“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin rejected former first lady Michelle Obama‘s claim that America was not ready for a female president on Monday, calling the two recent female candidates, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, “flawed.”
“I respectfully disagree with the first lady,” Griffin said. “I don’t think that we’re not ready. I think when you look at the two candidates that were Democratic nominees, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, there is sexism that plays in. They were flawed candidates.”
Co-host Joy Behar pushed back and said the “men are flawed too.” The liberal co-host insisted several other countries have female presidents, citing Mexico, Iceland and “many African countries.” “We’re the only country,” Behar said.
Obama made the comments to a crowd of women at the Brooklyn Academy of Music while promoting her new book, “The Look.” “As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” she said.
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Griffin said Clinton was highly qualified but was running in an “anti-dynasty time.”
The co-host then said Harris was not a good communicator. “She was not the best female candidate we were ever going to see run,” Griffin added.
Behar demanded to know who was the best female candidate, as Griffin argued, “We haven’t had one yet.”
Co-host Sara Haines said during the discussion that Michelle Obama would win if she ever ran for president, which Griffin agreed with.
Co-host Ana Navarro recalled asking Harris about the notion that the country wasn’t ready during a commercial break while she sat for an interview on the show in October.
“She said, I refuse to tell little girls, specifically little girls of color, that they’re out of the game just because of who they are,” Navarro said, relaying Harris’ words.
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Co-host Sunny Hostin disagreed. The co-host has repeatedly argued that the U.S. is a misogynistic country after Harris lost to Trump.
“That’s great, I think that is very aspirational and that’s wonderful. Because of my lived experience, as an Afro-Latina, I’m able to look at this world with a different prism, and I’m able to tell this country and tell this audience and tell my fellow co-hosts some uncomfortable truths. This is a country based on racism and slavery, and founded in it, there is systemic racism and misogyny,” Hostin said.
Hostin added, “I never met anyone that raises their hand and says, ‘I’m racist.’ However, there are people that seem to be able to look the other way when it comes to racism. So you have a president who traffics in misogyny, who traffics in xenophobia, who traffics in sexism, and won against a Black woman.”
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She insisted this country was not ready for a Black woman.
Obama also addressed whether she would run for president during the conversation, which was posted online on Friday.
“That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not,” Obama said.
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The former first lady argued she does not believe men in America are comfortable with a woman leading them.
“You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,” Obama said.
