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'The View' Host Joy Behar Says Using Semi-Automatic Weapons to Hunt Is 'Not Fair to the Animal'

November 6, 2017

"The View" co-host Joy Behar told Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) on Monday that using semi-automatic rifles while hunting is "not fair to the animal."

Flake joined "The View" table almost two weeks after announcing that he will not seek Senate reelection in 2018.

"You have an A-rating with the NRA, but now that you’re not running again, how do you feel about speaking the truth about the NRA?" Behar asked.

Sara Haines argued that he may have been speaking his truth this whole time, combating Behar’s suggestion that he had a different perspective all along that he was unable to reveal as long as he sought reelection.

"How do you feel about it?" Behar pushed. "You can speak freely now."

"I can, and I’ll say what I always said," Flake said, indicating that he has supported some things the NRA has opposed.

Flake also said that he believes there is no reason to have a device that modifies a semi-automatic weapon to act like an automatic weapon.

"But why do you even need a semi-automatic weapon?" Behar asked.

"There are reasons for having a semi-automatic weapon," Flake said.

"Like what," the veteran host asked. "As a civilian, why?"

"Hunters use them. That’s something used in rural areas there," Flake, who grew up on a farm, said.

"That’s not fair to the animal," Behar said, met with laughter and applause from the audience.

"I certainly would not want a ban on semi-automatic weapons," Flake said. He also talked about how many, including himself and the NRA, believe Americans should not be able to buy automatic weapons. "So you shouldn’t be able to have a device that makes a semi-automatic look like, or act like an automatic."

Behar said this logic does not make sense to her because she does not understand the difference between being able to shoot 20 shots and 50 shots in the same amount of time.

"What’s the difference?" Behar asked. "You’re still going to kill 20 people."

"It’s a big difference," Flake said.