‘The View’s’ Abby Huntsman Finally Convinced Trump’s a Criminal: ‘This Is Extortion’

Abby Huntsman, daughter of Donald Trump’s former ambassador to Russia, ex-Fox News host, and current co-host of The View, has always been skeptical that the president is guilty of committing any crimes. 

But the latest news stemming from a whistleblower complaint about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seems to have changed her mind.

“As you guy know, I've been wary about this from the time it was trickling out last week,” Huntsman said Tuesday morning. “Because, one, we don't have all the facts, the media doesn’t always get it right, and it was the same Democrats that have been calling for impeachment since before he even got in office.”

“The more I’m learning about this and I think other people are learning about it, and I think other people are learning about it, this is really alarming,” she continued as Whoopi Goldberg let out a “yeah!” shout. “And now we have more of the facts and the president himself even admitted it, but in my opinion, this is extortion.” 

“That’s right,” Joy Behar chimed in. 

Trying to put it in terms anyone could understand, Huntsman said, “If you have a boss who says go do something for me, something that you don't want to do, you know that they hold the cards, that if you don't do it, you risk not getting paid, you risk getting fired.” In that scenario, Trump “may say, ‘I'm not pressuring you’” to Ukraine, “but they know ‘if you don't do what I'm telling you to do, you will not be in a good position.’” 

“I think as a country we should take a step back again and say, what should our president do that we should be proud of?” Huntsman asked. “Is this something we can stand by?” She added she has “thought through” the story “over the last few days and sometimes facts have to come in before you figure out where you stand and this is scary stuff.” She said, “I don't care where you are politically, I don't think anyone should stand by this.” 

Goldberg and Behar seemed relieved to have Huntsman on their side for once but at the same time couldn’t believe it took her this long. “Abby, this guy, his crimes have been as clear as the nose on your face,” Behar said.

“This one seems a little more clear to me than other ones we've seen,” Huntsman replied.

By the end of the segment, however, Meghan McCain had managed to hijack the conversation by arguing that Democrats shouldn’t impeach Trump—or “unleash the Kraken,” as she put it—unless they want to sacrifice the White House in 2020. 

“Here's the deal, if you can't see why people are upset about this,” Goldberg told her, “then don't be so dismissive when you're talking.”