'The View' Hosts Defend Decision To Invite Alt-Right On 'Real Time with Bill Maher' (Watch)

Today on ABC's The View, the hosts discussed many Donald Trump-related issues. However on one issue, they had a position that you wouldn't expect.

The issue was that Jeremy's Scahill, the noted Intercept reporter, had decided not to appear on Real Time with Bill Maher because of Bill Maher's decision to invite controversial alt-right/white supremacist Milo Yiannopolous.

Many people agreed with that decision, given the fact that giving another platform to a person like Yiannopolous would serve to legitimize him more. And the more his ideas were legitimized, the more his views would become mainstream.

However, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, and the other hosts of The View did not view the situation that way.

Instead, they believe that it was a good thing to bring light to Yiannoplous' ideology, in hopes that when people saw it they would be repulsed by it.

They further believed that Real Time host Bill Maher would be able to expose Yiannoplous as what he is.

You can see the video here:

The controversy arose yesterday, when Jeremy's Scahill posted an open letter explaining that he refused to help legitimize Yiannoplous. The letter read:

Today I saw the news that Milo Yiannopoulos is scheduled to be the lead guest on Friday's episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. I was already scheduled to be a panelist on the program that same evening, along with La, Wilmore and Jack Kingston. I have decided that I will not be appearing on the show. Before I explain rny reasons for this, I want to say that I have had the pleasure of working as a correspondent for Real Time and over the years have been a guest or panelist many times. I have total admiration and respect for the producers, writers, and others who work on the show.



Over the past decade, the people at Red Time have become like family toe. I passionately disagree with--and find offensive-- some of Bill's views, particularly when his comments on Islam and Muslims veer into vitriol. At the same time, I have deep respect for Bill and his voice on many other issues and I believe he and his staff have created a vital platforrn for debate and discussion that at times I love and other times loathe. I know I fall into the latter category for some of the show's viewers because I hear from them every time I appear. Whatever one might say about Bill, he always allows guests to challenge him or disagree with him.

But Milo Yiannopoulos is many bridges too far. He has ample venues to spew his hateful diatribes. Them is no value in "debating" him. Appearing on Real Time will provide Yiannopoulos with a large, important platform to openly advocate his racist, anti-immigrant campaign. It will be exploited by Yiannopoulos in an attempt to legitimize his hateful agenda. Yiannopoulos's appearance could also be used to incite violence against immigrants, transgender people, and others at a time when the Trump Administration is already seeking to formalize a war against some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Yiannopoulos has shown he will use his appearances to publicly attack and shame specific ordinary people by name, a practice which could Mad to violence or even death. Real Time, of course, has the right to book whomever it wants on its show, including Yiannopoulos. But I cannot participate in an event that will give a platform to such a person. For these reasons, I have informed the producers of Real Time that I will not appear on the show.

--Jeremy Scahill, journalist.

Meanwhile, Bill Maher defended his decision, and he decided to go forward and invite an alternate guest.

Wanna read more on this? Check these out: Real Time With Bill Maher: Is Bill Maher A White Nationalist? Sounds Like It (Watch) (more); Eva Longoria Talks Refugees on 'The View' (Watch) (more); Bill Maher Plays Footsie With Milo Yiannopolous While He Spouts Racist Rhetoric (Watch) (more); New White House Staffer Omarosa Takes Nasty Personal Shot At Joy Behar On 'The View' (Watch) (more).

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A few more: Colleen Ballinger Takes Over 'The View', Dishes On Creation Of Miranda Sings (more); Colleen Ballinger Will Co-Host The View (more).