“Betsy DeVos needs major media training if she’s gonna have a job like this in the administration, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone at that level be worse in interviews,” McCain said, as Behar chuckled.

“I think everyone from Betsy DeVos on down, Republicans, Democrats, as far as I’m concerned, vote everybody out on both sides from the ground up because I’m so sick of our paying, taxpayer dollars to come up with absolute jack five months in [to the coronavirus pandemic] for the children of America,” McCain said.

Behar then said that media training is the least of Devos’ issues" before bluntly stating “she sucks,” which amused her fellow panelists – but the cordial laughs didn’t last long.

“You know what is really amusing me today? This idea that the Republican Party cares about education, they’ve been spending the last few decades defunding education... and they think that we’re going to believe this baloney that they’re throwing at us now that they care about our children? Give me a break,” Behar said.

McCain, the show’s lone conservative voice, didn’t appreciate the dig at Republicans.

“Well, I don’t think it’s fair to say Republicans don’t care about children, I think that’s very aggressive and incendiary,” McCain said.

Behar chimed in, saying she said Republicans don’t care about “education” not “children.”

“Well, the idea that Republicans don’t care about education, what about teachers’ unions? One of the ideas that I’ve heard is teachers who are immune-compromised or above a certain age should maybe be doing their classes via Zoom or satellite and then have a proctor who is healthy, and does feel comfortable social distancing... it feels like there is a moving goalpost of priorities but to sit here and say Republicans don’t care about education or children is just ridiculous,” McCain said.

“Then why do they keep defunding it? Why do they keep defunding education? Every time I turn around it’s less money,” Behar said. “I was a teacher, I know what I’m talking about.”

McCain shot back, “I was not a teacher... what’s exhausting is coming on this show every day and being told that Republicans don’t care about anything. We just want people to die, we want children not to be educated, nothing matters.”

McCain explained that she has friends who are very concerned about kids returning to school.

"We all have to collectively come together and stop coming into this show every Monday after a break and say, 'Oh it's Republicans fault,'" McCain said. "It's not. This is America's problem."

Behar shouted that she wishes Hillary Clinton were president before Goldberg cut to a commercial break.

McCain and Behar later tweeted about the situation:

I live to spar in a political debate and there's no stronger partner than @JoyVBehar, and nobody I'd rather trend on @Twitter with.

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 13, 2020