She’s back! The View wouldn’t be complete without Joy Behar co-hosting, and the comedian has delighted fans by rejoining the Hot Topics table from home. Joy, 77, who stepped back from the show on March 13 amid COVID-19 fears, videoed into the March 30 broadcast, much like co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, 64, and Meghan McCain, 35, have already been doing. Though she had a couple snags with her connection at first, Joy was better than ever after taking her break, and didn’t waste time getting in some sharp barbs at President Donald Trump.
The View hosts started the episode by slamming Trump for his dreadful coronavirus response. Over the weekend, Trump implied that nurses and doctors were stealing desperately needed face masks, referred to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as “Governor Half-Wit,” and called journalist Jonathan Karl a “cutie pie” for bringing up the dangerous shortage of ventilators in the US. He also tweeted about how his coronavirus briefings have better ratings than The Bachelor. What? Joy quipped that “the only thing we have to fear is Trump himself,” paraphrasing the famous quote from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt‘s 1933 inaugural address.
Later in the episode, while talking to Karl, ABC’s chief White House correspondent (who also conferenced in), Joy asked him if he thought it was time to invoke the 25 amendment. “He’s crazy!” she said. “I think he has a narcissistic disorder.” The 25th amendment states that should the president become incapable of doing their job, the vice president becomes president. This can be temporary. For example, Vice President Dick Cheney briefly took over when President George W. Bush had a colonoscopy in 2007.
“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The View fans applauded Joy on Twitter for her take on FDR’s quote. “‘We have nothing to fear, but Trump himself.’ @JoyVBehar said this on @TheView today paraphrasing #FDR, and in my opinion she is 100% correct! #TheView #JoyBehar,” one viewer tweeted.
Joy decided to temporarily leave The View after her daughter pleaded with her to protect herself. She may not look it, but Joy is 77 years old, and part of the age group that’s at higher risk should they contract COVID-19. While she isn’t sick, she wanted to keep it that way! Whoopi followed her lead. After a five-week battle with pneumonia in 2019 that left her hospitalized, she too didn’t want to take any chances. Meghan just announced that she’s pregnant and decided it was best for her to work at home, as well. Co-host Sunny Hostin, 51, is still working from the studio, as is guest co-host Sara Haines, 42. They’re making sure to stay six feet apart, though!