While Clooney told Patti LuPone in a sit-down chat that America would “get through” the Trump era, Behar strongly disagreed during the April 23 episode of the show — and things got heated.
“I must disagree with him because I was around during those days, and I remember exactly what happened,” Behar said, referencing Clooney’s comparison of today’s political climate to the turbulence of 1968. “They were assassinating leaders of the country, Martin Luther King Jr, John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, etc”, reported Fox News.
She pointed out that while the country did survive those intense times, what’s happening now feels very different. “Right now, we’re talking about the lack of a constitutional republic. We’re talking about no checks and balances. We’re talking about the fact that half the country watches fake news.”
Then she made her biggest swipe yet: “The Republicans at that time got rid of Nixon and the Republicans were not complicit in this charade going on with Trump … George, I still love you, but you’re wrong.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin backed her up, saying that America is in the middle of a “constitutional crisis,” underlining the broader concern from the panel.
Still, Behar wasn’t completely doom and gloom. She admitted, “I’m an optimist, I am, because I believe we will eventually pull ourselves out of this, but we have to keep speaking about it, and we have to keep resisting.”
Clooney, for his part, remained calm and hopeful in the original interview. He compared Trump to historical figures like President Jackson and Joseph McCarthy, saying, “The authoritarian, the demagogue, it goes away when they go away. And he will go away.” He added, “It’s fine. We’re going to get through it. I’m an optimist.”
But not everyone was feeling the debate. Social media lit up with angry comments, especially targeting The View hosts. One user on X (formerly Twitter) asked, “Why are these delusional women still on the air?” Another said, “Only fools care about any of this,” while others accused the show of spreading fake news or being obsessed with Trump.
It’s clear this clash of opinions—between Hollywood optimism and political realism—has struck a nerve. And if the comments are anything to go by, viewers are just as divided as ever.