"The View" co-anchor Meghan McCain Meghan Marguerite McCainKasich to Meghan McCain: Concern over abortion 'dwarfed' by need to beat Trump Meghan McCain says she believes report Trump called fallen soldiers 'losers' Meghan McCain hits Ivanka Trump's defense of president's Twitter: It's not a 'communication style,' it's 'cruelty' MORE called out GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Matthew (Matt) GaetzLara Trump campaigns with far-right activist candidate Laura Loomer in Florida House to vote on removing cannabis from list of controlled substances The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sights and sounds from GOP convention night 1 MORE (R-Fla.) on Thursday after he said on the program that the president should pardon his longtime confidant Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneOur Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Justice IG investigating Stone sentencing: report Romney says Trump's protest tweets 'clearly intended to further inflame racial tensions' MORE, saying, "Oh come on, congressman."

McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainMcSally says current Senate should vote on Trump nominee Say what you will about the presidential candidates, as long as it isn't 'They're too old' The electoral reality that the media ignores MORE (R-Ariz.), made the dismissive remark amid a discussion ahead of the scheduled prison sentencing of Stone, who was convicted of witness tampering and lying to Congress about his actions during the 2016 presidential race.

Later Thursday a judge sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison.

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Asked by co-host Sonny Hostin if he thought Stone should be pardoned, Gaetz said, "Yes, I do." McCain appeared baffled by remark and repeatedly said, "Come on."

"He's the swampiest swamp creature," McCain said.

Rep. @mattgaetz tells the co-hosts “Roger Stone should be pardoned,” and says “if you look at the original intent of the pardon power, it cannot be limited.” https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/36GAN36V64 — The View (@TheView) February 20, 2020

The Florida congressman then defended his stance, comparing Trump's pardons to those of former Presidents Obama and Clinton. He also argued that when the Founders "designed our Constitution, there were vestiges of the British monarchy that Americans still had some reverence [for], and one was the notion that the executive could extend unlimited grace."

As he made his remarks, "The View" flashed a picture that Gaetz, one of the most outspoken supporters of Trump in Congress, took with Stone. Co-host Joy Behar Josephine (Joy) Victoria BeharBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Sunny Hostin slams 'misogynistic, racist, homophobic' Joe Rogan after his offer to moderate debate Michael Cohen blames 'Stockholm syndrome' for letting Trump leer at his daughter MORE at one point chimed in, joking that Gaetz's account made it seem like Trump is a "king."

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He later argued that based on the original intent of the pardon power, it "could not be limited."

Stone's case gained added attention last week after four prosecutors resigned from his case after Justice Department leaders intervened and requested a lighter sentence than the one originally recommended.

The request came after Trump railed against the initial sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years, though the department has insisted that its decision to intervene in the case occurred without consultation with the White House.

Speculation has increased about whether Trump will use his pardon power to grant clemency to Stone. The president tweeted a video earlier Thursday of Fox News host Tucker Carlson Tucker CarlsonEx-Pence aide: Trump spent 45 minutes of task force meeting 'going off on Tucker Carlson' instead of talking coronavirus Biden town hall draws 3.3 million viewers for CNN OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Cheney asks DOJ to probe environmental groups | Kudlow: 'No sector worse hurt than energy' during pandemic | Trump pledges 'no politics' in Pebble Mine review MORE urging him to end the "travesty" of Stone's case. Carlson noted that "Democrats will become unhinged if Trump pardons Stone, but they’re unhinged anyway."

Trump followed that tweet with another decrying what he views as a lack of "fairness" in Stone's trial. The president in the past week has gone after prosecutors, the forewoman of the trial jury and the Obama-appointed judge who doled out the sentence.