A shouting match broke out on "The View" on Monday as the hosts got into a heated debate about whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) should have caved on the House's continuing resolution.
The House of Representatives passed a six-month measure to raise the debt ceiling and ensure the government's continued operation. Democrats in both chambers opposed several provisions of the agreement, including continued government funding and staff cuts — but it passed the Senate after Schumer gave it his backing.
Many Democratic lawmakers are furious after Schumer said that President Donald Trump would use a shutdown to fire more people.
The View co-host Sara Haines said she agreed with Schumer because there were "two awful options." She agreed that Trump would have the power to do whatever he wanted with a government shutdown.
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"I love you, but I don't buy that explanation from you or from Schumer," said Ana Navarro, a former Republican consultant. "Because they're already doing that. They're doing it illegally or legally — they don't care.
"Do you care that one has a leg to stand on in the courts that says this is not constitutional? Which I will stand beside and continue to hope the courts hold off. This is — take off all the guardrails and let them do whatever the hell they want."
Navarro noted that Schumer said he would support the debt ceiling increase because, in a shutdown, Trump would have the freedom to fire federal workers.
"It does," agreed Haines.
"They're already doing that!" Navarro exclaimed. "So, it's, like, me saying, okay, I'm going to get out of the shower, but I'm not going to stand in the rain because I'm already wet. They're already soaking wet!"
Haines interrupted to say that the cases were already in the courts.
"Pay attention to the court judgments. They ignore them!" Navarro exclaimed. "It doesn't matter!"
Ultimately, Alyssa Farah Griffin said that federal workers are used as pawns during a shutdown. Once the shutdown is in place, she argued, Republicans can keep it going as long as they want, get all the government cuts they seek now, and avoid all the lawsuits.
Whoopi Goldberg noted that Schumer is scheduled to be on the show this week to promote his book, but that she plans to ask him, "Explain yourself."
Schumer has since paused his book tour, The New York Times reported. It's unclear if that include his "The View" appearance.
