Whoopi Goldberg, known for her candid nature on The View, made headlines when she defiantly tore up a note requesting her to clarify her comments regarding Donald Trump. This act was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
During Monday’s episode, the hosts were analyzing some controversial moments from Donald Trump’s interview on 60 Minutes. Sunny Hostin highlighted Trump’s unexpected reaction when questioned about crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao, who had been pardoned by Trump.
Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance with a staggering net worth of $82 billion, had previously pleaded guilty to money laundering charges. He served a four-month sentence after federal prosecutors contended that his actions had jeopardized US national security.
When CBS’ Norah O’Donnell asked Trump about the pardon, he responded: “OK, are you ready? I don’t know who he is.”
This response drew criticism, especially from those at The View who noted Trump’s inconsistency, considering his prior criticism of former President Biden for using an autopen to sign numerous pardons at the end of his presidency.
Trump had claimed those pardons were invalid because “Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them.”
Hostin pointed out this contradiction, commenting: “He said that Joe Biden didn’t know who he was pardoning using an autopen. How come you don’t know who this guy is?”
Goldberg seized this moment to joke: “Because he used an autopen.” This jest seemed to raise concerns about potential legal repercussions from Trump’s administration.
Subsequently, as Goldberg continued speaking, Hostin, a former prosecutor known for delivering legal notes on-air, passed a note to her. Goldberg’s reaction was immediate and intense: “What the hell! What?”
“We don’t know if Trump used an autopen to pardon, it was a joke!” Goldberg exclaimed while tearing up the note, expressing frustration over the need for clarification.
Hostin, trying to clarify, reiterated that there is no evidence Trump used an autopen for the pardon.
This cautionary approach only fueled Goldberg’s frustration, leading her to state: “I’m sorry. The hardest thing about this job now is no one understands nuance. You know when you hear a joke, when somebody is fooling around, when they’re not saying something specific.”
Goldberg further explained: “Especially on this show. I’m very specific when I’m pointing stuff out. When I’m making jokes, you know when I’m making jokes. This is ridiculous,” prompting a resounding applause from the audience.