'The View' co-hosts argue with Gaetz over stance on Roger Stone pardon: 'Oh, come on congressman!'

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Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison

Former Trump associate Roger Stone is sentenced to 40 months in prison after a lengthy deliberation by the judge; David Spunt reports from outside U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

"The View" co-host Meghan McCain seemed frustrated on Thursday as Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told her that he would support President Trump granting a pardon to political strategist Roger Stone.

"Oh, come on, congressman! Come on. Come on. He's the swampiest swamp creature," she said. Gaetz defended his position, arguing that former presidents Obama and Clinton both pardoned many more people than Trump.

Their conversation came just before news surfaced that Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison, following his conviction last year.

"When we designed our Constitution, there were vestiges of the British monarchy that Americans still had some reverence for," Gaetz said, "and one was the notion that the executive, that the sovereign could extend unlimited grace ..."

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Gaetz was cut off by co-host Whoopi Goldberg who asked: "Did you just say 'the sovereign'?"

Behar also chimed in: "Oh my God, so Trump is the king?!"

Gaetz added that he thought Stone should be pardoned "if, for no other reason, that there has been a double standard in this country where people like Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Andrew McCabe, [James] Clapper, [John] Brennan have not faced consequences."

Gaetz referred to prominent intelligence and FBI officials, who all have been consistently criticized by the president and Republicans for their roles in the Russia investigation. None has been indicted or charged.

Gaetz hasn't exactly been welcomed with open arms on "The View." In October, McCain blasted Gaetz for taking part in a sit-in with other House Republicans during the impeachment inquiry against Trump.

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"By the way, Matt Gaetz, when did you want to become a TV star or want to be a TV star?" she said.  "You want to do that? Get the hell out of Congress. Get a TV job."

Gaetz responded by suggesting he was more interesting. “It’s not my fault I’m more interesting in Congress than she is on television," he said. "If Meghan McCain wanted me to come on her show to help ratings, all she had to do was ask.”

Stone's sentencing came after Attorney General William Barr took the controversial step of revising the original sentencing recommendation for Stone. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Stone’s crimes demanded a significant time behind bars, but she said the seven to nine years originally recommended by the Justice Department were excessive.

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Stone’s lawyers had asked for a sentence of probation, citing his age of 67 years, his health and his lack of criminal history.

Stone was convicted in November on all seven counts of an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.