When Meghan McCain Called Out Donald Trump Jr. On ‘The View’: “Your Family Has Hurt a Lot of People”

Once The View took a dramatic turn when Meghan McCain, one of the co-hosts back then confronted Donald Trump Jr. during his appearance on the show alongside his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle. The atmosphere shifted from the typical interview to a tense exchange as McCain addressed Trump Jr. directly, raising scorching questions about character, accountability, and the impact of political actions on personal lives.

As per The Hill, the conversation began with discussions about the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump, but it quickly escalated into something tense when McCain seized the opportunity and exclaimed, “Mr. Trump, a lot of Americans in politics miss the character, and a lot of people miss the soul of this country. You and your family have hurt a lot of people and put a lot of people through a lot of pain, including the Khan family, who is a Gold Star family that I think should be respected for the loss of their son. Does all of this make you feel good?” (McCain's reference to the Khans stemmed from a well-known incident where then-candidate Trump mocked the family after they spoke out against his proposed policies targeting Muslims at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.)

However, Trump Jr.’s response was focused on defending his father’s actions and policies. He said, “I don’t think any of that makes me feel good, but I do think that we got into this because we wanted to do what’s right for America. My father has been working tirelessly to bring back the American dream, I’ve watched politicians with no business experience send that American dream abroad to countries that hate our guts. He’s brought jobs back, he’s created unprecedented levels of unemployment numbers for African-Americans, for Hispanic Americans— ” as reported by People magazine.

Surprisingly, McCain remained steadfast in her questioning, highlighting the character's significance in politics. This episode ignited widespread backlash and posed questions about Trump’s empathy and respect towards military families and veterans. Furthermore, Trump Jr. remarked, “You asked me a question, let me finish it. For women, all-time high startup businesses, so I understand that he’s controversial, I understand that he’s offended a lot of people, but I also understand he took on the establishment and that’s the premier sin in American politics these days, to do that.”

McCain interrupted him and exclaimed, “I will let you speak. Character in politics, I believe, is important. It was how I was raised, it’s the way I view the lens of America, and I understand what you’re saying about policy, but when you’re talking about attacking Gold Star families who have given the ultimate sacrifice more than anyone in this room has given, and you put them through pain. Does it make you feel like this was worth it?”

The conversation also touched on personal losses, with Guilfoyle expressing empathy towards McCain's grief over losing her aunt and McCain acknowledging Guilfoyle's own family tragedies. Amidst these personal exchanges, the discussion circled back to the need for civility in politics and the role of personal attacks versus policy debates.