The View has become something of a standard in the world of modern media. The long-running TV show has managed to outlast almost every TV show it once competed with at the start of its run. Fans typically cite a lot of different reasons for their continued viewership. But one of the biggest sales is Joy Behar’s absolute frank and forthright attitude. However, this type of position can be something of a gamble. People love to see that kind of attitude when they’re cheering with a host. But when things become more contentious it’s easy for the audience to become equally divided. Such was the case when Behar spoke to a woman she’d once called a useful idiot who’s controlled by Russia. When Tulsi Gabbard came on the show she was prepared for a serious battle of words. And that’s exactly what began early on into the broadcast.

Tulsi Gabbard is obviously no stranger to difficult discussions. Gabbard has held many extremely stressful positions over the course of her life. These positions range from serving as a congresswoman to Hawaii to her time with the National Guard. It’s also notable that much of her most difficult times have come from service to community and country. One needs to remember that it’s easy to disagree with people’s actions. But respect is often due to the reasons why they decide to do what they do. It’s understandable that Gabbard might feel that her patriotism is beyond question. Serving as a congressional representative is a stronger implementation of national consciousness than the vast majority of people will ever take upon their own shoulders. Likewise, serving in the National Guard is something that few people could take unless they were bolstered by a sense of duty. As such, it’s natural to think that someone in her position might balk at essentially being called either a traitor or detriment to the country she clearly loves. All of this helps to highlight why Gabbard came to the show with a clear intent to engage in a battle of words. She left Behar speechless right from the start.

Gabbard began by decrying anyone who’d call her a traitor. The congresswoman launched into the accusations that had been levied at her. Behar was clearly unprepared for the assault. She was left speechless at first and could only clarify some minor points. Eventually, she started to launch into attacks based on the opinions of third parties. For example, she noted that Franklin Graham finds Gabbard refreshing. Gabbard would have none of it and proceeded to talk about her background and reason for coming on the show. Gabbard accused Behar of spreading innuendo that has nothing to do with who she really is. Gabbard pointed out that she became a soldier due to the attacks on 9/11. She talked about the fact that she was deployed to the Middle East twice during the height of the war. Tulsi then pointed out that seeing the high human cost of war is why she decided to run for Congress. By the end of the show, she’d clearly won on multiple fronts. She’d obviously managed to silence the normally argumentative Behar right from the start. But she’d also managed to win a more difficult battle. Gabbard needed to win over the home viewers. It’s not always easy to know what a home audience takes away from speeches. But Twitter provides a good window into the average person’s reaction. And the positive reaction to Gabbard and negative to Behar shows that Tulsi really did achieve her goals.