During a live episode of The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg reacted angrily when handed a legal disclaimer verifying her earlier comment about former President Donald Trump using an autopen to issue a pardon. The remark was originally delivered as a joke during a discussion of Trump’s pardon of Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.
As the disclaimer text was passed across the set, Goldberg read it aloud and muttered “What the hell?” before tearing it up in protest. She then addressed the audience, saying: “It was a joke! … The hardest thing about this job now is that no one understands nuance.” Co-host Sunny Hostin stepped in to clarify that the statement was comedic and noted the team had no evidence Trump used an autopen.
The moment underscores the tension live-TV talk show hosts face when blending political commentary with humor and legal caution. The production then moved on to other topics, but the exchange itself captured viewers’ attention and highlighted the intersection of entertainment, politics and broadcast compliance.