Joy Behar uses Ted Kennedy Chappaquiddick defense in Platner race

“The View” co-host Joy Behar was cornered by the show’s producer, Brian Teta, on Tuesday over her frustration with voters who supported President Donald Trump amid Graham Platner’s latest scandal as he faces mounting calls to exit the race.

Behar brought up the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy during the “Behind the Table” podcast, hosted by Teta, and said, “Teddy Kennedy had that had that whole thing with Chappaquiddick, and yet people still wanted him in Congress. Why? Because he voted correctly.”

“Unfortunately, this is the world we live in,” she added.

‘THE VIEW’ EASED UP ON POLITICAL CANDIDATE BOOKINGS AMID FCC INQUIRY, REPORT SAYS

Joy Behar attends the “Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything” premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 12, 2025, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Teta pushed back, saying, “Just to be fair about it though, because for years on this show, you and others have said, you were frustrated with people that turned a blind eye to things that you think that Donald Trump did wrong.”

Behar acknowledged her feelings toward Trump voters, as Teta noted people voted for him anyway.

“And that made you crazy, so by that context, because people were voting for him because they wanted the Supreme Court to go a separate way, or they wanted tax cuts,” he said.

Behar noted that it was a “difficult situation.”

Graham Platner’s candidacy is cratering as he faces calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to quit his Senate bid a day after Monday’s explosive rape allegation emerged against him. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

EXPLOSIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION ROCKS PLATNER CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF KEY DEADLINE IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE

During a conversation on “The View” in 2016, Behar made a similar point, using Kennedy as an example as the co-hosts at the time discussed former President Bill Clinton.

“Chappaquiddick,” she said. “I mean, a girl drowns and he abandons her and she drowned and women still voted for Teddy Kennedy. Why? Because he voted for women’s rights. That’s why. That’s the bottom line of it in my opinion. I mean, I don’t like either one of them, to tell you the truth, Teddy or Bill. They’re both dogs as far as I’m concerned. But I still will vote for Bill Clinton because he votes in my favor.”

As the Platner controversy unfolded, co-host Sunny Hostin stood by her initial position that she would support Platner over Collins because she believed that the country was in an existential crisis and Democrats needed to take back the Senate.

She said she would support him in June despite calling him a racist, a homophobe and an antisemite.

During the show on Tuesday, Alyssa Farah Griffin confronted Hostin on whether or not she would still feel comfortable voting for Platner. Co-host Sara Haines said people just voting for him or supporting him due to his party affiliation were the problem.

Hostin then said she was the problem.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

“Because I was one of those people and I said it, if I lived in Maine I would have, you know, plugged my nose and would have voted for him anyway. I think we are in a time of existential crisis in this country and I think Republicans fall in line. They don’t fall in love. Democrats want to fall in love and not fall in line. The Republican Party, the bar is so very low, I can’t believe that they want to try to assume the moral high ground of the Republican Party,” she said.

Hostin cited the confirmation of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and controversies surrounding his confirmation to his Cabinet position.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

She argued members of the GOP could not take the moral high ground on the issue of Platner, but never answered Griffin’s question about whether she felt comfortable voting for him.

Hostin eventually said that Platner should exit the race, in agreement with all the co-hosts.