Sandy MaloneNew York, NY – Joy Behar, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” said antifa was a “fictitious idea” and “not a real thing” during the show on Monday.
Behar and her co-hosts were reacting to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s (R-Wisconsin) comments that he would have been more concerned about safety if “tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa” had stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, FOX News reported.
“If I was surrounded by people carrying weapons, people erecting nooses, screaming ‘hang Mike Pence,’ bludgeoning a police officer to death, I might be a little scared,” Behar ranted on March 15. “But Ron? No, he’s not scared of those people, he’s scared of this fictitious idea of antifa. A thing that doesn’t even exist.”
Meghan McCain, the lone conservative member of the talk show, challenged Behar’s assessment.
McCain told Behar that the idea antifa doesn’t exist is “factually inaccurate and a lie.”
“I just want to clarify that Christopher Wray who was the FBI director says that antifa is an ideology, not an organization,” Behar shot back. “There is no sign that they were involved in the Capitol siege, let’s be clear.”
“I’m not saying they were involved in the Capitol siege, I’m saying they exist,” McCain argued.
“That’s all, I’m done,” Behar said, refusing to discuss her false allegations.
“You said it was a fantasy. You said antifa doesn’t exist and it’s a fantasy,” McCain said, refusing to let the matter drop.
“It’s an idea, it’s not a real thing,” Behar insisted.
It’s not the first time that an individual with a large media platform has denied the existence of the violent extremists who have rioted in multiple cities.
Last summer, U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called the violence and riots in Portland a “myth” just hours after violent protesters breached the federal courthouse in that city.
And independent journalist approached the House Judiciary Committee chairman as he was walking to his car on July 26, 2020 and asked the ranking Democratic member if he would disavow the violent rioting in Portland, the New York Post reported at the time.
“That’s a myth that’s being spread only in Washington, DC,” Nadler said in the video as he began to walk away.
The reporters asked him about the videos of the fires and destruction being wrought by the protesters but Nadler kept his back to the camera as he got into his waiting car, the New York Post reported.
On that occasions, police said that at least 26 people were arrested in Portland after rioters breached the federal courthouse that federal agents were protecting.
Rioters also shot fireworks at officers and police responded with tear gas, the New York Post reported.
Nadler also co-signed a letter condemning then-President Donald Trump’s decision to send federal agents to Portland to protect federal property.
The letter called for an investigation by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, the New York Post reported.
The City of Portland has threatened to slap the federal government with “fines and potential legal action” if they refuse to remove the protective fencing surrounding a downtown federal courthouse.
The Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse has come under attack on a nightly basis over the course of the past two months.
Rioters have repeatedly fired mortars and other projectiles at federal officers, sprayed the building with graffiti, broken windows, attempted to barricade exits, and ignited fires inside and outside of the building during overnight attacks.
Portland business owners have further reported a staggering $23 million in losses due to rioting and looting in the downtown area, FOX News reported.
On Inauguration Day, antifa in Portland celebrated by attacking the Democratic Party of Oregon building and generally wreaking havoc throughout the downtown area.
Holly Matkin
