‘The View’ Hosts Joy Behar and Meghan McCain’s Fiery Clash Divides Viewers

Meghan McCain and Joy Behar came to blows on Monday morning’s episode of The View, and the discussion spilled over into social media as viewers took sides.

McCain and Behar had one of their first big spats of the season this week, when they discussed the shooting at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue. The two women clashed on the issue of gun control. In addition, while McCain has denounced President Trump on several occasions, she rose to his defense this time, insisting that it is not his violent rhetoric alone that inspires domestic terrorists.

Naturally, those watching and those who saw the clip later on had a lot to add to the discussion. Unfortunately, mass shootings, bombings and other home-grown threats are increasingly prevalent in the United States, and there are many different opinions on what the cause is. For viewers, Behar and McCain represented the two basic sides of the argument.

“I felt like Abby & Whoopi were the adults in the room today, it got a bit heated between Meghan & Joy,” one person noted. “Which I understand this is an emotional time. I felt like Whoopi & Abby checked their emotions and stayed on topic and made some good points.”

“Meghan McCain implied that liberal people are to blame for the synagogue shooting,” another pointed out. “Thank God @JoyVBehar finally broke her poker face and snapped at McCain today. Your program allowing McCain to make patently false incendiary comments like that without any evidence is reckless.”

Even the viewers who want to hear a conservative voice at the table for balance do not necessarily want it to be McCain’s.

“As a liberal, I think it would be a lot more productive to have a rational, coherent conservative on The View,” one person chimed in. “Meghan just attacks with senseless Fox News talking points. I would like productive conversations to transpire that actually illustrate we can reach common ground.”

Of course, on the flip side, some watched the clip and felt like McCain had come out on top in the spat.

“Grasping at straws much?? Joy Behar is a nasty human being who can’t stand anyone having an independant [sic] thought,” someone wrote. “Her opinion is the only one that counts and that’s why she talks over everyone who doesn’t agree with her propaganda.”

The View is in for a heated season, if things keep up at this pace. The show airs on Mondays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.