There seems to be a clash of views within the ABC daytime talk show “The View” over the hyper-political coverage it has become known for.
The Daily Beast reported about an apparent rift between the ladies of “The View” and the top brass at the company, going all the way up to Disney CEO Bob Iger, about a desire for the hosts to cool off the politics.
Notably, all six of the co-hosts (Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro) voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and are outspoken critics of President Donald Trump.
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“[ABC News president Almin] Karamehmedovic convened a meeting with The View‘s executive producer Brian Teta and its hosts, and suggested the panel needed to broaden its conversations beyond its predominant focus on politics, two sources familiar with the meeting said,” the Daily Beast reported Wednesday. “Karamehmedovic highlighted episodes with celebrity guests that he said were highly rated, one source said, and encouraged them to lean into such coverage moving forward.”
“The View” co-hosts Ana Navarro, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin all voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. (Screenshot/ABC News)
According to the report, “The View” co-host Ana Navarro forcefully pushed back, insisting their audience want their perspectives on politics. Navarro reportedly took her message directly to Iger, who she thanked for allowing them to keep doing their jobs, though Iger “reaffirmed that the show needed to tone down its political rhetoric” while expressing his support for “The View.”
“Ultimately, the women found the requests ‘silly’ and that ‘they were just going to keep doing their thing,’” the Daily Beast wrote.
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A source with “The View” confirmed to Fox News Digital these discussions were had, but suggested not all the hosts are in lockstep with Navarro.
“Most hosts agree with the ABC top brass,” the source told Fox News Digital. “‘The View’ is a daytime network talk show and needs to do more than just politics and Trump bashing. This was a welcome direction for many of us.”
When asked whether “The View” will ultimately pivot towards less political coverage as the second Trump presidency continues, the source responded, “It’s hard to say,” but added, “Ignoring Bob Iger seems like a terrible decision.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly asked “View” co-host Ana Navarro to tone down the political rhetoric on her show. (Lou Rocco / Contributor | Tommaso Boddi / Stringer)
Another source familiar with the situation said such conversations with talent are normal based on viewer feedback, and that this conversation in particular is about finding a “balance” in topics and reevaluating politics in general, not just stories pertaining to Trump.
Despite the internal discussions, “The View” has maintained its critical coverage of Trump and his administration in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for ABC News declined to comment.
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“The View” has become known for its bashing of President Trump and his administration. (ABC / The View)
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Iger’s request for a shift in “The View” did not occur in a vacuum. Trump, known for his feuds with the media, is currently in mediation with Paramount Global to resolve his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News over the handling of its “60 Minutes” election interview with Harris.
ABC News itself settled a lawsuit filed by Trump in December, shelling out $15 million for his presidential library and an apology over liberal anchor George Stephanopoulos’ false assertions that Trump was found “liable for rape,” alluding to the civil case victory by accuser E. Jean Carroll, when a jury actually determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse.” That settlement was personally approved by Iger according to reports.
Trump also landed multimillion-dollar settlements from social media giants Meta and X over their past suppression of his accounts on their platforms and is currently suing board members of the Pulitzer Prize for awarding The New York Times and The Washington Post for their Russiagate coverage.
