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Comedian and The View co-host Joy Behar recently found herself in hot waters after she made some controversial comments on the show on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
The host started a discourse on political ramifications and culpability for the train derailment that took place on February 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, its subsequent aftermath, and Republicans' criticism of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s response to the disaster.
Speaking about regulations, co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin remarked that the Norfolk-Souther lobbies for both parties and added that the Central Ohio region is 'Trump country.' This prompted the comedian to respond:
"I don’t know why they would ever vote for him, for somebody who, by the way, he placed someone with deep ties to the chemical industry in charge of the EPA’s chemical safety office."
She then turned and pointed to the camera, stating:
"That's who you voted for."
The audience can be heard gasping at Joy Behar's statement. Referring to Trump's recent visit, the 80-year-old, exclaimed:
"It’s his fault and then he shows up."
"It's the projection of contempt and disregard of life": Netizens bash Joy Behar over insensitive comments
Internet users were disgusted and shocked at the comedian's heartless and callous comments. They called her ignorant, soulless, and vile, and demanded that she be fired from the show.
Many users simplified the intent behind Behar's comments, stating that she was immoral in implying that people "got what they deserved because they voted for Trump." User @reagenfan1, remarked:
Twitterati was upset that the conversation was headed towards a Republican vs. Democrat debate, despite the residents of East Palestine suffering. One user, @amuse, pointed out ironically:
"Joy Behar admits why Democrats aren't motivated to help East Palestine - they are 70% Republican."
Here are some more responses seen on Twitter to Joy Behar's comments:
Joy Behar's comments come after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's visit to Ohio
On February 3, 2023, a freight train derailed close to East Palestine. Eleven of the thirty-eight cars were carrying hazardous materials.
The incident led to large amounts of toxic material being released into the air, ground, and water. Residents in the area soon reported feeling unwell and there were reports of wildlife and fish dying.
According to engineers on board the train, they unsuccessfully tried to bring the train to a halt after receiving alerts that a wheel bearing was 254 degrees above the normal temperature.
On Wednesday, February 22, former U.S. President Donald Trump visited the area along with water, canned food, and cleaning supplies for the affected residents.
In his speech, he told the residents, "You are not forgotten," and condemned the Biden administration for not doing enough to help the affected people, stating:
"Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to [the town] under any circumstances... We opened up the dam, and we got them to move."
Pete Buttigieg had previously criticized Trump's visit as a "photo-op" for his 2024 presidential campaign. He eventually visited the site on February 23, almost three weeks after the tragic disaster.
