Whoopi Goldberg Slaps Back at Critics: “You Want The View Canceled Because We Think for Ourselves”

Outspoken as Ever, Whoopi Defends the Long-Running Daytime Show and Calls Out the Real Reason People Want It Off the Air

Whoopi Goldberg isn’t pulling any punches — and honestly, has she ever?

The Oscar-winning actress and longtime moderator of The View is hitting back at critics who claim the daytime talk show should be taken off the air, and she’s offering a bold theory for why some viewers are so desperate to see it disappear.

“People always say, ‘Take The View off television,’” Goldberg said during a recent episode.

“You know why? Because we give you an opportunity.

We don’t tell you what to think.”

That’s right — love it or hate it, The View has been a cultural lightning rod for nearly three decades, precisely because it offers a platform where strong women hash out hot topics, political controversies, and personal opinions without apologizing.

And that, Goldberg suggests, is what really grinds some gears.

“People assume that we believe whatever they believe we believe,” Whoopi remarked cryptically, before clarifying: “People think they know what I believe.

 They don’t. But the way you find out what someone actually thinks is to hear them speak.”

And speak they do.

Whether it’s Joy Behar cracking jokes with savage precision, Alyssa Farrah Griffin offering a conservative counterpoint, or Sunny Hostin bringing legal expertise into the fray, The View thrives on confrontation — the smart, fiery kind that doesn’t devolve into personal attacks.

Goldberg insists the show’s goal isn’t to indoctrinate viewers or push a party line, but to model how adult dialogue can work in a deeply divided world.

“We say, ‘This is what I think.’ And that’s how you have a dialogue,” she explained.

“It’s not personal.

Someone might say, ‘That shirt looks a little tight on you, Whoopi,’ but that’s not a bad thing!”

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and civil discourse.

The show has famously had its share of backstage drama and high-profile exits.

Former co-hosts like Candace Cameron Bure and Meghan McCain haven’t exactly sung the show’s praises since leaving.

In fact, McCain practically built a second career on trashing her old colleagues, accusing the show of fostering a toxic environment both on and off screen.

Still, the show remains one of ABC’s crown jewels in daytime TV.

It’s been on the air since 1997 — outlasting presidents, prime-time dramas, and even some of its own cast’s friendships.

Critics may groan, but the ratings and loyal audience speak for themselves.

Goldberg makes no apologies for the show’s format, saying the cast’s willingness to engage in raw, unscripted debate is what sets The View apart.

“It becomes an awful thing when people get personal about you or your family,” she added.

“That’s the difference.

We don’t do that here.

Other people do it to us, and assume we’re doing the same.

But we’re not.”

For longtime viewers, it’s the very unpredictability that keeps The View must-watch television.

It’s messy, it’s bold, and it’s unapologetically honest — which is exactly what Goldberg says critics can’t stand.

“People don’t like that we’re not telling them what to think — they’d rather we just shut up,” she hinted.

But if Whoopi Goldberg and her co-hosts have anything to say about it (and they always do), The View isn’t going anywhere.

And if you don’t like it? Well, there’s always the remote.

You can catch The View weekdays on ABC, or stream recent episodes on Hulu — assuming you’re not one of the people Whoopi just called out.