She grilled him on his constant flip-flopping on issues, calling him a “political mercenary,” and raked him over the coals for picking a running mate who has expressed sympathies for the Castro regime in Cuba.

The smears of Governor DeSantis were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Prevagen and Angi. Their contact information is linked.

The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:

ABC’s The View
September 9, 2022
11:36:01 a.m. Eastern

JOY BEHAR: First of all, I want to thank you for coming here today because in case anyone’s missed the news lately — well, it’s not the news really. Your opponent, Ron DeSantis, refuses to come on this show.

CHARLIE CRIST: That’s a shame.

BEHAR: So, I say, if you are afraid — if you can’t deal with us, how are you going to deal with, you know, Kim Jong-un and Putin if you can’t even take on Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines? It’s, like, a cowardly move on his part.

CRIST: I agree.

BEHAR: So, I give you points for coming here today. Why do you think he refuses to come on this show?

CRIST: I don’t know, you know, he’s also refused to do a statewide debate in Florida, and I don’t know what he’s afraid of. I’m a pretty nice guy, generally, and you’re all lovely people. So, I don’t know why he doesn’t do it.

BEHAR: Well, doesn’t he have a lot of money at this point and he’s ahead of you, so maybe he doesn’t have to debate you?

CRIST: Maybe that’s what in his mind. I hope he overestimates things and is overconfident. I mean, that would be a good thing. I’m certainly not overconfident. I don’t mind being the underdog. I think that’s a fact. But the latest polling, you know, in Florida – three have come out and we’re within the margin of error in all three of them. I’m very pleased with where we are

(…)

11:42:23 a.m. Eastern

SUNNY HOSTIN: I want to go back to Governor “Death-Santis” as I tend to call him after his handling of COVID.

CRIST: They call him worse in Florida.

HOSTIN: I’m sure they do.

CRIST: They do.

HOSTIN: Since taking office, he’s tried to make a national name for himself. Probably because he wants to run for president. But the way he’s done it, in my view, is by stoking these manufactured culture wars. He’s signed controversial laws into the — such as “Don’t Say Gay.” That law.

CRIST: Right.

HOSTIN: His Stop Woke Act. I don’t really even understand what his definition of being woke which really Webster’s defines that as understanding social inequity and injustice. They’re already having real ramifications though in your schools and its exacerbating Florida’s teacher shortage.

CRIST: It is.

HOSTIN: What do you do about that if you become governor?

CRIST: Get those laws repealed.

(…)

11:50:30 a.m. Eastern

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: So, I have to ask, Governor DeSantis is obviously a lightning rod. There’s a lot of strong opinions about him at this table and around the country, but Florida has people flocking to the state four times faster than any other state in the country. What do you attribute that to, and is any of that related to Governor DeSantis’s leadership?

CRIST: Not him. I would attribute it to Florida and what a beautiful place it and – I know we need a change in the governor’s office. We need a kinder, more decent-minded governor who doesn’t berate kids that are standing behind him at a press conference because they wore a mask to protect their own health.

So, if you want to help, go to charliecrist.com. We could use your help down there.

But it is a great place. And who wouldn’t want to come to Florida.

BEHAR: Isn’t it about really taxes, sir? I mean, no city, state taxes in Florida.

HOSTIN: It’s good weather.

CRIST: No state income taxes, great weather.

(…)

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