“The View” co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Ana Navarro got into a heated exchange Monday over whether it’s time to start “panicking” about President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
Goldberg set off the anti-Trump Republican strategist after suggesting that viewers should spend the holidays and the six weeks leading up to Inauguration Day (Jan. 20) with their families or working – but not in a frenzy over the incoming administration.
“Listen, he makes lots and lots and lots of noise,” Goldberg, 69, said of Trump. “He says he’s going to do all these things. … He does this to keep you all in a panic.
“All we have to do from now until January 21st is be with our families. Be with our kids. Do our jobs. Make sure our checks don’t bounce. Make sure that we are taking care of ourselves and our families.”
“Whatever [Trump’s] going to do, he’s going to do. But do take our word for it. Things seem to move slowly,” the “Sister Act” star added, noting that the former and soon-to-be president “didn’t come get” Hillary Clinton after beating her in 2016 for the White House.
Navarro, 52, chimed in to suggest that Goldberg was speaking from a position of “privilege.”
“We have the luxury of saying that because we’re legal. We are successful. We are — listen, if you are an illegal immigrant in this country, you’re not going to be not in a panic,” she said.
“If you are a woman working for the Department of Defense, you have a right to be in a panic!” Navarro argued.
Goldberg fumed at her co-host — “Ana, you tell people to stay fraught and like this.”
“No! I’m telling people to prepare, Whoopi,” Navarro shot back. “I’m telling people to prepare.”
“Do you think they aren’t prepared? They are prepared!” Goldberg asserted.
Navarro argued people “can’t be relaxing and enjoying Christmas when winter is coming.”
“No! That doesn’t mean that,” Goldberg responded.
“Winter is here,” the actor and comedian argued. “Winter has been with us, and my point is, we can lay down and do nothing for the next 15 days and then be freaking out for the next four or two years.”
Navarro returned to her original premise that Goldberg and the other ladies on set have the advantage of not needing to be in a panic.
“We’re in a privileged position that a lot of people who are going to be under his attack are not,” she countered.
The two-and-half minute back-and-forth carried on as music signaling a commercial break was played in the background.
“We don’t know what we’re panicking for,” Goldberg continued.
“They’re throwing 50,000 things at you to make you do this,” she added. “I’m saying don’t buy into that.”
“When we know what we’re fighting we’ll get out and fight.”
