Meghan McCain apologised on Monday (22 March) after being called out for anti-Asian comments by John Oliver.
“I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian American community,” the co-host of The View tweeted. “There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fuelled many of these attacks and I apologise for any past comments that aided that agenda.”
Her apology came after Oliver, on his HBO show Last Week Tonight, spoke about growing racism against Asian-Americans and pointed out that last year McCain had supported former president Donald Trump after he dubbed Covid-19 the “China virus.”
Oliver noted that people at that time had warned that such rhetoric could lead to violence against Asian-Americans.
He then showed a March 2020 clip from The View in which she said: “I think if the Left wants to focus on PC [politically correct] labelling this virus, it is a great way to get Trump re-elected. I don’t have a problem with people calling it whatever they want. It’s a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan.”
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Once the clip ended, Oliver said: “Oh good, Meghan McCain doesn’t have a problem with it! Listen not to the scores of Asian-Americans telling everyone that the term is dangerous and offensive.”
He then showed a 17 March post by McCain on Twitter in which she wrote “Stop Asian Hate,” before noting that it is “a fine sentiment to throw upon Twitter after the fact”.
“There has to be an understanding that saying, ‘I don’t have a problem with calling it the China virus’ is very much giving space for that hate to grow,” Oliver added.
Crimes against Asian-Americans have risen in the US in recent months, forcing president Joe Biden and other politicians to address the issue. A mass shooting in Atlanta on 16 March saw six women of Asian-American origin killed.
On 20 March, Mr Biden said that he and vice president Kamala Harris “sat down with Asian-American leaders in Atlanta.”
“It was a heart-wrenching meeting that made clear the urgent work that lies ahead,” he tweeted. “We must come together as one America, stand against hate, and root out racism wherever we find it.”
