The View Hosts Drag Ron DeSantis: How 'Nasty' to Send Migrants to Martha's Vineyard

The women of The View opened Thursday's show with a harsh condemnation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who sent two planes carrying migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts on Wednesday.

In a statement provided to CNN, DeSantis claimed credit for sending the migrants and insisted "sanctuary states" like Massachusetts and New York should take care of refugees and asylum-seekers.

"Call me crazy, but I remember the big, tall, green lady, you know the one that's over on the river?" said Whoopi. "She kind of said, 'Send me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free' ... I thought that was part of what we did here in the United States. We welcomed people, invited people who were going through crap in the countries they lived in."

Whoopi highlighted the hypocrisy of DeSantis' stance, as his great-great-grandmother arrived at Ellis Island from Italy in 1917.

"I understand what they're trying to do. I get they are trying to make a point," she said. "But these are people you're playing with! These are real, live people with children and older people."

"We can work it out, but if you're going to be a bonehead, who wants to play with you?" asked Whoopi. "Call me crazy but I don't understand why you've got to be nasty about it. We all know there's a problem; let's figure out what to do."

Sunny Hostin echoed that sentiment and slammed DeSantis' "political theater." She also praised Martha's Vineyard's longtime commitment to "allow[ing] people from other places," particularly Black people, and welcomed the migrants to her "home away from home."

GOV. DESANTIS SENDS 2 PLANES OF MIGRANTS TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD: Undocumented immigrants were put on planes in Texas and sent to Martha’s Vineyard, and the Florida governor said he used his state’s funds to help pay for it – #TheView co-hosts discuss. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/GfGvB6XzgS

— The View (@TheView) September 15, 2022

But leave it to Joy Behar to get in the best zinger of the segment. "DeSantis and [Texas Gov. Greg] Abbott both think they're going to send these undocumented people to sanctuary cities and liberal cities. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Sag Harbor," she said. "And they think what they call these 'limo liberals' are going to be rejecting of it."

"You know, in Martha's Vineyard, they accepted these people. They're feeding them; they're taking care of them. Because these are good people," continued Behar. "The person that they do not want in Martha's Vineyard is Dershowitz! Alan Dershowitz was kicked out of Martha's Vineyard. Now, that is the way to do it."

Even Alyssa Farah Griffin was critical of DeSantis, though she repeated Republican talking points about the border not being "secure," drug smuggling, and human trafficking. "We need to deal with the root cause. We need to do more to support those countries, to deal with systemic corruption, crime, the reasons people are fleeing them," she said.

"It's politics," added Griffin. "I don't like what Gov. DeSantis is doing, but I will say this, a lot of border towns have been ravaged by not being able to deal with the influx of migrants who come in."

Sara Haines, the only co-host yet to speak, largely ignored Griffin's point as she took DeSantis to task for refusing to work with other governors on immigration. "There are people that would welcome people into their homes," she said. "If he had asked people and said, 'We are overwhelmed here,' and really cared, he would say, 'Help me! If this is what you want, help me!'"

The discussion ended with an oft-repeated (but very important) note from Hostin. "Seeking asylum in the United States, once you have reached our shores, is legal," she said. "It is your right to do it when you get here! I'm tired of people calling them 'illegal immigrants.' It's a legal process."

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.