After The View made embarrassing headlines last week with moderator Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Sunny Hostin suggesting that it was worse to be black in America than live in Iran, ABC News seemingly appointed chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl to be their babysitter during Monday’s discussion of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Karl kept the cast on the rails as they peppered him with questions about the constitutionality of the strikes and why President Trump kept them a secret.
“I'm happy to have you here, believe me,” fill-in moderator Joy Behar told Karl, as they shared a seemingly nervous laugh. It’s worth noting that Behar had clashed with Hostin last week as the two argued over how dangerous Iran was and whether or not they should be hit militarily.
Conveniently overlooking how Trump had said he would make a decision on striking Iran “within” two weeks, Behar bemoaned how quickly Operation: Midnight Hammer had come. Karl had to explain that the deadline was partially a ruse and partially sped up because “the Iranians were not engaging at all” in negotiations:
BEHAR: Okay. He was going to give diplomatic negotiations more time to play out, and then less than 48 hours later, this attack was under way. So what changed and what was he actually trying to accomplish here?
KARL: I mean, look, the two weeks measure was clearly a bit of a head fake. I mean, not entirely, I wouldn't say the decision was finally made. All indications are that he didn't actually make the decision to so-called pull the trigger until Saturday, you know, and then the attack commenced. But obviously all the wheels were already in motion. (…) He really wanted that moment. I mean, I think he thought he could have a Kim Jong-un movement with the supreme leader of Iran and have a big deal right before the bombs were going to drop. The Iranians were not engaging at all and he made the decision.
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***The complete post is on NewsBusters***
