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Joy Behar Dumbfounded by Candidate Rhetoric During Live Segment
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Joy Behar Dumbfounded by Candidate Rhetoric During Live Segment

Tuesday's Democratic primaries in New York delivered major victories for candidates aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, energizing the party's progressive wing while also exposing disagreements over just how far left some of its nominees are willing to go.

Nowhere was that tension more visible than on Wednesday's episode of The View, where the show's hosts celebrated the success of several Democratic Socialist-backed candidates before confronting some of the positions held by one of the night's biggest winners.


Candidates endorsed by Mamdani prevailed in three New York City congressional primaries. Claire Valdez won the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District for the open seat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velázquez. In the 10th District, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in a race where Israel became a major issue. In the 13th District, Darializa Avila Chevalier narrowly defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Celebrating the victories, Mamdani told supporters at Lander's election-night gathering that candidates like those he endorsed "bring a vision of politics that is more than what we've seen for so long," according to CNN.

The results quickly became a topic on The View, where Joy Behar argued that New Yorkers were comfortable embracing Democratic socialism.

"Obviously, New Yorkers aren't watching Fox constantly," Behar said. "They're not afraid of the term Democratic socialism."


She went on to argue that many government services Americans rely upon reflect ideas often associated with democratic governance and public investment.

"If I fall down, I want an ambulance. If my house is on fire, bring your hose," she said. "Social Security is Democratic socialism. Partly, unemployment insurance is. The people who pick up your garbage, the people who take the fire out of your house."

Behar also suggested dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and Republican politics had helped create an opening for progressive candidates.

The discussion took a different turn when co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin raised several controversial positions associated with Avila Chevalier.

"You just talked about these goods and services," Griffin said. "One of your new candidates, Darializa Avila Chevalier, wants to abolish the police and all prisons."

Griffin added that Avila Chevalier had been asked repeatedly during the campaign how violent offenders, including murderers, would be handled under her vision but did not provide a direct answer. She also referenced social media posts in which Avila Chevalier criticized former President Barack Obama, former President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.


"These were not people running on an affordability agenda," Griffin argued. "These were left-wing extremists that were elected last night at the expense of moderate Democrats."

Behar responded by distancing herself from those views.

"I don't like the way she sounds at all," she said, while adding that Avila Chevalier "is not the party. She's one person."


Avila Chevalier has also drawn scrutiny for other statements made over the years. According to published reports, she has called the United States "a f***ing disgrace," participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and expressed support for sweeping structural changes to American institutions. Critics have cited those remarks as evidence that her views fall well outside the Democratic mainstream, while supporters have argued they reflect a broader critique of existing political and economic systems.

The other Mamdani-backed winners have also attracted attention for their progressive policy positions. Lander's campaign benefited from strong support among voters critical of Goldman's pro-Israel positions, while Valdez has advocated significant changes to transportation policy, including reducing the role of private airlines.

Written by Arthur Higgens - June 26, 2026