ABC "The View" host Joy Behar called former Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) a "gentleman" on Wednesday and ripped Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) as "out to get him" when she called on him to resign over accusations of sexual misconduct.
Franken said this week he hasn't ruled out running for office again after being pressured into resigning in January. The decision followed accusations from multiple women who alleged he carried out unwanted touching and kissing in the past. Gillibrand was the first Senate Democrat to call on him to resign in December, and a flood of Democrats followed her lead, leading to him stepping down.
Behar confronted Gillibrand when the lawmaker appeared on the program in January, saying she "led the charge" against Franken and it was "unfair" to make an example out of him. She's still not over it, struggling to remember Gillibrand's name as she attacked her for bringing Franken down.
"Al Franken attacked ... Jeff Sessions," Behar said. "He suddenly became the target of the right wing, to get him out of office, and then Gilligrand, Gillibrand—is that her name? She was out to get him also, and the Democrats decided, 'Oh, we're going to take the high road,' and they basically lost a really good senator, in my opinion."
Referring to the infamous image of Franken with his hands over Leeann Tweeden's breasts as she slept on a plane in 2006, Behar called it a "sophomoric joke" Franken did before he knew he would be a U.S. senator.
"To his credit, he said she didn't have any ability to consent, she had every right to feel violated by that photo. So he's a gentleman, and he took the hit," Behar said. "Now, can we please move on and get the great senator back, and get rid of the president."
Meghan McCain reminded Behar she said Franken also forcibly kissed her without her consent. Tweeden appeared on "The View" after accusing Franken of his misconduct and read an apology letter from him on the program.
"You just said it was a right-wing attack ... That's crazy on so many different levels," McCain said.
McCain said if President Donald Trump or a Republican was caught in a photo doing anything like it, they would be calling for their heads.
"He's done worse, and you know it," Behar said.