The View Hosts Team Up to School Conservative Mia Love: 'I'm Sick of This'

Guest co-host Mia Love just learned the hard way that being The View's token conservative is no cakewalk. On Thursday, Love did her best Meghan McCain impression when she argued that mask mandates for school-aged children violate a parent's "choice" in the matter. Love's remark earned a sharp rebuke from the co-hosts, who teamed up to school her on the difference between public and private health. Welcome to The View, Mia Love!

Love's civics lesson came during a Hot Topics discussion about a Tallahassee judge overruling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on mask mandates in schools, a move that all four permanent co-hosts praised. "He's putting his political ambitions ahead of the safety of children. It's as simple as that," said Joy Behar. "He should be criminally liable for that. You are actually committing negligent homicide when people die on your watch."

The former Utah congresswoman, however, disagreed. "The question is actually where should these decisions be made," said Love. "Ultimately, I don't think it's the governor's job. I think it's up to the parents and the school districts to work it out and figure out what works for their area."

"I think that makes a lot of sense, Mia, when you're talking about private health. But this is a public health crisis," replied Sunny Hostin, earning a round of applause from the studio audience. "And when you're talking about a public health issue, that's a very collaborative effort, and unfortunately, we have a lot of people that don't seem to care about you, the person to their left. They don't seem to care about the person to their right. They only seem to care about themselves. And I want to take those decisions away from those people, and I want us to make a decision for everyone."

Behar then asked Love why the COVID-19 vaccine is different from requiring children in schools to be vaccinated for measles and mumps, to which the guest co-host insisted that "many people don't" comply with this policy. "I'm explaining the views of some of the parents that are concerned. There are people, and I don't share their views, but they don't get their children vaccinated," she said. "I want to make sure that smallpox stays eradicated. But at the end of the day, as a parent, if there's no mandate, it's still my choice whether I send my kids to school with a mask or not."

FLORIDA JUDGE OVERRULES DeSANTIS ON MASK MANDATES: The co-hosts and guest co-host @MiaBLove discuss Tallahassee Judge John Cooper overruling Gov. Ron DeSantis and allowing Florida school districts to keep mandating masks while the state appeals. https://t.co/T9HMasPd7x pic.twitter.com/MyOAC8QsCP

— The View (@TheView) September 9, 2021

"It isn't really," insisted Behar, as Whoopi Goldberg added that she's "sick of this" argument from conservatives. "We've done it the other way. We've hoped that people ... we had to make a law to make you understand, this is how we do it!" said Goldberg. "I understand you don't want to wear a mask. I don't want to wear a mask, either. But I also don't want to be concerned when I'm outside that you didn't do what you were supposed to do!"

After a few more minutes of not-so-subtle dragging, Love got the hint and changed tact. "Let's just put it out there: it's ultimately the consequence someone is taking. You don't mask up, you don't do what you're supposed to do — the consequence is you can die," she said, as the co-hosts reminded her that other people can die as a result, as well. "We're not going to save everybody from everything. We're not going to be able to force everybody to do the right thing. But it is up to us, ultimately, to do the right thing."

Before sending The View to break, Goldberg pointed out one final flaw in Love's argument. "We would've never had equal schools if we waited for people to actually do it," said the longtime moderator. "If you don't do what you're supposed to do, we're just going to spin around in this little crazy world."

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.