‘The View’ Forced To Clarify Remarks After Smearing Trump’s Cabinet Picks

The hosts of ABC’s The View were required to issue an on-air legal clarification during Thursday’s broadcast after making controversial remarks suggesting that having a history of sexual assault allegations appeared to be a prerequisite for positions in President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

The discussion specifically targeted former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who recently withdrew his name from consideration for Attorney General, and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. However, the co-hosts later clarified that while both men have faced allegations, they have consistently denied any wrongdoing, and neither has ever been charged.

“Sexual misconduct allegations seem not to matter anymore,” Whoopi Goldberg said, initiating the segment. “Seems like unless you have a sexual misconduct allegation, you can’t be in the Cabinet. That’s what it’s looking like because, I mean, was it 11 people and maybe one of the 11 doesn’t have something going on?”

Joy Behar added sarcastically, “It’s like, oh, let’s see, who’s accused of sexual assault? Put them in the Cabinet! And they’re like, ‘Pick me! Pick me!’”

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Co-host Sara Haines noted that appointing individuals with such accusations could signal leniency toward those accused of misconduct.

“I would encourage them to separate sexual assault and sexual offenders from their MAGA agenda, or you’re telling me this is part of your agenda,” Haines said.

Behar and co-host Sunny Hostin then shifted the conversation to the FBI’s handling of allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, expressing frustration that multiple background checks found no credible evidence to support the accusations against him.

Hostin was then required to read another legal note live, emphasizing Gaetz and Hegseth’s denials and reiterating that neither had been charged.

“Just call the show Legal Note from now on,” Behar quipped, concluding the segment.

Earlier this week, Hostin deleted her X account, calling it a “patriotic” move following Trump’s election victory.

In an episode of the Behind The Table podcast, Hostin explained her decision, criticizing X’s owner, Elon Musk, for what she described as fostering misogyny and racism on the platform.

“I think the most patriotic thing I could do right now is just to delete the account. Elon Musk took it over and I feel like he ruined it,” Hostin said. “Black Twitter was a thing that I loved, and it was sort of replaced… with misogyny and racism. I don’t want to be affiliated with anything that he owns. I’m not going to buy a Tesla, I’m not going to buy Tesla stock.”

Hostin faced backlash last week after attributing Trump’s victory to “uneducated white women” and Latino men, remarks she later revised.

“I think [Trump’s victory] had nothing to do with policy. I think this was a referendum on cultural resentment in this country,” she stated on The View the morning after Election Day.

“Why do you think uneducated white women voted against their reproductive health freedoms? And why do you think Latino men voted in favor of someone who is going to deport a majority of his community?” she asked Rick Klein, ABC’s political news director.

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back, saying, “I don’t think white women like being called uneducated white women.”

Hostin later amended her phrasing, stating, “Non-college-educated white women is the correct term to use.”