"The View" co-hosts tackled President Biden’s warm welcome to Donald Trump on Thursday, stirring reactions about the political landscape. After a heated campaign branding Trump as a democratic threat, some viewers felt confused.
"I get why Americans didn’t take warnings seriously," co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump aide, admitted. "Joe Biden calls him a fascist, and people think it's like WWE – all intense, then they shake hands. People might wonder, 'Was this just to win or scare people about Trump?'"
The two men met at the White House for a lengthy conversation and even posed for a photo, shaking hands in a show of civility.
"This is what democracy looks like," Sara Haines pointed out. "You shake hands, you show respect, you prove democracy endures. Voters decided; you pass it off. All the faux outrage? That moment has passed."
Haines noted the importance of the gesture while still believing Trump posed risks. Griffin agreed, providing a broader view on the optics of the situation.
Co-host Sunny Hostin shared her discomfort, saying, "Seeing a convicted felon near the White House fireplace didn’t sit right with me." She recalled Biden’s words, calling Trump “a convicted felon” and “an alley cat,” a sentiment she echoed.
Yet, Hostin praised Biden’s conduct, calling him a "statesman," suggesting he was setting a high bar for the president-elect.
"It won’t work," she concluded, questioning Trump’s intentions.
Meanwhile, Charlamagne tha God, on "The Breakfast Club," asked his audience how Biden went from calling Trump a "threat to democracy" to giving him a hearty welcome. "I’m just trying to figure out – from 'existential threat' to 'Welcome back'?" he wondered aloud.