The View panel were quick to shut down Sunny Hostin over her claims that the solar eclipse is somehow linked to climate change.
The total solar eclipse passed across North America on Monday, with stunning images instantly clogging up our Instagram timelines.
This occurred days after an extremely rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New York last week, leading to many conspiracy theories on social media.
Unpacking the incidents, as well as the arrival of trillions of cicadas, on the latest episode of the ABC series, the author questioned whether climate change was to blame – with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar baffled by her comments.
The 55-year-old began: ‘Our wonderful make-up artist, when the earthquake was happening, she put her coat on. She was like, “Jesus is coming, I’m out, I’m leaving.”
‘We’ve got a solar eclipse, we’ve got the earthquake. Also I learned that the cicadas are coming for the first time in 100 years…’
Whoopi clearly saw where the conversation was going and tried to step in, but Sunny insisted: ‘This is what I read.
‘All those things together would maybe lead one to believe that either climate change exists, or something is really going on.’
Having absolutely none of it, Joy rushed to correct her colleague, insisting that there is nothing sinister behind the eclipse and the rise of bugs.
‘Earthquakes are not at the mercy of climate change, it’s underground,’ she explained.
Whoopi continued: ‘It happens – the eclipse, they’ve known about the eclipse coming because eclipses happen – they actually can say when these things are going to happen.
‘All these folks who are saying it’s a sign from God, God doesn’t give you warning.
‘The cicadas come, we have them every 17 years. There are some we get every 20-some odd years. They go under and come back up.’
Sunny’s comments come as two different broods of cicadas are set to emerge at the same time across parts of the US this spring, for the first time in 200 years.
Brood XIX will emerge after 13 years underground, while Brood XIII will appear after around 17 years at the same time – meaning trillions of cicadas will be seen and heard in several states.
Whoopi and Joy weren’t the only ones shocked by the remarks, as many flocked to social media to call the View star out.
Nick Adams wrote on Twitter: ‘Sunny Hostin tried to blame cicadas, earthquakes, and the eclipse on climate change. Doesn’t get much dumber than that.’
Justin Baragona agreed: ‘Sunny Hostin deserves all the mockery she is getting for this clip.
‘She claims that the solar eclipse and earthquakes are tied to climate change, prompting both Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar to jump in to try and save her.’
Brigitte Gabriel added: ‘Is Sunny Hostin the dumbest person on television? Even Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar are calling this claim nonsense!’
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