Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s Sandra Bland Cigarette As Weapon Comment Slammed: Whoopi Goldberg & ‘The View’ Hosts Defend

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is experiencing a backlash for her remarks on Sandra Bland. Elisabeth, formerly co-host of The View and now co-host of Fox & Friends, came under attack on social media after Hasselbeck defended the arresting officer’s actions, reported MSN.

“I’m sure, someone has, in the history of this land, used a cigarette against a police officer,” said Elisabeth.

Hasselbeck’s comments implying that Bland might have utilized her cigarette as a weapon were immediately attacked, with some ridiculing her response.

“Did Fox News think Sandra Bland could absorb the energy of her cigarette and hurl a fireball at the cop?” posted @owillis.

Being investigated as a murder, Sandra’s death may have been suicide, based on the preliminary reports. The videos released revealed a Texas state officer pulling Bland out of her vehicle and stating that he would use a taser on her. Her arrest allegedly was due to the assault of a police officer.

Three days after that arrest, Sandra’s body was discovered in her jail cell.

“Is she trying to justify murder?” asked Twitter user @quaymorris in response to Elisabeth’s comments.

Hasselbeck, during her commentary about the video on Fox & Friends, also suggested that cigarettes frequently are used as weapons, reported Media Matters.

“There are times, I’m sure, someone has, in the history of this land, used a cigarette against a police officer, maybe chucked it at him, pushed it at him,” said Elisabeth.

Twitter lit up with wrath at her justification of Bland’s treatment and arrest.

“So… will @ehasselbeck call the cops if someone has a cigarette in front of her office building? #weapon,” posted @RegPHunt.

However, Hasselbeck’s former co-hosts on The View defended Elisabeth’s statements, reported The Wrap.

“She has not asked me to pick any cotton,” said Whoopi Golberg in response to those who labeled Hasselbeck as a racist. “Somehow, suddenly, it is no longer OK to pose a question that will give you an answer in order to best understand what’s going on.”

Raven-Symone also provided her insights.

“There are a lot of people of color who think that white people shouldn’t ask certain questions because they don’t understand it … and I don’t think that’s fair,” said one of The View‘s newest co-hosts. “We have to stop being so sensitive.”

And Whoopi said that she encourages questions.

“If we stop asking questions, how will we ever know the truth?” asked Goldberg. “Relax; you’ll recognize the real racists. You know them when you see them and when you hear them. This woman sat here for 12 years and had disagreements that does not make her a frickin’ racist. Sorry.”

As the Inquisitr reported, The View has been through its own turmoil recently, with Rosie O’Donnell’s reason for leaving specifically linked to the stress she felt from the fights among the co-hosts.

[Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images]