In a segment brimming with wild speculation and eyebrow-raising leaps of logic, the hosts of The View turned their attention to Elon Musk’s political influence, weaving an elaborate tale of intrigue involving Musk, JD Vance, and Donald Trump. The discussion, if it can be called that, spiraled into borderline paranoia, with the panel questioning whether Musk and Vance might be plotting to oust—or worse, eliminate—President-elect Trump. The segment opened with Whoopi Goldberg lamenting Musk’s alleged sway over House Speaker Mike Johnson after Johnson admitted consulting Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy before opposing a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown. Goldberg, with characteristic hyperbole, declared, “I think Elon Musk believes he’s president. I do!” Joy Behar chimed in, suggesting Musk had assumed JD Vance’s role as Vice President-elect, though why or how this would be plausible was left entirely unexplored. Goldberg’s critique of Vance’s visibility added little substance, merely quipping, “I don’t remember the last time we even talked about JD.” The conversation reached peak absurdity when Behar speculated that Vance might be “planning the presidency when they get rid of Trump.” Goldberg joined in the theatrics, joking that Trump should avoid staircases—a comment that barely skirted the line of decency before she assured viewers it wasn’t a suggestion of actual violence. Nevertheless, the insinuation hung in the air, casting a shadow over an already ludicrous narrative. The hosts then mocked Johnson’s acknowledgment of Musk and Ramaswamy’s dissatisfaction with the spending resolution, presenting it as evidence of Musk’s outsized influence. Goldberg doubled down, claiming Musk had received “a promotion of some sort that none of us knew about,” as if a private citizen voicing political opinions was tantamount to a constitutional crisis. Alyssa Farah Griffin attempted to inject a semblance of realism, predicting that Musk and Trump’s alignment on the spending bill wouldn’t last due to their clashing egos. Yet even this minor note of reason was couched in speculation about their “main character energy.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)