Hours ahead of President Biden’s Tuesday State of the Union address, the ladies of ABC’s The View shared their demands for what they wanted him to talk about. But their shrieking was willed with disinformation, misinformation, and lies about what was going on in the country, and smears against Republicans. So, NewsBusters thought it was pertinent to address and debunk the poison they were pumping into the public discourse.
Racist Whoopi Goldberg kicked off the segment by boasting that Biden would give the address with “historically low unemployment, more jobs with higher wages, lower gas prices, and less inflation than the previous months.”
FACT CHECK: Misleading. Workforce participation was still below pre-pandemic levels, gas prices had been going up again as well the fact they’re far above what they were when Biden took office, and inflation (which was way up since Biden took office) was still hurting Americans and would continue to hurt for some time.
Goldberg and co-host Joy Behar whined and scoffed at Biden’s critics who said he was getting too old to run for president again in 2024. “If somebody's doing what they're supposed to be doing for the nation, why you in a rush?” Goldberg huffed. Behar also suggested his prospective opponents were pushovers including “book burner” Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
FACT CHECK: False. Neither DeSantis nor Florida’s Department of Education were burning books.
Behar went on to argue that Biden’s advanced age shouldn’t be a consideration for voters because she’s old too. “Can I just point out that Joe Biden and I are the same age? Would you say that I could not do my job for the next four years?” she scoffed.
FACT CHECK: Disinformation. It’s ridiculous to compare the rigors, stress, and demands of being the president of the United States to that of being a bloviating television host.
Up next was racist co-host Sunny Hostin who scolded Americans who were “apathetic about listening to the State of the Union” and felt it was a “relic” of the past. She seemed to hint that those people were against the Constitution because it was a “requirement” and “something that the president is supposed to do.”
FACT CHECK: Misinformation. Yes, the Constitution did require the president to give Congress information on the State of the Union, but it didn’t have to be an address to Congress. Historically, the State of the Union was given to Congress in the form of a letter. Former President Woodrow Wilson was the first president to give the state of the union in person. Americans were also not required to watch it.
Giving her list of demands for what Biden needed to address, Hostin wanted him to talk about “education and how it’s failing our children because we're not teaching them our history” and the “politicization of the Supreme Court.”
FACT CHECK: Both claims are false. Schools are still teaching history, including the history of slavery and how terrible things were for African-Americans for a long time in the United States. As for the line about the Supreme Court, she’s only calling it politicized because she doesn’t like their rulings and there’s a conservative-leaning majority. She wouldn’t feel that way if it was a liberal-leaning majority putting out rulings she agreed with.
Hitting on the same supposed point about history, Goldberg shouted about how “bonehead[s]” and “freaks” like DeSantis were trying to “eras[e] of black and brown people from America's history.” “I need to know that he's aware that there are freaks out there who are trying to change history, and he's not going to stand for it!” she shrieked.
FACT CHECK: BIG LIE. No one is trying to erase black and brown people from American history.
The View’s pre-State of the Union disinformation and lies were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Oral-B and Vicks. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
February 7, 2023
11:01:48 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, President Biden will deliver his State of the Unionaddress to the American people tonight, and he's going to -- he's going into it with historically low unemployment, more jobs with higher wages, lower gas prices, and less inflation than the previous months. However, some of his poll numbers are still low. You know how I feel about polls. And there are calls for him not to seek a second term.
We got two years. I don't know why you're calling for him to do anything ‘cept what he's supposed to do. It drives me crazy. It drives me crazy. So, you know, before they were, like, “Well, you know, he's not going to run, he's too old,” and then he ran anyway and he won. And then they said, “Well, yeah, you did it, and it was okay, but now you're old. Get out.”
JOY BEHAR: He was old then.
GOLDBERG: I don't understand. If somebody's doing what they're supposed to be doing for the nation, why you in a rush? At least if you don't want him in, then don't vote for him, but it's two years before we got to make that decision. Why are people rushing this?
BEHAR: And look who he's up against too. He's got flip-flopper Nikki Haley. He's got book burner DeSantis. He's got Pence always a bridesmaid never a bride.
SARA HAINES: Joy's almost as good as Trump with nicknames.
BEHAR: And he's got Trump who makes George Santos look like Abraham Lincoln.
{LAUGHTER]
So, I mean, so stick it out, Joe.
GOLDBERG: That's what I'm saying.
BEHAR: Can I just point out that Joe Biden and I are the same age? Would you say that I could not do my job for the next four years? Of course, I can. And the haters can go stick their heads in something because I'm not moving out of this seat.
[Applause]
(…)
11:04:10 a.m. Eastern
SUNNY HOSTIN: But, you know, I will say I think a lot of Americans feel like this is a relic, and they're sort of apathetic about listening to the State of the Union, but I’d like to remind people that this is a constitutional requirement. It's something that the president is supposed to do.
BEHAR: Is it?
HOSTIN: It comes from Article II, Section 3, Clause 1. It say, “the president shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge” -- it should say he or she --
HAINES: Or she.
HOSTIN: “—as he shall judge necessary or expedient.”
So this is something that every Americans should listen to because it is a constitutional requirement. I will say though a lot of times presidents do use this to sort of soft campaign and sort of soft find out which issues are palatable.
I would like to hear Joe Biden talk about police reform. Real police reform. I don't think it should be political theater that Tyre Nichols are parents are going to be there. Because they are going to be in the audience. I’d like to hear him, as Whoopi has often said, talk about education and how it’s failing our children because we're not teaching them our history. I would like him to talk about the rise in antisemitism and what we’re going to do about it. The rise in domestic terrorism and what we’re going to do about it. I’d like to hear about the politicization of the Supreme Court and what we're going to do about that. And I’d like him to talk about women’s reproductive health and what he intends to do about that.
Those are the issues that I think are the most pressing right now in the country. And he's got the bully pulpit, so use it instead of using it as let's find out what is palatable to the American people.
(…)
11:08:47 a.m. Eastern
GOLDBERG: And what I need from him desperately is I need for him to say, to all those brown kids who adults keep saying, “your history isn't important,” “I'm your president. I'm telling you it is. I'm your president. I'm telling you that I don't accept -- that I do not accept the erasure of black and brown people from America's history because there is not America's history without these brown and black people.”
That's what I want to hear him say tonight because one of the things that he knows is he knows that women in particular have worked and particularly brown women have worked their butts off to make sure that he became the president!
And I need to hear him say, this bonehead in Florida and in Texas is out of step with America! He's out of step with who we are as a nation because there is no nation without us!
[Applause]
And I need -- I need to hear him say that as my president. I need to know that he's aware that there are freaks out there who are trying to change history, and he's not going to stand for it! That's what I want from you, Joe!
(…)
