The hosts of The View sparked controversy during Thursday’s episode on ABC, where they floated a speculative theory involving President-elect Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The discussion, led by Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, centered on an unfounded and outlandish claim that Musk and Vance might be plotting to “get rid of Trump” and take over the government.
The segment began with Goldberg questioning who was truly “in charge,” before launching into her perspective. “I think Elon Musk believes he’s president. I do. I’ve called him vice president. I called him president because I don’t know what JD is doing. I hardly ever say, I don’t remember the last time we even talked about JD,” Goldberg said.
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Behar chimed in with her own theory, stating, “He’s planning the presidency when he’s gonna get rid of Trump.” Goldberg appeared intrigued and followed up by asking, “So you think it’s Musk, Musk/Vance?” Behar responded, “Possible.”
The conversation took an even more bizarre turn when Goldberg issued what sounded like an ominous warning: “Stay away from the stairways. Because, you know, people put their leg out to trip you going down the stairs. Watch out.”
ABC News moderators Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar claim Elon Musk and JD Vance are planning to kill Trump and usurp control of the government together as Musk/Vance.
“[Trump] stay away from the stairways.” – Whoopi pic.twitter.com/bMRmOSwdrk— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 19, 2024
The remarks sparked immediate backlash online, with critics pointing out the speculative nature of the claims.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Vance, the incoming Vice President, have often been targets of criticism from the show’s liberal hosts.
However, the suggestion of a conspiracy between the two against Trump appeared to lack any substantive basis.
After a commercial break, Goldberg attempted to clarify her comments, stating that her remarks about stairways were not meant to be taken literally. “Okay, I need to clean something up,” she said upon returning to the broadcast. “Because my cat lays in wait for me on my stairs all the time. And that’s what I was, I was thinking of that. I wasn’t trying to indicate that they were actually standing there with their legs out, hoping he would trip.”
Behar nodded in agreement, while co-host Sunny Hostin added, “No one wants anything done to the President.”
Goldberg reinforced the sentiment, saying, “No, nobody wants anything done to the person. It was lighthearted, and it’s the holidays—come on!”
After a commercial break, Whoopi tries to downplay her assassination comments about Trump by claiming she was thinking about her cat: “My cat lays in wait for me on my stairs all the time and that’s what I was referring [to].”
“No one wants anything done to the President.” Hostin pic.twitter.com/4qUc0thEYT— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 19, 2024
The panel quickly pivoted to other topics, with Goldberg joking about the challenges of hosting a show that often draws heated reactions.
Despite their attempt to move past the incident, the segment added to a growing list of controversial statements from The View hosts, many of whom are known for their strong liberal opinions and frequent critiques of conservative figures.
The theory involving Musk and Vance remains unsubstantiated, and no evidence has surfaced to support the claim of a plot against Trump.
For now, the segment serves as another example of the often provocative and polarizing discussions that have become a hallmark of The View.
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