Black Republican ripped to shreds in contentious View appearance
Republican candidate Kim Klacik clashed with "The View" co-hosts after she was suggested as a guest by fellow conservative Meghan McCain.
The Black Republican, who's seeking the seat long held by the late Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, defended President Donald Trump on race and his coronavirus response.
"We allowed a lot of jobs and manufacturing to go overseas thanks to NAFTA and the Bill Clinton administration, and that's why he's pulling it back," Klacik said. "Had we had that medical equipment industry here, we would have been more equipped to better handle the pandemic."
"You're saying it disproportionately affecting Black lives," she added. "If you look at Baltimore, you have things like a food desert. They don't have grocery stores, they don't have what they need around them in their neighborhoods, and so, yeah, I believe a coronavirus pandemic would affect us more. Look at my campaign ad, look at the living conditions. That would affect us more, absolutely. That's why I'm running for office."
Moderator Joy Behar cut her off, saying that Trump had failed in his response by his own admission.
"Come on, Kim, excuse me," Behar said. "I have to say something to you. He told Bob Woodward that it was a very serious issue, and it's airborne and that it was terrible, and then he went out and told the American people, don't wear masks, it's all going to go away. You have to put some blame on your president. I'm sorry, you're putting it on something extraneous."
Klacik fired back, bringing up a decades-old photo of Behar dressed as an African woman, with makeup to darken her skin, for Halloween.
"Is this Joy speaking?" Klacik said. "The same Joy that paraded around in blackface not too long ago."
Behar returned fire.
"That's not true," she said, as Klacik protested. "Excuse me -- excuse me. The Black community had my back. They know that that was not blackface, that was an homage. Oh, please."
"The Black community has my back, as well," Klacik insisted.
Co-host Sunny Hostin jumped in next.
"The Black community has your back?" she said, incredulously. "The Black community has your back? The Black community did not vote for you, the Black community did not vote for you. What planet are you living on?"
Klacik offered an excuse for not scooping up many Black votes.
"Sunny, can I speak?" she said. "It was during a special election while we were still locked down. Can I speak, or are you just going to scream over me?"
Behar ushered the show into a commercial, and Klacik took one last shot as music played to end the segment.
"That was very immature, but thank you for having me," Klacik said.