Disney and ABC News executives have reportedly urged the co-hosts of the talk show “The View” to scale back their political commentary, particularly their criticism of President Trump.
The request came during a recent meeting led by ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic, who met with “The View’s” executive producer Brian Teta and the show’s panel, according to The Daily Beast.
According to two people familiar with the meeting, Mr. Karamehmedovic asked the hosts to broaden their discussions beyond politics and highlighted high ratings for celebrity-driven episodes.
But the co-hosts — Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin — allegedly bristled at the suggestion. One source told The Daily Beast that the hosts insisted that their audience wants heat on the White House and argued that to suddenly abandon political content would look suspicious.
“They found the whole thing silly and decided they were just going to keep doing their thing,” another source added to The Beast.
Ms. Navarro reportedly brought the conversation to Disney CEO Bob Iger during a recent presentation, thanking him for standing by the show during a turbulent political climate. Mr. Iger confirmed his support but reiterated the need to “tone it down,” sources said.
Executives’ concerns come despite the show’s top performance in its time slot ratings, beating Fox News and NBC programs in total viewers and key demographics throughout 2025, per The Wrap.
The Washington Times has reached out to ABC News and Disney for comment.
Sources inside ABC say the conversations were driven in part by viewer feedback requesting less politics, according to The Daily Beast. But critics suggest the real motive is pressure from Mr. Trump, who has escalated legal and regulatory threats against media companies.
In December, Disney paid Donald Trump $15 million for his presidential library and $1 million in legal fees to settle a lawsuit over a George Stephanopoulos interview that misstated a sexual abuse verdict. The company reportedly settled to avoid damaging its brand and setting a precedent that could weaken press freedoms.
President Trump is also suing CBS and Paramount for $20 billion over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. As Paramount pursues a significant merger, the company has entered mediation talks to resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile, Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr, a Trump ally, has opened an investigation into Disney and ABC over their diversity policies and past political coverage.
Despite executive nudges, “The View” has kept politics front and center, recently hosting the Bidens and mocking GOP figures like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
But Ms. Griffin noted in a “View” taping last week that the Democrats’ current strategies aren’t working.
“This table spends a lot of time criticizing Donald Trump and a lot of it is very valid and needs to happen, but it’s a fact his approval rating is 39%,” she said Friday. “However, Democrats’ is 27%. People felt gaslit and lied to.”
