Conservatives Hit Back at ‘The View’ for Claiming Republicans are ‘Afraid’ to Appear

Conservative voices are firing back at ABC’s The View after the show’s liberal co-hosts accused Republicans of being “too scared” to appear on their program — a claim that was quickly dismantled with a flood of proof from prominent right-wing figures.

The controversy began after actress Cheryl Hines, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appeared on the show Tuesday. Co-host Joy Behar mused that she wished more conservatives would join their table, but then added that many were “too scared” to face the hosts.

That comment didn’t sit well with conservatives — or with viewers who’ve grown weary of the daytime panel’s hostility toward Trump supporters and right-leaning guests.

Within hours, OutKick founder and radio host Clay Travis called Behar’s claim “a lie,” posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Joy Behar says Republicans are afraid to come on The View. This is a lie. I’m happy to come by for a visit.”

Travis even shared an email his producer had sent to the show, offering to fly to New York for an appearance alongside his co-host Buck Sexton. “We think a sit-down would be productive for both audiences since they come from two completely different perspectives,” the email read.

Sexton added bluntly, “They just have no love for us. They want conservatives they can control, not the ones who actually push back.”

Travis wasn’t the only one with receipts.

Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines posted that when her team pitched her to appear, “they said no.” What are they afraid of — that I’ll say women deserve fairness in sports? she asked in a follow-up post.

Conservative documentarian Matt Walsh echoed her experience: “For some reason, they’ve also turned me down.”

Emails obtained by Fox News Digital showed the show’s booking team declining or ignoring pitches for several high-profile conservative figures, including Gaines, Walsh, New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz, and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer.

According to those emails, Meyer’s rep had even offered him for a Veterans Day appearance — only to be told there was “no room at the moment.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, who famously sparred with the hosts in 2022, joined the online pile-on Thursday. Quoting Gaines’ post, Cruz wrote simply: “Me too!”

Former Levi’s brand president and XX-XY founder Jennifer Sey — a frequent critic of woke corporate culture — was more direct. “This is hilarious. We aren’t afraid of you,” Sey wrote. “You reject us all when we’re pitched to go on your show.”

Critics have long accused The View of parading token “Republicans” who spend more time criticizing President Trump than defending conservative values. Current co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump staffer turned CNN contributor, has often joined liberal co-hosts in attacking the administration.

Meanwhile, Ana Navarro — who still calls herself a Republican — literally hosted a night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris before her landslide loss to Trump.

As conservative commentator Buck Sexton put it: “They don’t want conservatives. They want controlled opposition.”

This isn’t the first time The View has been accused of cherry-picking its guests. In 2023, Sen. Cruz’s team reportedly asked for a return appearance to promote his book — only to be rejected again.

The show has previously hosted a handful of right-leaning figures such as Donald Trump Jr., Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Newt Gingrich, but critics say those moments were carefully orchestrated and often ended in shouting matches.

“The View doesn’t want dialogue — they want drama,” said conservative strategist David Bossie. “Every time a real conservative challenges them, they fold.”

Despite its liberal hosts’ insistence that Republicans are “too scared,” the evidence tells another story. Conservatives aren’t hiding — they’re just not being invited.

As President Trump told supporters earlier this year when asked about the show, “They don’t want to debate. They want applause from the same crowd every morning. But that crowd’s getting smaller every day.”

ABC declined to comment on the controversy.