'The View': Joy Behar lists president's scandals, Donald Trump Jr. hits back in heated exchange

Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY
Updated

During an appearance on "The View" Thursday, Donald Trump Jr. didn't hold back.

During the episode, which Trump Jr. appeared on to promote his book "Triggered" alongside girlfriend and Trump adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle, the president's son faced the co-hosts around the table and discussed controversial topics such as his tweet about the federal whistleblower.

Co-host Joy Behar listed some of President Donald Trump's headline-making behavior.

"(President Trump) called some Mexicans rapists, he attacked the handicapped, he bragged about it," she said. "We heard the 'Access' tape, where he bragged about grabbing women by their genitalia."

Trump Jr. didn't take long to hit back.

"We've all done things that we regret, I mean, if we're talking about bringing a discourse down, Joy, you've worn blackface," he responded.

"No, I have not," Behar retorted.

Trump Jr. referred to a video of a 2016 episode of "The View," which began making the rounds in February 2019. In the clip, Behar addressed years-old photos in which she darkened her skin and dressed up as an African woman.

Whoopi Goldberg chimed in after Trump Jr. mentioned the photo, but he cut her off.

"You said that Roman Polanski – it wasn't 'rape-rape' when he raped a child," he said, referring to Goldberg's comment on "The View" in 2009 about the director who pleaded guilty to statutory rape in a plea bargain in 1978.

Goldberg defended Behar.

"No, she was not in blackface," she said. "Listen, being black, I recognize blackface, this I can say."

Trump's team continued the conversation on Twitter, posting a side-by-side photo of Behar.

"Here's the picture of @TheView's Joy Behar in blackface," the tweet read with the hashtag #FactsFirst.

Earlier in the show, the group was focused on Trump Jr. releasing the name of the whistleblower whose complaint led to impeachment hearings for the president.

"The whole point of releasing a name is to intimidate someone, to threaten someone and to scare other people from coming out. That's something that dictators do," co-host Abby Huntsman said. "I've lived in China, I've seen that firsthand. That's not what America does, that's not what we do."

Trump Jr. defended his actions, saying he only shared a previously released name.

"I think the reality of the answer is, the whistleblower's name was on a little website called the Drudge Report a couple days ago," he said, adding that he wished "the outrage would be equal."

"There was no outrage when my family got an exploding letter with white powder substance in it," he said. "It's not a level playing field in terms of outrage."

Behar retorted, "But he asked to be anonymous, your family did not. There's a difference."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump Jr. to Joy Behar on 'The View': You've worn blackface