Whoopi goes to commercial break as Alyssa Griffin and Sunny Hostin's Mike Pence debate gets heated

The set of "The View" got heated on Wednesday as the show's co-hosts debated former Vice President Mike Pence, who announced he was running for president that morning.

After working for him for many years during Donald Trump's administration, Alyssa Farah Griffin has long been a Pence advocate and loyalist.

"What scares me, Alyssa," Sunny Hostin began, "you are incapable of defending a man that you worked for. You're saying you need to hear more —"

Griffin cut her off to respond. Hostin said she was still speaking."You said that you needed to hear more from him. I don't need to hear more from Pence for several reasons," Hostin said.

That's when Hostin began listing off all of the things she thought Pence did wrong as governor of Indiana.

Hostin said that she was living in Indiana and attending Notre Dame when Pence allowed an HIV/AIDS crisis to play out in one Indiana county after he stopped a clean needle program. It took him more than two months to respond.

She listed off a number of other things, like his war against LGBTQ people, that hurt the economy. The IndyStar made it clear: "When you deal your state a crushing economic blow, when you seem incapable of understanding the role you have played in creating this mess — well, that makes clear that you are not in the right job."

Griffin kept trying to talk over Hostin, asking if she could respond.

But Hostin continued listing off several problems she had with Pence.

"This is not what the show is about. This is Barbara Walters' legacy. Let a woman speak," Griffin said.

That's when Goldberg stepped in and sent the show to a commercial break.

When they returned the conversation was calmer, and they began debating about Pence's role as the chair of Operation Warp Speed during the pandemic.

See the debate below or at the link here.

Part 1:

Part 2: