Whoopi Goldberg Critiques Trump on Free Speech
On Monday’s episode of ABC’s “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg expressed her frustration with President Donald Trump’s apparent misunderstanding of how certain principles, like the First Amendment, function.
Partial transcripts include the following:
Goldberg: So, here’s the thing: both political parties and those in between agree—this is not how things should work. But you know who seems confused about all of this? Take a look.
President Donald Trump: I read somewhere that the network is 97% against me. I’m getting 97% negative coverage, yet I still manage to win all seven swing states. With that level of negativity, the only thing you can get is bad publicity. They have a license, and maybe it should be taken away. That’s for Brendan Kerr to decide.
Goldberg: No, that’s not even for Brendan Kerr to decide. How are you leading the country yet still don’t grasp the basics of the First Amendment? You’re a lawyer; maybe remind him?
Sunny Hostin: I want to chime in here. Thanks, Whoopi. Free speech is crucial to our democracy – that’s what our founders believed. They drafted the First Amendment precisely to protect citizens’ rights to criticize the government. Thomas Jefferson stressed that it’s vital for citizens to have the ability to critique public officials. Moreover, the Supreme Court has repeatedly backed this principle. I remember a lesson from law school—well, not 1929, but it was a pivotal point for understanding our rights.
Sarah Haynes: You’re so knowledgeable!
Hostin: Thank you. I recall being in law school in 1991, and a constitutional law professor highlighted how Oliver Wendell Holmes had famously argued for the necessity of protecting ideas we might not agree with. Think about that—protecting the expression of unpleasant ideas is essential. Justice Sotomayor pointed out recently how every time the president sought advice from his lawyers, it seemed he got a confusing message about the importance of free speech, almost implying it could be restricted. My alma mater, Notre Dame, certainly taught me about the value of freedom of speech, and it’s clear that the president should also understand what that means.
