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‘The View’ Co-Host Meghan McCain Decries “Identity Politics”, A Cuomo Accuser Weighs In & Fox News Channel’s Janice Dean Chooses Sides

Although The View co-host – and outspoken critic of New York Gov. Andrew CuomoMeghan McCain apologized this week for having dismissed as irrelevant Donald Trump’s racist nicknames for Covid-19, she hasn’t backtracked on her disdain for what she calls “identity politics,” a stance that today prompted a rather sideways Twitter exchange with Cuomo accuser Lindsey Boylan.

Before it was over – if it is over – Fox News Channel senior meteorologist Janice Dean also weighed in. As Boylan said in one of her tweets, there’s a lot to unpack here, so here goes:

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On today’s episode of The View, the hosts were discussing Asian-American representation (or lack thereof) within the Biden Administration, specifically about demands being made by Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth for greater diversity.

While most of the cohosts sided with Duckworth, the conservative McCain, not surprisingly, did not. McCain warned about a “slippery slope”of placing race and gender over qualifications and skill sets (and suggested Martin Luther King Jr. would agree with her).

“Just to put a cap on this,” McCain said, “The View is 25 years old next year and we’ve only had one Asian-American host co-host this show. So does that mean that one of one of us should be leaving at some point because there’s not enough representation? Is identity politics more important than the qualifications of a job, and I think that’s a question going forward that the progressive left is going to have to reconcile.”

After the show aired, Boylan, the former Cuomo aide who has accused the governor of sexual harassment and is now running for Manhattan Borough President, tweeted a clip of McCain’s comments, noting, “A lot to unpack here. All I’m going to say is @MeghanMcCain needs to read up on what identity politics actually is. Please.”

Responded McCain: “Hi Lindsey, would love to have you come on @TheView to talk about this and also your accusations against Governor Cuomo. I believe the show has reached out already. I find real conversations much more impactful than keyboard politics behind a screen.”

To which Boylan responded, “I think we start to respect someone when we don’t change the topic to feature the abuse that they’ve suffered when they actually haven’t invited you to that conversation.”

McCain tried again: “Respectfully, I would love to talk to you in general about identity politics and have also remained horrified by all of the accusations from you against Governor Cuomo.”

Enter Fox News Channel’s Dean, who tweeted to Boylan, “Meghan is a target of hate every single day on this platform. Unfortunate that you want to pile on. If you would like to talk with her in person to let her know how you feel and talk it out like adults I can connect you.”

In several response tweets, Boylan wrote back to Dean, “Actually I completely disagree with you Janice. She’s talking about identity politics the same week that a group of Asian Women were murdered this week in part because of the narrative that she helps validate. I am raising an Asian American daughter and I refuse to continue validating that or allowing those with a platform to do so.

“If either one of you want talk to me about that lived experience I’m all ears.

“Just let me know when you’ll sit down and listen to a group of Asian women who have experienced racism and hate in this country because of exactly the kinds of things that @MeghanMcCain is validating which I have called out.

“And until then I’m just gonna look away and focus on what I need to do to raise my Asian-American daughter in a safer America.”

And finally, McCain seemed to take a more philosophical approach. Though not a direct response to either Boylan or Dean, The View co-host tweeted, after the exchange, “There’s no crying in baseball. I’ve accumulated tough, crocodile skin being in this industry as long as I have. I know who I am and what I believe in this world – just glad I can keep so many (many!!) of you talking and thinking even if it’s that you hate me and my opinions.”

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