...
By Marni Rose McFall
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Vice President JD Vance has said The View co-hosts were not as "vicious" as he was expecting and one told him he was "pretty good for a Republican" after he made an appearance on the ABC show to promote his new memoir.
Vance, whose book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith has just been released, was quizzed about affordability, the Epstein files, immigration and race on the morning show, whose hosts have frequently been critical of President Donald Trump in the past.
During a media appearance on Fox's Gutfeld! later on Tuesday, Vance said: "I expected them to be absolutely vicious, and they were only a little bit vicious. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
Read More on News
He added: "Joy Behar even said during the break, not joking, said, ‘You know what? You're, like, pretty good for a Republican.' And I was like, 'Whoa.' That is a way better compliment than I expected from Joy Behar."
Newsweek has contacted a representative for Behar and ABC for comment outside of regular business hours.
...
Why It Matters
Vance’s debut on The View signaled a rare foray for the Trump administration into a media territory that is considered a more liberal environment, one that the administration would likely consider hostile territory.
Vance acknowledged this at the beginning of the show, joking: "This is a show of MAGA Republicans, right? That’s what my media team told me."
The hosts of The View have often been critical of Vance as well as President Donald Trump and his administration more broadly. Behar has voiced criticism of Vance, saying after he was selected as Trump’s running mate, that he was a "carbon copy" of Trump and that he would fail to bring in any new voters. Earlier this year, Behar discussed Trump's State of the Union address, which she said had made her feel "really sad," and compared Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to the Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie.
She said: "I was furious and scared, as Bert and Ernie kept jumping up behind him, also, and every time he lied…these idiots would be ‘yay!’"
The View has previously been in Trump’s crosshairs, with the president having described the hosts as "degenerates" and "dumb women."
Vance’s appearance raised some eyebrows, particularly as it comes at a critical moment for the show. In February, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr announced that the commission was taking action against ABC, in line with equal time rules. Those rules require broadcasters to offer equal airtime to political candidates, and Carr had previously questioned whether The View qualifies as "bona fide news."
Key Takeaways from JD Vance’s Appearance on 'The View'
On the day of his memoir's publication, Vance made multiple media appearances where he gave some key updates on pressing political issues and his own political future.
On The View, Vance faced questions on the economy, immigration and the Department of Justice's release of the files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sunny Hostin asked Vance: "Why haven't we seen the release of over 2.5 million additional Epstein file documents?"
"My understanding, I'm going to check on this to be sure, but my understanding is that a lot of those are duplicates of things that have already been released," Vance replied.
He also pushed back on the idea that the Trump administration only signed the Epstein Transparency Act because of Republican pressure.
After his appearance on The View, Vance joined conservative commentator Megyn Kelly for a wide-ranging conversation, including addressing growing interest in his political future.
He told Kelly that he expects to decide whether to run for president in 2028 after the midterm elections.
"After the midterms, I will eventually have to make that decision," he said.
What Joy Behar Has Said About JD Vance’s Appearance on 'The View'
After Vance appeared on The View, Behar discussed the episode on the podcast The View: Behind The Table.
She said that the episode had been "most interesting," and that Vance is "totally running for president."
"I think, if he were president, he would go back to being a more kinder person. Trump is the one who's not kind," she said.
She then added: "I'm not voting for him anyway…I've never voted for a Republican in my life."
"He wants to sell a book and he wants to run for president, let's be real," she added.
Update 06/18/26 07:51 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines