Meghan McCain was a bit defensive during Monday’s broadcast of The View, telling her colleagues and the audience that she “was scared” and assumed she’d be “raked over the coals” for saying she’s not sure whether she believes E. Jean Carroll’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump.
Leading off the show by discussing Carroll’s claims that Trump attacked her at a department store in the mid-1990s, co-host Sunny Hostin said she found it surprising that so many people have accused the well-known writer of lying. Hostin, who was once a prosecutor, went on to note that rape is the “most underreported crime” in this country before recounting times when women told her they couldn’t go forward “because no one will believe me.”
This prompted McCain to jump into the conversation, first pointing out that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has offered to open up an investigation into Carroll’s accusation.
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“She has hedged as to whether or not she wants that to happen,” McCain stated. “I think 100 percent we should open up that investigation. I think she deserves that.”
The conservative co-host went on to say she was also skeptical of Stormy Daniels’ claims towards Trump but now 100 percent believes her before bringing up actress and Harvey Weinstein accuser Asia Argento.
Noting that Argento said to “believe everyone all the time and don’t ask questions” following her Weinstein allegations, McCain noted that the actress was later accused of sexually assaulting a minor. She further said that she’ll “always ask questions” because she’s a “politician’s daughter” who has been “lied to my entire life.”
“Do you believe her?” Joy Behar asked McCain.
“I don’t know. And it’s not—I know this probably makes me unpopular in this space, but I believe that something happened,” McCain responded. “And I believe—but she has been accusing a lot of other very prominent famous men of sexual assault, and I believe of rape, and again, it’s like I was scared to even come out here and say that, but I would prefer to be honest with the audience and I would like to open up the investigation.”
As they discussed whether the statute of limitations would apply in an investigation, McCain invoked Brett Kavanaugh accuser Julie Swetnick to place more doubt on Carroll’s story, adding that the advice columnist is currently promoting a book.
Hostin highlighted that the prevalence of false reporting on rape is very low, causing Behar to assert that if it “walks like a duck and talks like a duck,” clearly implying her belief that Trump could be culpable in this instance.
McCain, meanwhile, once again said she figured she was going to be chastised for her opinion.
“I 100 percent came out here assuming I’m going to be raked over the coals, but I would rather be honest with this audience and with all of you than sit here and lie because it’s going to make my life easier in the media,” she declared.
The panel went on to bring up other famous instances of people being falsely accused, with Whoopi Goldberg specifically mentioning the Central Park Five. Trump, of course, notably called for the wrongly convicted group to be executed.
Getting in one last word, McCain said she has learned to be a “lot more careful” with the way she approaches touchy subjects, promoting Hostin to respond: “I hope people realize what she’s saying is, ‘I don’t know.’”
“Yes,” McCain concluded. “Thanks, Sunny.”
