Fierce anti-Trump personality Joy Behar told her co-hosts on "The View" Thursday that she wants President Donald Trump to be successful in debilitating Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
While discussing the feud between Trump and the press over coverage of his ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last Saturday, the co-host admitted she wanted Trump to have succeeded because of the threat a nuclear-armed Iran would pose to the world.
"I personally would like it to have been successful," she said.
TRUMP THRASHES CNN AS ‘GUTLESS LOSERS’ FOR COVERAGE OF US STRIKES ON IRAN
"The View" co-host Joy Behar said Thursday she hopes President Trump's strikes on Iran were successful. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Behar’s statement came after she played clips of Trump calling CNN and MSNBC "scum" for reporting that the strikes may not have done as much damage as intended, according to leaked early intelligence estimates that have been harshly criticized by administration officials as misleading.
Earlier this week, a handful of media outlets cast doubt on administration assertions that the strikes fully destroyed the Iranian facilities, including CNN publishing an exclusive Tuesday claiming, "US strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites," while the New York Times reported the Fordow nuclear facility was "severely damaged" but not "destroyed."
Behar weighed in, first rebuking Trump for blasting the media.
"First of all, why does he call them scum? Why does he have to do that – speak like that? It’s so not presidential," she said.
Behar went on to wonder if Trump was spinning the success of the strikes before an accurate assessment of the damage could be made.
TRUMP ADDRESSES NATION ON 'SPECTACULAR MILITARY SUCCESS' OF US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Map of U.S. strikes on Iran. (Fox News)
"Anyway, this was just a preliminary report and Trump’s CIA director is backing their claim that the damage was severe. But if Trump was already – had made up his mind about this – he already made up his mind before he knew, and we knew what really happened. So is he obliterating the truth?"
Despite bashing his behavior, Behar admitted she hoped Trump’s attacks did destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program because of how dangerous the Iranian regime is.
"I think Iran, a rogue state like that, having a nuclear bomb – I’ve been worrying about nuclear war since I’m a child hiding under a desk," she said. "I mean, I used to say, ‘Why do I have to take my library books back? We’re all going to die anyway.’ That’s when I was a child. So, I hope — I wanted him to be successful, but he lies so much that you never know what the truth is."
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed with Behar’s point and expressed dismay over people who are against the strikes just because Trump ordered them.
"Seventy-nine percent of Americans agree that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon," she said. "There’s obviously debate over these strikes. Many people oppose the strikes, but I would say this, if they were successful, that is the most likely outcome to keeping us from getting into a bigger war with Iran."
Griffin added, "We, as of now, are not on the cusp of World War Three, and I would encourage people to walk that language back."