Meghan McCain slams 'scum of the earth' pro-Trump Capitol rioters in fiery condemnation
ABC
The View's leading ladies on both sides of the political divide came together in condemnation of Wednesday's violent Capitol breach.
Conservative panelist Meghan McCain began Thursday's episode of the ABC talk show with a fiery take-down of those who participated in the insurrection, which saw scores of pro-Donald Trump rioters storm the Capitol building as the 2020 presidential election's electoral college votes were being counted.
"This is one of the great national tragedies of my lifetime," McCain said, adding that she was "despondent" while watching "one of America's darkest days" unfold under, as she claimed, the influence of Trump two weeks before the transition of power to President-Elect Joe Biden. "He's clearly a president who's turned into a mad king. At this point I'm calling on all republicans and conservatives who still have clout. We have to invoke the 25th amendment."
With tears welling in her eyes, McCain went on to call the rioters "bastards" who are "using the American flag as symbols as they're attacking our own republic — the same flag that our veterans at Iwo Jima held" after the second World War: "You are not patriots, you do not represent America. You are scum of the earth who are using and abusing and bastardizing all that I love and grew up with for your own sick agenda."
.@MeghanMcCain: “[Trump] is clearly a president who has turned into a mad king, and at this point, I’m calling on all Republicans and conservatives who still have clout—we have to invoke the 25th Amendment. We cannot withstand this. Our country cannot go on like this.” pic.twitter.com/2LxaUnS11l
— The View (@TheView) January 7, 2021
Whoopi Goldberg, The View moderator, also suggested that the FBI look to Trump, his children, and lawyer Rudy Giuliani when identifying "those responsible" for the riots. "They sent all those people to the Capitol building," she said. "If you want to look for somebody, there are three people right there whose fingers are the dirtiest because they knew what they were doing and they did it anyway."
Referencing video footage from the breach that appeared to show police allowing the pro-Trump mob to enter the Capitol, cohost Joy Behar concluded that the demonstrations proved "the police are capable of restraining themselves" in ways that those associated with the Black Lives Matter movement have critiqued in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis officers last year.
.@JoyVBehar: “The whole ugly demonstration showed you that the police are capable of restraining themselves. They know how to do it. You saw it. Not only that, many of them enabled these insurrectionists to go into the Capitol and endanger the life of people.” pic.twitter.com/8gkLQut3r2
— The View (@TheView) January 7, 2021
"Many of them enabled these insurrectionists to go into the Capitol and endanger the life of people…. It's outrageous," Behar finished, further critiquing conservative politicians — some of whom have since partially condemned yesterday's events. "I don't forgive Lindsey Graham. He can go on the floor of the Capitol and cry his eyes out. He is part and parcel of this problem, and so is Mitch McConnell and this idiot Josh Hawley….. Ted Cruz, Rudy Giuliani, go back to the landscaping business! You are done!"
.@WhoopiGoldberg opening today’s @TheView: “Just 24 hours ago, the hottest topics were Warnock and Ossoff... but right after yesterday’s show, our nation’s Capitol fell under siege by domestic terrorists.”
“Take a good look at what they did and don’t ever forget it.” pic.twitter.com/CDMhYrMLV0— The View (@TheView) January 7, 2021
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump tweeted his hope that the riots — which resulted in the death of a woman inside the Capitol building — would remain "peaceful," though Twitter later suspended his account for 12 hours pending the removal of three messages it deemed "repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy," with Instagram and Facebook taking similar stances in limiting the president's ability to post prior to Biden's inauguration.
This means that the account of @realDonaldTrump will be locked for 12 hours following the removal of these Tweets. If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021
Watch the women of The View discuss the Capitol breach in the videos above.
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