Joy Behar triggered after Kim Klacik calls out ‘Blackface’ past: ‘The Black community had my back!’

Republican House candidate Kim Klacik ignited a firestorm on ABC’s “The View” Friday after bringing up comedian Joy Behar’s “beautiful African woman” Halloween costume.

The Maryland Republican fielded multiple questions about President Trump allegedly being “racist” by the show’s liberal hosts and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic before the Blackface controversy was broached.

“Excuse me, I have to say something to you,” Ms. Behar said as the guest was explaining across-the-board failures for dealing with the virus. “[Mr. Trump] told Bob Woodward that it was a very serious issue, and it’s airborne and that it was terrible, and then he went out and told the American people, don’t wear masks, it’s all going to go away. You have to put some blame on your president, I’m sorry. You’re putting it on something extraneous here. Talk to the point, please.”

“Is this Joy speaking?” Ms. Klacik, who is running for the U.S. House seat formerly held by the late Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, replied. “The same Joy that paraded around in Blackface not too long ago? Come on, Joy.” Klacik added.

“Excuse me!” the comedian exclaimed. “The Black community had my back! They know that that was not Blackface! That was an homage. Oh, please! Just answer the question.”

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

As issue for Ms. Behar is a Halloween costume she wore at 29 years old, which she referred to as representing a “beautiful African woman.”

The image was debated a handful of months after Megyn Kelly’s “Today” show at NBC was terminated in response to her defense of such costumes.

Ms. Kelly was criticized for saying Black costumes were acceptable during her childhood as long as “you were dressing like a character.”

Ms. Behar’s issue was debated in February 2019 after Virginia’s Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, admitted to wearing a Michael Jackson Blackface costume in college.

“The View” moderator Whoopi Goldberg has defended Ms. Behar’s use of the costume.

“She was not in Blackface,” Ms. Goldberg said in November 2019. “Listen, being Black, I recognize Blackface. This I can say.”

Ms. Klacik noted prior to the show cutting to a commercial that claims of not having the Black community’s support are spurious because she lost a special election at the start of coronavirus lockdowns.