Black GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview

An interview on ABC’s “The View” became heated on Friday after Maryland GOP congressional candidate Kim Klacik accused co-host Joy Behar of wearing blackface.

At the start of Klacik’s interview with Behar, the GOP candidate asked if she was speaking to “the same Joy that paraded around in black face.” 

“Is this Joy speaking?” Klacik said after Behar pressed her about President Trump’s coronavirus response.

“The same Joy that paraded around in blackface not too long ago?”

A photo of Behar swept social media in 2019 that depicted the comedian, who was in her 20s at the time of the photo, dressed for Halloween as a “beautiful African woman.” The photo drew scrutiny, and on the morning show Behar and her other co-hosts did not address the issue, according to The Washington Post.

“That’s not true. Excuse me — excuse me! The Black community had my back,” Behar said. “They know that that was not blackface. That was an homage. Oh, please.”

“The Black community has my back as well,” Klacik replied.

“The Black community has your back? The Black community has your back?” co-host Sunny Hostin then interjected. “The Black community did not vote for you. The Black community did not vote for you. What planet are you living on? What planet are you living on?”

“Sunny, can I speak? It was during a special election while we were still under lockdown—” Klacik explained before getting cut off by Hostin.

“Wow! Wow!” Hostin continued.

“Can I speak, or are you just going to scream over me?” Klacik asked.

“All right, before this becomes a big — listen, Kim, good luck to you. Thanks to Kim Klacik. Bye,” Behar said in ending the interview

“That’s been very immature, but thank you for having me,” Klacik quipped.

Later Klacik took to Twitter after the segment to criticize Behar. 

“The ladies of @TheView didn’t like what I had to say, so naturally they cut me off,” she wrote. “Why are they silencing Black Women? Hey, @JoyVBehar — I think your White Privilege is showing through your blackface!”

The ladies of @TheView didn’t like what I had to say, so naturally they cut me off.

Why are they silencing Black Women?

Hey, @JoyVBehar — I think your White Privilege is showing through your blackface! pic.twitter.com/d39hPOAPOV

— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) September 18, 2020

Klacik, who has endorsed Trump, is seeking to fill the seat of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) in Baltimore. She lost to Kweisi Mfume (D) in an April special election earlier this year.

She is now facing off against Mfume again in November’s general election.

Klacik, 38, gained national prominence after a campaign ad went viral in which she walks through Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods and blames Democratic leadership for poverty and crime. The ad has generated more than 10 million views on YouTube.