Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner delivered harsh criticism of Whoopi Goldberg on Thursday, June 19, calling the View co-host “ignorant” and “asinine” for likening the Black American experience to life under Iran’s authoritarian regime.

The backlash came after a tense exchange the day before on The View, when Goldberg and co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin clashed during a discussion on the Iran-Israel conflict. Griffin noted Iran’s record of executing LGBTQ individuals and widespread human rights abuses, prompting Goldberg to draw parallels to the historical treatment of Black and gay communities in the U.S.

Goldberg contended that the experience of Black Americans was on par with life in Iran’s repressive system. When Griffin responded that modern-day America is vastly different from Iran, Goldberg insisted the situations were equivalent, especially for Black citizens.

Appearing on The Faulkner Focus, Faulkner denounced Goldberg’s comments, calling them “despicable.” She pointed out that both she and Goldberg are accomplished Black women in the United States, as are many others, and stated that present-day America is not comparable to the eras of slavery or Jim Crow laws. Faulkner called the analogy offensive and historically inaccurate.

She also criticized the timing of Goldberg’s remarks, which aired on Juneteenth—a national holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S. Faulkner said Goldberg failed to acknowledge how far the country has come in addressing racial injustice.

During Wednesday’s View segment, Griffin attempted to illustrate the vast gap between the two nations, stating that in Tehran, her outfit would be considered illegal and could subject her to arrest or worse by Iran’s morality police. Iranian women face strict dress codes, including compulsory hijab laws and bans on exposing hair or arms in public.

While Goldberg did acknowledge that the United States is “the greatest country in the world,” she stood by her perspective, citing safety concerns for Black Americans. She spoke of the fear some Black parents feel about their children being harmed while simply walking through neighborhoods.

Griffin conceded that the U.S. has its own issues but emphasized that conditions in countries like Iran are significantly more oppressive. When Goldberg brought up how Black Americans were historically denied voting rights until 1965, Griffin responded that Iran does not allow free elections at all, suggesting that the comparison was fundamentally flawed.

Later on Outnumbered, Faulkner intensified her critique, suggesting Goldberg was out of touch with reality. She referenced Goldberg’s past role in Star Trek: The Next Generation, quipping that the actress seemed disconnected from the facts.

Goldberg’s comments also drew condemnation from Iranian activists. Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a well-known plastic surgeon and Iranian-American human rights advocate, labeled Goldberg’s comparison as misinformed and offensive. Nazarian, whose family fled Iran in 1985 after her father was targeted for execution, said the remark trivialized the suffering of Iranians under a brutal regime.

Nazarian emphasized that while racism is a real and serious issue in the United States, equating it to life in Iran’s theocratic dictatorship is both misleading and disrespectful. She described Iran’s government as one that micromanages its citizens’ lives and harshly punishes dissent, protest, and even online speech with imprisonment, torture, or execution.

Iranian-American journalist Lisa Daftari also criticized Goldberg, pointing out the irony of a woman of color minimizing the severity of Iran’s oppression. Other Fox News personalities joined the chorus, including Sean Hannity, who compared Goldberg’s remarks to something out of a Saturday Night Live skit and said he wished he could erase them from memory.

The backlash wasn’t limited to media outlets. Social media users also condemned Goldberg’s statements, arguing they downplayed Iran’s egregious human rights violations. Many pointed to the regime’s repression of dissent, which has sparked frequent uprisings, especially following the high-profile death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died after being arrested by morality police for allegedly failing to wear a hijab properly.

New York Post columnist Adam Coleman added to the criticism, accusing affluent Americans like Goldberg of overstating domestic issues while living in comfort. He argued that prominent individuals should highlight their achievements as examples of American opportunity rather than framing themselves as victims.