The hosts of ABC’s The View have once again jumped into the political fray, this time to mount a spirited defense of President Joe Biden’s unprecedented decision to issue a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. In Tuesday’s broadcast, cohosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin joined forces to shield the president from critics, including Democrats, while dismissing concerns about the implications of such an extraordinary move.
Whoopi Goldberg wasted no time in asserting that President Biden’s critics were the real problem, not the pardon itself. She framed the pardon as an unquestionable exercise of presidential authority, declaring, “It is his right, and he doesn’t have to explain to anybody.” According to Goldberg, criticism of Biden’s decision is “hurtful for the American people,” a point she used to deflect both Republican and Democratic dissent.
Whoopi RAGES at people condemning Biden as a liar for pardoning his son after promising he wouldn’t. She claims caring about it is “hurtful for the American people.”
“And it is his right and he doesn’t have to explain to anybody,” she proclaimed like pardons are no big deal. pic.twitter.com/1PACGhqyOt— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 3, 2024
Goldberg also turned her frustration toward members of her own party, condemning what she called an “internal firing squad” of Democrats who had spoken out against Biden’s actions. She argued that Democrats were being hypocritical, saying, “You can’t let people tell you you’re not taking the moral ground when we take the moral ground all the time.”
For Goldberg, defending progressive causes like migrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights was evidence of the party’s moral high ground—a position she felt Biden’s critics were undermining.
Sunny Hostin echoed Goldberg’s sentiment, lamenting the infighting among Democrats. She dismissed accusations that Biden’s decision betrayed his earlier promises not to pardon Hunter, instead portraying the president’s reversal as evidence of his pragmatism. “He became the pragmatic president we always knew,” Hostin explained, suggesting that Biden’s change of heart was a calculated move to protect his son in the face of what she characterized as an unjust system.
Sunny Hostin also dislikes the “internal firing squad” some Dems have formed against Biden: “It’s been really bothering me.”
She claims Biden didn’t lie about pardoning Hunter, but rather “became the pragmatic president we always knew.” pic.twitter.com/KYtFj9gfxL— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 3, 2024
Hostin then shifted the conversation to former President Donald Trump, using his record as a rhetorical shield for Biden’s actions. “If we want to talk about LYING,” Hostin exclaimed, “let’s talk about THAT and stop this PEARL-CLUTCHING about Joe Biden lying!” The argument seemed to suggest that Trump’s alleged dishonesty should render Biden’s reversal inconsequential by comparison.
While Goldberg and Hostin’s impassioned defenses may resonate with some viewers, they underscore the broader challenges facing the Biden administration. By framing Biden’s critics—many of whom are Democrats—as the problem, the hosts gloss over the unprecedented nature of the pardon and the damage it may do to perceptions of impartial justice. Furthermore, attempts to deflect criticism by pointing fingers at Trump do little to address the central issue: Biden’s actions have sparked concerns about integrity and fairness, even among his allies.
