Whoopi Goldberg sparred with her producer earlier this year on “The View” over a legal note the panel had to read live on-air about President-elect Donald Trump. During a segment in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Goldberg questioned the show’s executive producer, Brian Teta, over why they had to read a legal note explaining that Donald denied any wrongdoing in the 2020 election.
“We have to do these legal notes each time to say what has been proven to be a fact. We have to deny it on their behalf, is that right?” Goldberg asked Teta. The producer responded, “We have to state the denials that they’ve stated.” Goldberg responded, “One day you’ll tell me why.” Teta replied, “I think I’ve told you a couple times, but we could talk about it.”
“No, no, not this. Because I find it odd when everybody has seen it and they know that it’s not necessarily the truth,” she said about the Trump notice. “We’re showing what they’ve said on the record as their statement,” Teta maintained. As the conversation was going nowhere, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in, “We can do it off-air, guys.” “We’re out of time, the music is playing,” Teta then said. Wrapping up the conversation before they cut to the commercial break, Goldberg said, “All right, well, we’ll be back.”
In the weeks after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, the co-hosts on “The View” have had to continually read legal notices on air following their statements about Trump and his cabinet picks. The Tribune reported on one instance in which Sunny Hostin had to read several consecutive legal notices.
During the segment, Hostin said, “I have a legal note…Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations and has not been charged with any crime.” Delivering another statement, Hostin fact-checked a comment about Trump’s cabinet pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth. “Also another legal note, Pete Hegseth’s lawyer said he paid the woman in 2023 to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. He has denied any wrongdoing,” she added.
“I have another legal note,” Hostin later said, “Both Trump and Pam Bondi have denied allegations of a quid pro quo that his past donation played any role in her office’s decision to not take legal action against Trump University. When she was, of course, the Attorney General of Florida.” Co-host Ana Navarro then joked, “This show is going to be just legal notes and things we’re selling. Behar chimed in, “That’s why I said we’re not calling the legal note.”
The Tribune reported on another recent legal note from earlier this week, in which Sunny Hostin had to read off yet another legal note about Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. This time it pertained to remarks from Hostin about Hegseth paying off a woman in recent years to avoid a lawsuit. “Pete Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer said he paid the woman in 2023 to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. No charges were ever brought.” Reacting to the interruption to the segment, Whoopi Goldberg said, “You rushed me for that?”
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Watch Goldberg confront Teta below: