President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden surprised “The View” co-host Joy Behar with a personal message in honor of her 80th birthday Wednesday.
The president and first lady gave a pre-recorded message honoring Behar for her birthday, telling her they are “honored to call her a friend.”
“Happy birthday, Joy,” Biden said.
“No one is better named than you,” Jill added. “You brought joy to so many of your friends and admirers with your trademark humor and that smile that lights up the room. And as a former teacher, I know that there are so many students out there whose lives you’ve changed.”
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“Speak your mind, speak from the heart, stand up for what you believe. You do it with warmth, humor and authenticity,” the president went on to say. “You and your friends at ‘The View’ started the national conversation 25 years ago, and it’s still going on. You have enlightened us as well as entertained us. Both Jill and I are grateful for the time we’ve spent with you over the years, and we’re delighted to call you a friend.”
Behar then excitedly said “gracias presidente” and joked that she expects to be invited to the White House Christmas party. The host has been a longtime defender of Biden and his policies. In one segment, she said back in February that the president does not need charisma after guest TV personality Mark Cuban criticized him for lacking it.
She has also repeatedly been critical of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona for supporting the filibuster that she blamed for blocking Biden’s “promising agenda,” notably his $3.5 trillion Build Back Better legislation and codifying Roe v. Wade into law.
“Biden had a promising agenda and it was derailed by the DINOs in Congress, Manchin and Sinema. Manchinema, let’s call them Manchinema for now on,” she said. “That’s what happened. So to blame Biden, the guy is trying. He put a black woman on the Supreme Court which is good, there’s many things that he’s done.”