The television talk show “The View” on ABC is once again under the spotlight after co-host Whoopi Goldberg made comments about President-elect Donald Trump that some have interpreted as controversial. The incident took place during a segment on December 19, 2024, which focused on the escalating political influence of Elon Musk.
The conversation, centered around a failed bipartisan spending bill, saw Goldberg question the balance of power in Washington, with a particular emphasis on Musk’s involvement in the policies of the Trump administration. The debate took a contentious turn when co-host Joy Behar implied that Vice President-elect JD Vance and Musk may have colluded against Trump.
Goldberg then uttered what some critics perceived as a threatening remark, saying, “Hey, you know who [Trump]; stay away from the stairways… Because, you know, people put their leg out to trip you going down the stairs. Watch out.”
Following a commercial break, Goldberg sought to clarify her comments, insisting that they were meant as a reference to her cat’s behavior on stairs and not a suggestion of harm to the president-elect.
Trump responded to the comments on December 22, dismissing the notion that he had “surrendered the presidency” to Musk, and pointed out that constitutional rules prohibit foreign-born citizens from holding the office.
The controversy comes as Musk’s involvement in Trump’s transition increases. Musk, a regular visitor to Mar-a-Lago, has been involved in talks with global leaders and has influenced staffing decisions. He, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, was appointed by Trump as co-chairs of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the aim of identifying $500 billion in “unauthorized” or “misused” spending. Critics however, express concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest, as Musk’s companies hold numerous federal contracts.
The spending bill which sparked the debate had provisions that could have restricted Musk’s business activities in China. Musk utilized his social media influence to urge House Republicans to reject the bill, which subsequently failed.
Musk’s political action committee is poised to play a major role in Republican primaries, funding challengers to House members who oppose Trump’s nominees. Recent filings revealed Musk’s $200 million donation to a pro-Trump super PAC and $20 million to a group asserting that Trump would not enforce a national abortion ban.
“The View” has had its share of controversies in relation to Trump. In November 2024, the show had to issue four legal notes in a single episode following unverified claims about Trump’s cabinet picks, including Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, and Pam Bondi.
In July 2022, “The View” retracted statements made by Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar suggesting that protestors at a Turning Point USA event were “invited” by the organization. After receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the conservative group, Sara Haines made an on-air clarification, stating, “We want to make clear that these demonstrators were gathered on public property, not on the conference grounds.”
Since the acquisition of the social media platform X in 2022, Musk’s influence has seen significant growth. His posts often reach twice the audience of Trump’s, thus enabling him to shape policy and cabinet selections for the upcoming administration.
