Vice President Kamala Harris had a scheduled appearance on the talk show The View get somewhat disrupted Friday morning when two of the show's hosts tested positive for COVID-19 minutes before Harris was about to join them on set.
Co-hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin had to be pulled from set Friday morning after testing positive, as the New York Times reports, leading to an awkward few minutes in which longtime co-host Joy Behar had to fill some time taking questions from the audience. The hosts do not wear masks while on camera, but the audience members were all masks.
Behar announced that Navarro and Hostin likely had breakthrough cases, but they would both likely "be fine" because they are both "vaccinated... up the wazoo." She and co-host Sara Haines then took questions while the Vice President was being prepped for a remote interview in a separate room.
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg was off today.
The View had been promoting Harris's Friday appearance as her first "in-studio" interview since taking office.
Below, you can hear her respond to a question about reproductive rights.
.@VP @KamalaHarris reacts to Texas' new restrictive abortion law on #TheView: “We are going to stand together unified and fight for women’s constitutional rights to make decisions about their own body.” https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/d8TCpS9lzd
— The View (@TheView) September 24, 2021
Also, Harris was using the appearance to announce a new $1.2 billion initiative to bring broadband access to over three million schoolchildren across the country.
.@VP @KamalaHarris on @TheView: "We are announcing today $1.2 billion going to over three million school children in America to get them access and affordability for broadband."
— The View (@TheView) September 24, 2021
"We want to make sure that all kids have the opportunity to succeed." https://t.co/Gqk9PM7dM1 pic.twitter.com/3NHIswx6ni