Whoopi Goldberg and the co-hosts of “The View” set the record straight on Monday about their supposed silence surrounding ABC/Disney yanking “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air following comments about MAGA’s response to the Charlie Kirk killing.
On Monday’s episode of the long-running talk show, the EGOT winner opened the show by saying: “Now look, did y’all really think we weren’t going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel? I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? No one silences us.”
Goldberg’s remarks were in response to widespread theories that the liberal-leaning chatfest was under pressure from its ownership, to not mention the suspension of Kimmel’s late night show during its Thursday and Friday broadcasts. Both TV shows are Emmy Award-winning, ratings juggernauts for ABC, which is owned by Disney.
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, a former co-host of “The View,” commented about how the hot topics-centered show did not talk about the hottest topic of the week.
“And it was visible. I was on ‘The View,’” she shared. “Those women are fearless, and the story didn’t come up. I mean, it’s obviously being felt and acted upon at ABC more broadly.”
“And to all my friends who reached out, you have to know, it’s OK, we’re still here. We’re still broadcasting,” Goldberg continued, before explaining the so-called “silence.”
“And when the news broke last week about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, we took a breath to see if Jimmy was going to say anything about it first. We did the same thing with Stephen Colbert. Then our show was on tape on Friday, but we are live here today, and we’re getting into it now,” she said.
AP
Tyler Robinson (right) is suspected of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk (left). (AP)
Of ABC’s controversial decision, propelled by comments by President Trump and FCC chairman Brendan Carr, Goldberg shared: “You can not like a show and it can go off the air. Someone can say something they shouldn’t and get taken off the air. But the government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced.”
Co-host Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist, added: “I don’t understand how in this country, where the First Amendment was made to the Constitution to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech, how the government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence.”
On Thursday, Carr suggested his regulation agency may sets its sights on “The View.”
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, an ex-Trump aide, added: “The First Amendment is the first for a reason, because you need to be able to hold those in power accountable.”
