Beef erupts on 'The View' after CNN commentator calls Republicans 'cult-like sycophants'

Tara Setmayer (YouTube)

The women of ABC News’ “The View” feuded on Friday when a CNN commentator, who was a guest addition, referred to Republicans as “cult-like sycophants” who are afraid to speak out against President Trump. The show’s lone regular conservative, Meghan McCain, didn’t take kindly to the remark.

The segment started by playing a clip from a recent Republican National Committee ad, called “The Left in 2018: Unhinged,” with Johnny Depp and Madonna, as well as comedians Kathy Griffin and Samantha Bee, targeted for extreme rhetoric and actions. The reliably liberal program countered with a series of clips featuring white supremacists, Info Wars’ Alex Jones and a President Obama heckler as proof that despicable rhetoric comes from both sides of the aisle.

Co-host Joy Behar asked, “Who is more unhinged?”

Guest host Tara Setmayer, who is also a Republican CNN commentator, immediately blamed President Trump, saying it “starts from the top.” She said that when Trump “engages in unhinged behavior,” it sets the tone and allows other people to follow.

“My party, the Republicans, have really just rolled over and decided that they’d rather just be cult-like sycophants and just ignore what Donald Trump has done,” Setmayer said. “It’s embarrassing.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin agreed with Setmayer by saying she would be more comfortable with the GOP if they stood up to Trump.

“They’re not gonna do that,” Behar interjected.

McCain did not appreciate the comments made by Setmayer or the montage of right-leaning personalities in the video that was played.

“I have a few things to say… Alex Jones’ inclusion in that, I take such offense at. He is such a lunatic that has had to apologize,” McCain said before Behar interrupted, “Madonna doesn’t speak for the Democrats.”

McCain then unloaded on CNN’s Setmayer.

“I don’t consider myself in a cult, I don’t consider myself a sycophant. I just don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. I’m not someone in the Republican Party that lost my mind and can’t call balls and strikes like I see them,” McCain said.

“The two Supreme Court decisions, big wins for us. He has made decisions that I agree with,” she said. “As commentators we have to call balls and strikes like we see them. If you start turning into Trump, as some commentators in my own party have done, and you become him, and you suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, everyone stops listening to each other and we have to be intellectually honest.”

Hostin then made a comment about protest being the constitutional right of Americans, which further infuriated McCain.

“I’m not saying protesting. There is a difference between protesting and harassment,” McCain yelled, referring to recent comments by Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California. “It should not be socially acceptable.”

Behar reminded McCain that Waters didn’t call for anyone to be harmed, to which McCain fired back, “She said harrasment.”

Last Sunday, Waters encouraged her supporters to fight back against the Trump administration amid backlash over the White House’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy — and said “the people” will “absolutely harass” Trump staffers.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Zwirz and Nicole Darrah contributed to this report.