The View cohost Meghan McCain is apologizing for her previous dismissal of then-President Donald Trump’s anti-Asian nicknames for the coronavirus, calling Trump’s words “racist rhetoric.”
“I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community,” McCain tweeted today. “There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda.”
McCain was not on today’s episode of The View.
Criticism of McCain’s 2020 remarks heated up last week when the conservative View cohost spoke out against anti-Asian violence and posted a “Stop Asian Hate” message on Instagram. Social media reactions quickly mentioned McCain’s comment on an episode of The View last year in which she brushed aside Trump’s insistence on calling Covid-19 the “China Virus,” or worse.
“I think if the Left wants to focus on P.C. labeling this virus,” McCain said then, “it is a great way to get Trump re-elected. I don’t have a problem with people calling it whatever they want. It’s a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan.”
McCain’s past words were included in a segment on last night’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which the HBO host devoted a segment to recent anti-Asian violence and its causes. After show the clip of McCain’s View comments, Oliver said, “Take the word from a wealthy white woman who’s dressed like she’s about to lay off 47 people over Zoom.”
I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 22, 2021
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