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### "The View" and Its Conservative Conundrum: A Closer Look at Claims of Political Diversity
For over two decades, ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” has been a staple of American pop culture, providing a platform for spirited discussions on current events, politics, and social issues. The show is co-hosted by a panel of women from different backgrounds, with the intention of presenting a variety of perspectives. However, it has often faced criticism for being a predominantly liberal space that rarely features guests or co-hosts with genuinely conservative viewpoints. This ongoing debate was reignited in early June 2025, when co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines made public comments about the show’s supposed openness to conservatives—and conservatives swiftly called them out.
#### Joy Behar’s Remark Sparks Conservative Backlash
The controversy began when Joy Behar, one of “The View’s” longtime co-hosts and its resident comedian, declared on-air, “I think that we should have more Republicans on the show, but they don’t want to come on. They’re scared of us.” The statement was made with characteristic humor, but it touched a nerve among conservative commentators, politicians, and activists who felt the claim was not only untrue, but a complete reversal of the reality they experience.
Almost immediately, conservative figures took to social media and right-leaning news outlets to refute Behar’s assertion. They argued that, far from being “scared” of appearing on the show, many Republicans and conservatives have actively sought invitations to join the panel—only to be rejected or ignored by the producers. Notable examples cited included Senator Ted Cruz, who claimed he had requested an appearance to promote his book “Unwoke,” and Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer turned activist on women’s sports issues. Both said their pitches to appear were declined.
#### The Numbers Tell the Story: A Liberal Dominance
Backing up these anecdotal claims, Nicholas Fondacaro, a media analyst who monitors “The View” for the conservative watchdog group NewsBusters, compiled data from the 2024-25 season. According to his tally, since the show’s winter break ended in January 2025, “The View” hosted 102 guests for political discussions. All of these guests, Fondacaro noted, expressed left-leaning viewpoints, including 19 Democratic politicians. Not a single Republican or outspoken conservative was among them.
This pattern is consistent with recent history. The last time a Republican guest appeared on the show in a capacity to defend former President Donald Trump was Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire, back in August 2024. Since then, the parade of guests during the critical fall campaign season has been uniformly liberal or left-leaning.
#### The Illusion of Tough Questions
In the same heated discussion, co-host Whoopi Goldberg insisted that “The View” asks “tough questions” of all its guests, regardless of their political leanings. However, critics argue that this claim does not withstand scrutiny. As evidence, they point to an October 2024 episode featuring Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist and the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. Rather than presenting challenging questions, the panel—particularly Sunny Hostin—lavished praise upon Mamdani, treating him more like a celebrity than a controversial political figure.
The show’s friendly treatment of certain Democratic personalities stands in stark contrast to its reputation for being combative with conservatives—when they do appear. In recent years, “The View” has also openly expressed disdain for Republican politicians, with Behar and Hostin making disparaging remarks about figures such as Ohio Representative Jim Jordan and Donald Trump. For instance, Hostin once referred to Jordan as a “terrorist” during a segment, while Behar accused Republicans of profiting from “children’s deaths” due to their association with the gun lobby.
#### Conservatives on “The View”: Rare and Often Unwelcome
While “The View” has, at times, featured conservative or right-leaning voices, these appearances are infrequent and sometimes fraught with tension. The most notable example in recent memory is Meghan McCain, daughter of the late