The View cohost Meghan McCain apologized for past comments she made that excused Donald Trump’s anti-Asian nickname for COVID-19, “the China virus.”

In March 2020, McCain said she didn’t “have a problem with people calling [COVID-19] whatever they want.”

McCain tweeted an apology on Monday, “I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There is no doubt Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda.”

Following the Atlanta shooting last week that killed eight people, McCain tweeted a graphic that read, “Stop Asian Hate” and captioned it with three broken hearts.

Following this, John Oliver called her out by name on HBO’s Last Week Tonight for remarks made in 2020 pertaining to COVID-19. Oliver played a clip of McCain on The View from last year saying that while she condemned the stereotyping of Asian people, she didn’t have any problem with Trump calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus.”

“I think if the left wants to focus on P.C. labeling this virus, it is a great way to get Trump re-elected,” she said in the resurfaced video. “I don’t have a problem with people calling it whatever they want. It’s a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan.”

Oliver reacted to the video, saying, “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. Instead, gather around and take the word of a wealthy white woman who’s dressed like she’s about to lay off 47 people over Zoom.”

“Meghan McCain posted this week, ‘Stop Asian Hate,’ with three broken hearts emoji, which is a fine sentiment to throw up on Twitter after the fact,” he said. “But 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 hate to grow.”

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