Monday on ABC’s “The View,” co-host Joy Behar addressed her “celebration” of ABC’s News Brian Ross’ incorrect report on Michael Flynn by declaring she was “guilty of premature evaluation.”
Partial transcript as follows:
BEHAR: So, on Friday’s show, apparently I was guilty of premature evaluation. I hear they have a pill for that now. Here’s what happened. ABC News reporter Brian Ross released a story claiming when Trump was a candidate he told Michael Flynn to contact the Russians. Ross later corrected himself saying t was when Trump was president-elect. Ross has been suspended for a month. Sunny you have a statement.
HUSTIN: Yes. ‘We deeply regret and apologize for a serious error. The reporting made by Brian Ross had not been completely vetted by our process. As a result of our reporting the over the next several hours, we realized it was wrong. We corrected it on air and on-line. It is vital we get the story right. And retain the trust we have with our audience. These are our core principles. We fell far short of that yesterday. effectively immediately Brian Ross is suspended for four weeks without pay.’
BEHAR: Okay. That’s ABC’s statement. Brian Ross released a statement also on Sunday. He said, ‘My job is to hold people accountable. That’s what I agree with being held accountable myself.’ That’s why I agree with being held accountable myself. He has basically –I would say that this is — people are slamming this as fake news. To me at this time a mistake. He didn’t deliberately put out a false piece of information he made an error. What do you girls think?
HUSTIN: It was a significant error. Journalists have to be given the climate very, very careful. It’s not important to first. It’s important to be right. He was wrong. He’s paying the price for that.
HAINES: Especially in the climate with the present administration. Sometimes he has a bit of precarious relationship with facts. We hold him what he would describe as hyperbole or exaggeration. If journalists get two sources, it’s almost as if they should have three sources now. I know he said in the meeting — I think fake news is the intention. It’s putting out the story with an intention to mislead. I think it was a mistake.
NAVARRO: I think it’s a learning the moment for all of us and America. We have to have patience. It’s a serious issue. It’s about national security. It’s about the integrity of our democracy and elections. We’ve got to be serious and deliberate. As far as Brian Ross and what happened here, he clearly made a mistake. He’s paying the consequences for that mistake. I think it’s a good standard. It’s the same standard I would like to hold the president of the United States too. I think Brian Ross was not trying to — he made a mistake. He is paying the consequences. The president of the United States embellishes, exaggerates and lies habitually. Who is holding him accountable?
MCCAIN: I have a lot of things to say about this. When it happened in real time, I think everyone was watching the show could see my discomfort at the room erupting like the Dodgers just won the World Series. I think holding people to both standards — I remember when Obama was in office Rush Limbaugh saying I want my president to fail. I think when we’re talking about something so egregious, it’s going to tear our country apart. There is no reason to be celebrating, cheering whatever. I went to a Christmas party this weekend. It is no secret most of my friends are in conservative media. I feel like I’m an astronaut trying to explain both worlds to each other.
NAVARRO: As long as your oxygen doesn’t run out you’re good.
MCCAIN: Fake news and what we did on Friday that’s what I was accused of being a part of. I don’t want to sit on a show where I feel like we’re giving fake news or acting irresponsibly. Because the cut and short of it is, by the way, I think this is far from over, we should take the information we have and take it in time and explain it to people. Having one piece of information that ended up being fake news, in my opinion, doesn’t mean that an impeachment trial will start this evening.
BEHAR: Do you believe Brian Ross deliberately did it and put it out as fake news?
MCCAIN: I don’t think it was deliberate, but I think it was fake news.
BEHAR: But that is what fake news means.
MCCAIN: The Dow dropped 350 points after it happened, there are real-life ramifications.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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