The View‘s Meghan McCain had a full-on meltdown Thursday when her dogged efforts to blame “both sides” for the ongoing government shutdown fell flat against co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar, who argued President Donald Trump had “manufactured this nightmare” all by himself.
McCain, the daughter of late GOP Sen. John McCain, started by voicing her appreciation for Democrats “who are taking responsibility” during the shutdown and said they’re setting a good example for the party because the closure “makes everyone look bad.” The partial shutdown entered day 34 on Thursday, and nearly 800,000 federal workers are set to miss their second paycheck this month.
Co-host Meghan McCain argued it’s time for “both sides” to take responsibility for the shutdown, despite President Donald Trump saying he’s responsible for the closure. (The View / video screenshot)
The Fox News alum found herself in a tough spot after Behar cited a poll showing 60 percent of Americans believe Trump bears the brunt of the blame for the shutdown. She then had producers roll a clip from the president’s meeting with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, in which Trump stated he’d be the one to “shut it down.”
The clip essentially left McCain without a leg to stand on, which infuriated her.
“To Democrats, you as a Democrat, what culpability do you hold in this? Because everyone is screwed right now,” McCain quipped, her voice growing more assertive. “We’re talking about TSA workers that are not getting paid. People are not getting paid. Both sides should be adults about this including on this show to get it right, and I’m sick of playing politics on this show every day with issues that affect everyone.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin tried offering her two cents, but McCain continued to talk over her, forcing Hostin to make her point in a not-so-calm manner.
“Let me finish,” the former prosecutor broke in. “Isn’t it true that Trump manufactured this need for the wall? He’s the one that pulled DACA. He’s the one that –“
“He’s also the president,” McCain interrupted yet again. “He has that power.”
Hostin continued with her point, highlighting the fact that Trump already said he would take responsibility for the shutdown. Earlier this month, the president even threatened to let the shutdown drag on for weeks, even months, until Dems grant him $5.7 billion for his coveted border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
Behar argued that Democrats have already done more than enough to appease the president, saying “they’ve already thrown it in; they just don’t want to build a wall.”
“It’s for the good of the country,” McCain pressed. “It’s for the good of America.”
Watch more in the video below.
https://youtu.be/AEqZQQACbvM?t=194
