Former “Fox & Friends” host Jedediah Bila returned to “The View” on Tuesday, where her former co-hosts talked over her, accused her of spreading “misinformation,” and ended the segment shortly after she accurately stated that fully vaccinated people can still spread and be infected with COVID-19.
Bila promoted her new book “Dear Hartley” on the ABC daytime program, where she briefly served as its token conservative, via remote satellite link.
“Okay, Jed, let’s address the elephant in the room,” co-host Joy Behar said. “You were supposed to join us in the studio weeks ago, but you couldn’t because ABC has a very strict policy: You can’t get into this building unless you’re fully vaccinated.”
“Everybody in this room knows that and is vaccinated. But you made a conscious decision not to get the vaccine,” she continued.
“I am not a candidate for this vaccine,” Bila replied, noting that a team of doctors signed a medical exemption. She added that, since she has had COVID-19, her “sky-high, multi-tier, multi-faceted natural immunity” has been “substantiated by letters from these doctors.”
“I am not anti-vax. What I really want is for people to make these decisions for themselves,” she continued as a cast member groaned audibly. “However, I do oppose mandates.”
Bila added the existing COVID-19 vaccine “does not prevent you from getting COVID and does not prevent you from transmitting COVID.”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Behar. “No, that’s not so. You’ve been at Fox TV too long,” Behar added, to significant applause from the studio audience.
“I don’t understand why you would choose to prioritize your personal freedom over the health and safety of others,” said co-host Sunny Hostin.
“I don’t think we should allow this kind of misinformation on our website,” said Hostin, talking over Bila, who eventually got to reply.
“I am prioritizing my health,” Bila said.
“Over the health and safety of other people,” Hostin averred.
Whoopi Goldberg promptly intervened, saying, “This should sound very familiar to you, Jed: We have to go to break.”
So @JedediahBila went on The View shared 100% factual covid data and they cut her off. Watch this: pic.twitter.com/aUVyhLPci6
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) November 16, 2021
Bila promptly took to Twitter to defend her statements about COVID-19 transmissibility, which match those of public health officials.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged the reality of “breakthrough infections” of COVID-19 for fully vaccinated people during an August 5 interview on CNN. She also told Wolf Blitzer that, “yes, [fully vaccinated people] can” transmit COVID-19 to others. While the vaccines “continue to work well for Delta, with regard to severe illness and death,” she said, “what they can’t do anymore is prevent transmission.”
Facts matter.
The clip from the CDC director herself on transmission below, which I addressed on air.
Also: https://t.co/cdxIQmdH4e
“vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus” https://t.co/k3SfMSC2TQ— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) November 16, 2021
The CDC director recommended that fully vaccinated people wear a mask “to ensure the vaccinated public would not unknowingly transmit virus to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised loved ones” in late July.
The issue of breakthrough infections is a transatlantic concern. “A detailed study on household transmission in the U.K. suggests that a vaccinated person who shares a home with somebody with symptomatic Covid-19 has a 25% chance of catching the virus,” The Wall Street Journal reported on November 6.
“The View” had to clear its own set after one of its fully vaccinated members tested positive during a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris. The COVID test later turned out to be erroneous.
Bila served as the show’s full-time conservative panelist from August 2016 until September 2017.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.