Joy Behar is calling out House Speaker Mike Johnson for describing the upcoming No Kings protests set to take place over the weekend as “hate America” rallies.
The 53-year-old Republican politician made his comments about Saturday’s protests at a recent press conference, claiming that the more than 2,500 demonstrations being held across the country would be filled with what he called the “far-left of the Democrat party” including “the Marxists, the socialists, the Antifa advocates,” and more.
On its website, No Kings states that it is a “peaceful movement” created in response to President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs” and his administration’s ongoing “chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
Behar emphasized the importance of peaceful protesting in America during Friday’s episode of The View. “I really resent that he calls it a hate rally,” she said of Johnson. “I mean, I’ve been around — we protested the Vietnam War. Many of you remember that.”
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When the audience stayed silent, she added, “I guess not! I guess I’m the oldest one in the room!”
To prove her point, Behar brought up an image of a woman holding a flower in front of armed troops. “See, this woman is giving a flower to these guys who are holding guns,” she said. “That, to me, is a symbolic photograph of how people feel when they’re protesting. We’re not here to start trouble, we just want you to hear us. And that flower is a symbol.”
Her costar Ana Navarro noted that it was important to remind everyone attending the protests to remember to stay calm and collected no matter what.
“Peaceful protest is what matters — and they want you to get violent,” she warned. “They want to be able to show the images of there being trouble, so do not take the bait. Remain peaceful in your protests.”
Behar went on to point out the hypocrisy between Johnson calling the No Kings protests hate rallies when Republican representative Andrew S. Clyde famously called the January 6 insurrection — which killed at least seven people — a “normal tourist visit” in 2021.
“There were nooses, there were calls for the death of Vice President Mike Pence — who you worked for,” she said, pointing to her cohost and former White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin. “A lovely guy, by the way, I like him. Cops were assaulted. And they’re worried about this? Get your priorities straight.”
Behar began the segment by asking her cohosts what they thought Johnson was “so scared of” when it came to these protests. “He’s so scared,” she said. “What’s he frightened of?”
Sara Haines claimed that Johnson “clearly doesn’t recognize” that “people who take to the streets to protest are protesting because they love the country and know that it could be great.” And Navarro, who attended a No Kings rally in June, said that she believed “Mike Johnson has it completely wrong” when it came to the protests.
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“This is not about hating America, it’s about loving America,” she said. “It’s about showing up to defend American values and democracy. You know what hating America is? Not loving America is not doing anything while good people are rounded up in the streets of America, and children are zip-tied. While journalists are silenced at the Pentagon. While we are bailing out Argentina to the tune of 20 billion dollars, and American farmers are filing for bankruptcy. That is not love in America.”
Sunny Hostin noted that if Johnson were a “true leader,” then he would listen to the message that the protestors are trying to send.
“I think what he should be doing is listening to the fact that so many people and so many events are going to be taking place,” she said. “And there’s a real problem with Republican leadership and this Republican shutdown, where you have thousands and thousands and thousands of people not being paid, losing their jobs, while Congress gets paid, while Congress has healthcare, and the American people are fed up! And we have the ability to say that in this country!”
The View airs weekdays on ABC.
