On Thursday, ABC News’s The View had their most bitterly anti-Trump guest of season 29 (so far) in so-called “comedian” Hasan Minhaj. Minhaj, who was heir-apparent to The Daily Show before getting sunk by his own lies about experiencing islamophobia, lashed out at President Trump’s $100,000 “tariff” for H1B visas by suggesting Trump’s voters were all “C-average students” who needed help to get ahead in the job market.
It was obvious that Minhaj’s ire was percolating as he shifted their conversation about his latest movie Tron: Ares to his political animus against Trump:
MINHAJ: Joy, I’m telling you, we’re having a moment and I'm feeling myself. I don’t know if you heard about this but there is a tariff not only on consumer goods but there is a tariff on human intelligence. Donald Trump just recently asked for a $100,000 tariff on every H1B immigrant that comes over. Now, obviously my dad came over as an H1B immigrant.
ANA NAVARRO: Is that true?
MINHAJ: Yeah, one of our favorite African Americans Elon Musk came over with an H1B Visa. And a lot of people in America they think this is bigoted, they think it’s xenophobic, they think it’s un-American. I don't know, I'm flattered.
Minhaj initially delivered a quip comparing Indians like himself to a BMW. “I mean, $100,000, that's a standard off the lot India. That's not even fully loaded. Cloth interior. Right? I mean, we start at the price of a 7 Series and, you know,” he said.
But the comedy quickly drained as his nastiness took over, lashing out at Trump voters (over 50 percent of electorate). “For the people that support Donald Trump, in these dumb C-average students, how do you feel? Oh really, you need a 30-minute head start on the test? I'll start with my hand tied behind my back?” he sneered.
As the studio audience shared murmuring laughter, the loudest of the cast (and the room) was faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin, who couldn’t contain herself.
There was an obvious nervousness as he tried to continue only to have moderator Whoopi Goldberg interject to end the interview and go to a commercial:
MINHAJ: Here's 100,000 head start, Chris. Try to beat me. I think this is great. You know?
GOLDBERG: And you know what, we think you're great.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I guess.
GOLDBERG: And sadly I have to say thanks to Hasan Minhaj.
MINHAJ: Thank you.
For what it’s worth, Minhaj did accidentally embarrass co-host Joy Behar, in that he exposed that Behar seemed to think that India was its own continent separate from the rest of Asia:
MINHAJ: Now, will this show do that? No. But what we're meaning to answer on this show is, “who is better?”
JOY BEHAR: That's right.
MINHAJ: Indians or Asian? Now, let's kick this off. Joy, who are you picking? Who do you like more?
BEHAR: Indians or Asians?
MINHAJ: Indians or Asians. There can only be one. This is America.
BEHAR: Well, you mean there's two continents you're talking about.
Throw this onto the pile of Behar’s embarrassing misconceptions.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
October 9, 2025
11:39:24 a.m. Eastern(…)
HASAN MINHAJ: We are living through divided times, and the nation needs to come together.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Yeah.
MINHAJ: Now, will this show do that? No. But what we're meaning to answer on this show is, “who is better?”
JOY BEHAR: That's right.
MINHAJ: Indians or Asian? Now, let's kick this off. Joy, who are you picking? Who do you like more?
BEHAR: Indians or Asians?
MINHAJ: Indians or Asians. There can only be one. This is America.
BEHAR: Well, you mean there's two continents you're talking about.
MINHAJ: Well, I’m just talking about – there’s 48 countries in the continent.
BEHAR: I can't judge -- but I can judge an entire continent. That's too much.
MINHAJ: This is no fun.
SARA HAINES: The right answer since he was sitting there was Indians.
BEHAR: I won't go there because I don't want the entire Asia on my back.
MINHAJ: Joy, I’m telling you, we’re having a moment and I'm feeling myself. I don’t know if you heard about this but there is a tariff not only on consumer goods but there is a tariff on human intelligence. Donald Trump just recently asked for a $100,000 tariff on every H1B immigrant that comes over. Now, obviously my dad came over as an H1B immigrant.
ANA NAVARRO: Is that true?
MINHAJ: Yeah, one of our favorite African Americans Elon Musk came over with an H1B Visa.
And a lot of people in America they think this is bigoted, they think it’s xenophobic, they think it’s un-American. I don't know, I'm flattered.
BEHAR: You’re flattered by it?
MINHAJ: Your boy’s feeling himself. I mean, $100,000, that's a standard off the lot India. That's not even fully loaded. Cloth interior. Right? I mean, we start at the price of a 7 Series and, you know, for the people that support Donald Trump, in these dumb C-average students, how do you feel? Oh really, you need a 30-minute head start on the test? I'll start with my hand tied behind my back? Here's 100,000 head start, Chris. Try to beat me. I think this is great. You know?
GOLDBERG: And you know what, we think you're great.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I guess.
GOLDBERG: And sadly I have to say thanks to Hasan Minhaj.
MINHAJ: Thank you.
(…)
