The cohosts of The View were celebrating Thanksgiving a little bit early on Friday’s (November 22) episode by expressing their gratitude over the latest development in the Donald Trump cabinet selection spree: Matt Gaetz, who was subject to a House ethics investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor, withdrew as the nominee for Attorney General.
“I’m taking wins where I can get them to be honest,” Alyssa Farah Griffin said. “I think Matt Gaetz would have been one of the most dangerous, reckless, and just a terrible choice and totally unqualified for attorney general. And I think it gives us a little glimmer of hope that Republicans are taking their advice and consent role seriously.”
Griffin went on to predict that with Gaetz’s nomination no longer at issue, the next one that could draw major scrutiny from Senate Republicans is Fox News’ Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. “Initially, I was like, ‘I don’t think he’s that bad of an actor. He served our country.’ The more we’re learning about him, he has credible sexual misconduct allegations, but he also would be the single least qualified Secretary of Defense in history, overseeing three million people across the globe in 160 countries and would be one of two people on the planet who can deploy the U.S. military. So I think this is one that folks need to be like, ‘Is a Fox News host who’s never managed many people really somebody who should be Secretary of Defense, in the line of succession for the president?’”
Sara Haines echoed Griffin’s initial sentiment, saying, “I want to take my wins where we get them, so I’m happy that anything is better than Matt Gaetz — literally anything.” However, she wasn’t as reassured by what his withdrawal means for the system of checks and balances, instead saying, “It says more about how hated he was. I don’t think this was people finding a backbone and saying, ‘This is out of bounds.’”
Sunny Hostin, on the other hand, was relieved by the news. “It actually gave me some solace,” she explained. “I was very worried that Trump saying he wanted these recess appointments, and I think he really thought that he could put up someone like Matt Gaetz, someone that he hadn’t really vetted, someone that he just sort of nominated him as a whim, thinking that he had the Senate and they would not object.”
Ana Navarro, meanwhile, was a bit more direct with her praise for the Gaetz withdrawal, saying, “I want to acknowledge that they stood up to Donald Trump, that they are doing their jobs of providing checks and balances, of doing advice and consent, and that there is a bridge, a line that they will not cross. So I want to applaud them. I want to thank them, and I want to tell them, ‘Your job is not over.’”
Hostin then countered that Trump’s replacement selection, Pam Bondi, was “a very dangerous pick” since she openly “supported Trump’s false election claim” in 2020. However, Navarro had her own very personal reasons for approving of that nomination.
“I have known Pam Bondi for many, many, many years. I will tell you, I don’t want to ruin her reputation with MAGA people, but Pam Bondi and I hung out a lot when she was attorney general of Florida, and she would come to Miami, we drank a lot together. I liked her a lot. She’s not a kook,” Navarro said.
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Hostin wasn’t deterred from reiterating the dangers of Bondi’s election stance, but Navarro joked, “What’s a little election denialism between friends?”
Navarro then continued on a more serious note, “Everything in life is relative. There is no accusation of sexual harassment or assault against her. She hasn’t beheaded a whale, she hasn’t stabbed a bear cub.”
Hostin then offered up footage of Bondi on various news programs insisting Trump won the 2020 election and mentioned “fake ballots,” but even Haines defended her, saying, “I would still take her over Matt Gaetz.”
The View, weekdays, 11 a.m. ET, ABC
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