Meghan McCain Defends Spike Lee After Trump’s “Racist Hit”: “Art Is Political”

The View‘s biggest takeaways from the 2019 Oscars? Spike Lee is doing the right thing. On Monday morning, The View‘s co-hosts took a few minutes to reflect on the 91st Academy Awards, and after discussing Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s steamy performance, the group turned to Lee’s acceptance speech, which Donald Trump had slammed as a “racist hit” earlier that morning. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, conservative firebrand Meghan McCain stepped in to defend the BlackKklansman writer/director, saying that “it’s okay for people to speak their truth when they get an award.” McCain went on to say that she wishes awards shows would “lean into” our political moment more, just as our “reality show president” loves to do.

Co-host Joy Behar introduced the discussion by playing part of Lee’s acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay. “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner,” said Lee on Oscars night. “Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing.” The director never mentioned Trump by name, but the president still wasn’t too happy about the implicit message. “Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President,” Trump tweeted early Monday, “Who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts, etc.) than almost any other Pres!”

“Does that include Abraham Lincoln, I wonder,” asked Behar, much to her co-hosts’ pleasure. “Why was that a racist hit?” questioned Sunny Hostin. “Because if the shoe fits and you think every little remark about you is racist, maybe you aught to look in the mirror,” replied Behar.

McCain then chimed in to defend the BlackKklansman director. “I love Spike Lee. He was refreshing for a lot of different reasons,” she said, noting his all-purple outfit and his “tribute to Prince” necklace. “Art is political. And I’m on a different side than he is politically, but I like people taking time when they have a moment,” said McCain. “I’m not one of these people that’s like, ‘Everybody in Hollywood should shut the blank up.’ I actually think we have a reality show president, he’s using his time this way, and I don’t understand what the problem is. And I wish the Oscars and all awards shows leaned into it a little bit.”

The co-host went on to say that “these are tumultuous times,” and as such, it’s important to speak your mind, no matter what the backlash may be. “We’re all in a pool that we say controversial things all the time. It’s not so bad. Life does go on. And it’s okay for people to speak their truth when they get an award.”

McCain’s passionate defense was met with applause from both her co-hosts and the audience, but it was Behar who got in the final zinger. After agreeing with Abby Huntsman that attacking Lee “is not going to end well,” Behar added, “Google Central Park Five in case you’re wondering if Trump is a racist.”

The View‘s discussion of Spike Lee vs. Trump begins at the 4:30 mark in the video above. But honestly, you should just watch the whole clip, because listening to the women of The View debate whether Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are actually boning IRL is pretty amazing, too.

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