After The View made embarrassing headlines last week with moderator Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Sunny Hostin suggesting that it was worse to be black in America than live in Iran, ABC News seemingly appointed chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl to be their babysitter during Monday’s discussion of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Karl kept the cast on the rails as they peppered him with questions about the constitutionality of the strikes and why President Trump kept them a secret.
“I'm happy to have you here, believe me,” fill-in moderator Joy Behar told Karl, as they shared a seemingly nervous laugh. It’s worth noting that Behar had clashed with Hostin last week as the two argued over how dangerous Iran was and whether or not they should be hit militarily.
Conveniently overlooking how Trump had said he would make a decision on striking Iran “within” two weeks, Behar bemoaned how quickly Operation: Midnight Hammer had come. Karl had to explain that the deadline was partially a ruse and partially sped up because “the Iranians were not engaging at all” in negotiations:
BEHAR: Okay. He was going to give diplomatic negotiations more time to play out, and then less than 48 hours later, this attack was under way. So what changed and what was he actually trying to accomplish here?
KARL: I mean, look, the two weeks measure was clearly a bit of a head fake. I mean, not entirely, I wouldn't say the decision was finally made. All indications are that he didn't actually make the decision to so-called pull the trigger until Saturday, you know, and then the attack commenced. But obviously all the wheels were already in motion. (…) He really wanted that moment. I mean, I think he thought he could have a Kim Jong-un movement with the supreme leader of Iran and have a big deal right before the bombs were going to drop. The Iranians were not engaging at all and he made the decision.
Behar continued to bemoan the suddenness of the strikes. She even question why Trump would want to keep the strikes secret:
BEHAR: So why did he keep it a secret for the surprise version?
KARL: I mean, absolutely the diversion. You saw the way that -- all indications were that B-2s were flying towards Guam. Everybody thought, okay, so we're getting in position to be ready. They wanted to have some element of surprise. Let's face it, there wasn't that much an element of surprise, I mean, this had been in the works for a long time, but to have the final moment be a surprise.
Seemingly ignorant of the concept of “breakout time” for nuclear proliferation, Hostin griped to Karl about Israel had been warning about Iran for 30 years. She even suggested “nothing” had changed in that time period. Karl had to explain to her that four president (Democrats and Republicans) understood that Iran having nukes was a threat, and what had changed was Iran’s weakness:
HOSTIN: Yeah. Since 1995, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is either two years ago, three years away, two weeks away. I mean, he has been saying that for decades. What has changed? Nothing!
KARL: Well, look. What changed here is the opportunity and the belief that the Iranians were weak. That a strike could be effective. Look, four presidents – and I’ve covered all of them – saw the Iran nuclear program as a severe threat. Four presidents contemplated military action against it and held back. Donald Trump has done what they haven't done. But these plans have been in the works, have been drilled, have been examined and they felt there was an opportunity. The Iranian air defenses had been taken out, the Iranian proxies in the region the Hezbollah, the Houthis had been weakened. This was a chance to do it.
Hostin whines that she thinks Trump striking Iran's nuclear sites in unconstitutional and "is certainly a clear violation of international law at the very least."
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 23, 2025
Karl points out that "president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of… pic.twitter.com/TSxbPa068Z
Following a commercial break, Hostin was back and complaining about how Trump was violating the Constitution and “international law” with his strikes. Karl had to walk Hostin through how the past several presidents conducted military strikes without the approval of Congress:
Well look, constitutionally Congress has the power to declare war. The War Powers Act would make it seem very clear, you need to have congressional approval on this. BUT, president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of Congress. And Congress under Democratic and Republican leadership has complained the president is violating the War Powers Act. This is not new. I mean, I go back, I covered Bill Clinton and the military strikes against Kosovo back in 1999.
“We’ve been using the [2001] AUMF to authorize every military strike in about 25 years. So, Congress can't be feckless and then mad when they don't like the outcome,” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin chided.
The decision to have the cast pepper Karl with question likely save ABC the embarrassment of having their co-hosts (particularly Hostin) spout off out of pocket.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
June 23, 2025
11:04:07 a.m. Eastern(…)
JOY BEHAR: I'm happy to have you here, believe me. So, on Thursday the White House said that Trump was going to make a decision on Iran within the next two weeks. That's what he said. Remember that?
JON KARL: Two weeks.
BEHAR: Okay. He was going to give diplomatic negotiations more time to play out, and then less than 48 hours later, this attack was under way. So what changed and what was he actually trying to accomplish here?
KARL: I mean, look, the two weeks measure was clearly a bit of a head fake. I mean, not entirely, I wouldn't say the decision was finally made. All indications are that he didn't actually make the decision to so-called pull the trigger until Saturday, you know, and then the attack commenced. But obviously all the wheels were already in motion.
In fact, the wheels were in motion a full week beforehand. Shortly after the Israelis made their attack the previous Friday, the President saw it as a sweeping success. I mean, he was very excited about it. I spoke to him that morning and he said, this is excellent. He was no longer saying the Americans weren't involved, he was taking credit for American weaponry being part of it. He was clearly ready to go, but there was a last-minute push for some kind of a diplomatic resolution.
He really wanted that moment. I mean, I think he thought he could have a Kim Jong-un movement with the supreme leader of Iran and have a big deal right before the bombs were going to drop. The Iranians were not engaging at all and he made the decision.
BEHAR: So why did he keep it a secret for the surprise version?
KARL: I mean, absolutely the diversion. You saw the way that -- all indications were that B-2s were flying towards Guam. Everybody thought, okay, so we're getting in position to be ready. They wanted to have some element of surprise. Let's face it, there wasn't that much an element of surprise, I mean, this had been in the works for a long time, but to have the final moment be a surprise.
(…)
11:07:18 a.m. Eastern
KARL: By the way, I've been covering the Iran nuclear threat, I hate to say it, for literally two decades. And during much of that time, the sense is that Iran was months away from having a bomb.
SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah. Since 1995, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is either two years ago, three years away, two weeks away. I mean, he has been saying that for decades. What has changed? Nothing!
KARL: Well, look. What changed here is the opportunity and the belief that the Iranians were weak. That a strike could be effective.
Look, four presidents – and I’ve covered all of them – saw the Iran nuclear program as a severe threat.
HOSTIN: Yes.
KARL: Four presidents contemplated military action against it and held back. Donald Trump has done what they haven't done. But these plans have been in the works, have been drilled, have been examined and they felt there was an opportunity. The Iranian air defenses had been taken out, the Iranian proxies in the region –
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Are weak.
KARL: - the Hezbollah, the Houthis had been weakened. This was a chance to do it.
(…)
11:17:14 a.m. Eastern
HOSTIN: Well, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called into question the constitutionality of Donald Trump's actions. He bypassed Congress, potentially violated the war powers resolution. I believe this is certainly a clear violation of international law, at the very least. Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries accused the President of misleading his country as to his intentions. What do you think are the possible ramifications that President Trump could face for arguably overstepping his authority?
KARL: Well look, constitutionally Congress has the power to declare war. The War Powers Act would make it seem very clear, you need to have congressional approval on this. BUT, president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of Congress.
HOSTIN: Yeah.
KARL: And Congress under Democratic and Republican leadership has complained the president is violating the War Powers Act. This is not new. I mean, I go back, I covered Bill Clinton and the military strikes against Kosovo back in 1999. Again --
HOSTIN: That’s why I think that's more of an international law violation.
KARL: But, you know, look. It's a Republican Congress right now and he is not getting any blow back within his own party with the exception of Tom Massie.
BEHAR: So, what's the good of having it then if they all violate it?
KARL: Well, that’s a great question! I mean, that’s –
FARAH GRIFFIN: We’ve been using the 2003 AUMF to authorize every military strike in about 25 years. So, Congress can't be feckless and then mad when they don't like the outcome.
KARL: Yeah. So, that was after 9/11, Congress passed this Authorization of Military Force against -- it was supposed to be against Afghanistan for harboring Al Qaeda and has been used over and over and over again.
(…)
