Joy Behar says Tim Scott doesn't 'understand' the difference between racist country, systemic racism

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Tim Scott 'told the truth' in GOP rebuttal to Biden address: Payne

Fox News 'Outnumbered' panel weighs in on Sen. Tim Scott getting praise for rebuttal to Biden's speech.

Co-host of ABC's "The View" Joy Behar suggested Thursday that Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., "doesn't seem to understand" the difference between a racist country and systemic racism.

Behar, who is White, made the suggestion while railing against Scott, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, over his rebuttal to President Biden's Wednesday address to Congress.  

"Joy, what country is Tim Scott living in?" co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked after playing a video clip from Scott's speech, in which he said "America is not a racist country." 

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The left-wing host didn't immediately address Scott's statement, and instead responded more broadly by taking a swing at Republicans over bipartisanship, claiming they're calling for it, but weren't standing or clapping during Biden's address when he claimed the U.S. was on track to cut child poverty by half. 

"Does that mean that they’re for child poverty? When he says that he wants clean water and Kevin McCarthy is sitting on his hands and not reacting, does Kevin McCarthy like dirty water? Maybe he should campaign on that. Dirty water for everybody," she continued. 

Behar went on to to praise Biden's speech, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying it felt "wonderful" to see the two women sitting behind him. 

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"Now, Tim Scott, he does not seem to understand — and a lot of them don’t seem to understand — the difference between a racist country and systemic racism. They don’t seem to get the difference,"  she said.

"Yes, maybe it’s not a racist country. Maybe Americans, the majority, are not racist. But we live in a country with systemic racism," Behar continued. "The fact that Tim Scott cannot acknowledge this is appalling. How can you go out there and say that when you just said two minutes ago that you were the object and the victim of discrimination?"

She concluded by saying she wanted to hear Scott acknowledge that there is systemic racism.

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Scott addressed race relations during his rebuttal speech Wednesday night, calling on Americans to refrain from fighting discrimination with more discrimination, and lamented the use of the past to shut down present debates. He also discussed his experience with discrimination, and highlighted the treatment he receives from liberals who, he says, call him "Uncle Tom" and the "N-word." 

"Race is not a political weapon to settle every issue the way one side wants," Scott said.