NEW YORK — The hosts of ABC’s “The View” responded sharply to Donald Trump on Thursday following his derogatory remarks about co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg a day earlier.
Sunny Hostin, addressing the situation, expressed her gratitude toward Trump, saying, “I have a personal legal note. Donald Trump, I want to thank you for personally telling so many lies and committing so many alleged crimes and providing us with material on a daily basis. You help us do our jobs, and I’m so appreciative.”
The controversy began when Trump, during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, derided Hostin, who identifies as both Black and Latina, calling her “dumber than Kamala,” and stating, “That is one dumb woman. Sorry. I’m sorry, women, she’s a dummy.”
Trump also targeted Goldberg, labeling her “demented.” He claimed to have once employed Goldberg for a performance, alleging she had a “foul mouth.” He further criticized her, saying, “She was so filthy, dirty, disgusting, half the place left. I said I’d never hire her again. What a loser she is.”
Goldberg appeared to embrace the insults as a point of pride, declaring, “I was filthy and stand on that fact. I have always been filthy. And you knew that when you hired me.” She emphasized that Trump hired her for performances on four separate occasions, challenging, “How dumb are you?”
She also referenced Trump’s past comments from the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, stating, “You know how dirty I wasn’t? I never grabbed anybody by their genitalia.” She noted the distinction between verbal expressions that may not be suitable for children and actual physical assault, asserting, “There’s a difference between people who assault other people and people who say words that you don’t want little kids saying in the middle of church.”
These comments from Trump came a day after Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the show for an interview. The co-hosts entered the studio while Christina Aguilera’s song “Dirty” played in the background. Goldberg commented on Trump’s remarks, saying, “It’s one of the words that you-know-who used when he was talking about me in particular but he was talking about us at his rallies.”
Hostin, who also serves as a lawyer and senior legal correspondent for ABC News, took a jab at Trump, acknowledging, “I admit, I may not have spent as much time in a courtroom as you have.” She added, referencing the legal consequences Trump faces for being found liable for sexual abuse, “I’ve had a history of prosecuting sex offenders, so thank you for keeping people like us in business.”
Despite facing backlash for his comments, Trump has dismissed concerns regarding his rhetoric. He maintains that women are eager for the country to “come back,” asserting, “They don’t care.”
This exchange highlights the ongoing tensions between Trump and the co-hosts of “The View,” while foreshadowing the contentious political climate leading up to the upcoming presidential election.
