An unexpected on-air moment sparked laughter, debate and a hint of tension on The View this week after co-host Sunny Hostin jokingly suggested that Joy Behar seemed unusually charmed by Vice President JD Vance during his recent appearance on the daytime talk show.
The discussion unfolded during Friday’s episode as the panel looked back on Vance’s visit to the program earlier in the week.
Reflecting on the interview, Behar defended her decision to engage with the vice president in a respectful and civil manner despite political disagreements.
“It’s like with JD. He was here the other day,” Behar explained. “I respect the office. I believe in reaching across the aisle. I do.”
Moments later, Hostin playfully challenged her colleague.
“But I want to know, why were you so in love with JD Vance?” she asked.
The comment immediately drew a response from Behar.
“I wasn’t in love. I’m not in love with him, and I’m not in love with this administration,” she replied.
The exchange came shortly after the show revisited remarks Vance made during a press conference on Wednesday.
Addressing critics who questioned whether he had experience handling difficult negotiations, the vice president jokingly pointed to his recent appearance on The View as evidence of his credentials.
“I would point those progressive critics to the fact that just two days ago, I spent over an hour on The View, so I actually have great experience in very hostile negotiations,” Vance quipped.
He then added another joke that quickly made headlines.
“Look, Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians, and she and I are best friends now.”
When the clip aired during Friday’s broadcast, the audience and co-hosts laughed.
Hostin responded with surprise.
“What!? We were more difficult to deal with than the Iranian government?”
“He’s being funny, I think,” Behar replied.
Co-host Ana Navarro then joked that perhaps Behar should be the one negotiating with Iran.
But Navarro also suggested that Vance may have arrived with a specific strategy.
“He came in strategically prepared to disarm us with niceness,” Navarro argued. “He came in being affable and laughing easily and being very nice.”
Turning toward Behar, she added, “It worked on you. Didn’t work on me.”
“It didn’t work on me either,” Hostin quickly agreed.
The comments appeared to frustrate Behar, who pushed back against the suggestion that she had been influenced by Vance’s demeanor.
“It did not work on me,” she said firmly.
Visibly annoyed, Behar insisted that her approach had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with basic courtesy.
“I respect the office. I’m a civilized human being, and when someone comes on my show, then you treat them like a human being.”
The conversation then shifted to the late Barbara Walters, whose influence remains deeply embedded in the show’s culture.
Hostin acknowledged that Walters often emphasized treating guests with respect regardless of political differences.
“Barbara Walters did say that,” Hostin admitted.
“I learned under Barbara Walters,” Behar responded.
Hostin recalled receiving similar advice from Walters when she first appeared on the program years ago as a guest co-host.
“When someone comes to your house, you treat them well. She did tell me that,” Hostin said.
While several panelists expressed skepticism about Vance’s political evolution over the years, Behar offered a more optimistic perspective.
“I believe people are redeemable,” she said.
Behar referenced Vance’s bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, praising both the book and the story behind it.
“I remember when he wrote the ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ He grew up poor. It was a really good book.”
She added that she believes the vice president was different at that stage of his life.
“He was not the person he is now.”
Still, Behar suggested that people can change.
“I agree with that, maybe he’ll go back to that. Who knows? I can only hope!”
She also revealed that during a commercial break following Tuesday’s interview, she told Vance that he had a good vibe “for a Republican” and even suggested that he should consider running for president one day.
The exchange has since fueled discussion among viewers, with some praising Behar’s commitment to civility and others questioning whether friendliness toward political opponents can sometimes be interpreted in unexpected ways.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/tensions-flare-view-sunny-hostin-202057483.html
