Whoopi Goldberg, a co-host on “The View,” stirred up controversy on Thursday’s episode of the daytime show with a comment involving Elon Musk, JD Vance, and Donald Trump. The remark led to a rapid attempt to clarify her words to avoid any misunderstanding.
During a segment discussing the ongoing debate over the bipartisan spending bill—a key measure to prevent a government shutdown—Goldberg, 69, humorously remarked on Musk’s perceived influence. “Who is running the show?” she asked, expressing her skepticism about the current leadership. Goldberg, a long-time critic of Trump, added, “I’ve been saying this for a while. I think Elon Musk sees himself as the president. I really do.”
Elaborating on her point, Goldberg continued, “I’ve called him vice president. I’ve called him president. Because, honestly, I don’t even know what JD is doing anymore.” She was referring to JD Vance, the vice president-elect. “It’s been ages since we’ve even talked about JD,” she added.
Her co-host, Joy Behar, 82, joined the conversation, speculating about Vance’s political aspirations. “He’s strategizing for the presidency once Trump is out of the picture,” Behar said.
Goldberg, appearing surprised, turned to Behar and asked, “Are you saying it’s going to be a Musk-Vance ticket?” She was referencing a hypothetical scenario where Musk and Vance team up for a presidential bid.
“It’s possible,” Behar replied.
Goldberg paused for a moment before quipping to a quiet audience, “Well, Trump better stay away from the stairs.” The comment was followed by laughter and applause as she added, “You know, because people sometimes stick out their leg to trip you. Just be careful.”
Aware of how the comment might be interpreted, Goldberg addressed the audience after a commercial break to clarify her intent. “I need to clear something up,” she began. “My cat likes to ambush me on the stairs all the time, and that’s what I was thinking of.”
She went on to explain, “That was the image in my mind. I wasn’t suggesting anyone was standing there trying to trip him on purpose.”
Sunny Hostin, 56, another co-host, stepped in to support Goldberg. “Nobody here wishes harm on the president,” Hostin affirmed.
Goldberg added, “It was just meant to be light-hearted. It’s the holidays, after all. Let’s not take things too seriously. My goodness.”
Hostin reassured the audience again, saying, “We all know you didn’t mean that anyone should harm the president.”
“Exactly,” Goldberg replied. “On this show, it’s practically impossible not to say something that could be taken the wrong way. It happens all the time.”
Returning to her original point, she noted, “I have a cat who does this to me daily. That’s where the joke came from.”
This wasn’t the first time Goldberg has made a bold statement about Musk’s influence. Last month, she claimed that Musk was effectively functioning as Trump’s de facto president. “Elon Musk is the real vice president,” she asserted during a previous episode. “He’s the one making the decisions, taking the actions. Why isn’t he being held accountable for everything he’s involved in?”
{Matzav.com}