Throwing their arms up and proudly declaring “today is Taco Tuesday!” sums up how the ladies of ABC’s The View stepped in to defend and massage the situation First Lady Jill Biden caused on Monday after she made racist comments suggesting everyone in the Latino community are as “unique” as “tacos.” Together they laughed and suggested “we all step in poo” and it was nothing egregious because “we understood what you were trying to do.”
“First Lady Jill Biden has apologized after making some unfortunate analogies during a speech to Latino Americans in San Antonio, Texas, yesterday. I can't even tell--” Whoopi Goldberg tried to announce as she fought back her laughter.
In the clip in question, the First Lady was giving a speech at a “LatinX” event and said: “…the diversity of this community is as distinct as the bodedas [sic] of the Bronx, as beautiful and the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.”
And after the cast gave the audience permission to laugh, Goldberg defended Biden by turning the situation into a comedy bit:
You think somebody might have read the speech beforehand and said, ‘maybe you don't want to say it like this.’ But this, you know, I don't even want to say what it is, because, you know, we all step in poo from time to time, and so this happens. But this was really, you can hear the people going – ‘what is she saying? Did she just say ‘bogeda?’
Goldberg herself got into hot water earlier this year after she made anti-Semitic comments invoking the Holocaust. But she got personal absolution from the head of the Anti-Defamation League.
Sunny Hostin and faux Republican Ana Navarro teamed up to suggest Biden was not racist because she had Latino friends, or staff in this case. “She has so many, I think, high-level Latinas on her staff,” Hostin said. “Her first chief of staff was Julissa Reynoso, a Dominican,” Navarro noted. “Her chief of staff now is Anthony Bernal. And there's a ton of high-level Hispanics in the White House…”
After Goldberg made a joke that those staffers didn’t help her out, Navarro added that perhaps the “margaritas” they were drinking at the conference were “a little too strong.” Navarro then commended Biden for just “showing up. Because for four years we had an administration where nobody showed up to the Essence Festival.”
“Pro-tip, when speaking to Hispanics really, really avoided any comparisons to tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, alcapurrias, and chilaquiles,” she added.
As the most critical voice, Hostin did admit Biden “used racial stereotypes” but seemed to excuse it because someone “wrote that for her.” “And it was such an unforced error,” she lamented as she went on to deny the fact more and more Latinos were voting Republican:
Because when you think about political affiliation, there's -- Republicans are making the argument that there are more Hispanics that are now registering as Republican, and that – I don't know if that's true and I don't think it's true, because right now, 56 percent of Hispanic-Americans identify as Democrats, whereas only 26 percent of Hispanic Americans identify as Republicans.
Hostin is infamous for using shoddy numbers without good citations. Earlier in the same show, she falsely claimed “85 percent of mass shootings are done by AR-15s,” when in reality handguns make up most mass shootings.
And after some quick quips about Biden mispronouncing “bodega,” Goldberg again tried to soothe Biden’s embarrassment. “I don't know if we all have stepped in it, I know I have stepped in it. So, Dr. Jill, you know, hear the humor, we get it, we understood what you were trying to do, and just try not to do it again,” she said.
To which Navarro proudly proclaimed: “And today is Taco Tuesday!”
This defense of Jill Biden’s racist comments were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Olay and Ensure. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
July 12, 2022
11:16:15 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG [While trying to hold back laughter]: First Lady Jill Biden has apologized after making some unfortunate analogies during a speech to Latino Americans in San Antonio, Texas, yesterday. I can't even tell -- here's what she said. You have to just look.
[Cuts to video]
JILL BIDEN: Help build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community is as distinct as the bodedas [sic] of the Bronx, as beautiful and the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.
[Audience reaction]
Is your strength.
[Cuts back to live]
GOLDBERG: [Mouth open is shock]
ANA NAVARRO: These two ladies in the – these two Latinas in the front row are just cracking up.
[Laughter]
SUNNY HOSTIN: They heard “bodedas” and they’re just – I mean, bodega is what she meant to say.
GOLDBERG: You think somebody might have read the speech beforehand and said, ‘maybe you don't want to say it like this.’ But this, you know, I don’t even want to say what it is, because, you know, we all step in poo from time to time, and so this happens. But this was really, you can hear the people going – ‘what is she saying?’
HOSTIN: Exactly.
GINGER ZEE: And then that nervous laugh.
GOLDBERG: ‘Did she just say ‘bogeda?’
HOSTIN: Our senior producer said, but who wrote the speech and went ‘yes, I got it right?’ And then gave it to her because she has so many, I think, high-level Latinas on her staff.
NAVARRO: Her chief of staff for the first time – Her first chief of staff was Julissa Reynoso, a Dominican, who’s now – who they now appointed ambassador to Spain. Her chief of staff now is Anthony Bernal. And there's a ton of high-level Hispanics in the White House, they just named Julie Rodriguez Chavez--
HOSTIN: That’s right.
NAVARRO: --as a special advisor.
GOLDBERG: Well, where they all at some other meeting without her?
[Laughter]
HOSTIN: They were not there.
NAVARRO: Let me tell you. I’ve been to these conventions, the margaritas sometimes are a little too strong.
HOSTIN: Something happened.
NAVARRO: You know what? Listen, I want to give her points for showing up. Because for four years we had an administration where nobody showed up to the Essence Festival, where nobody showed up --
GOLDBERG: Well, they hardly ever go to the Essence Festival, come on now.
HOSTIN: That’s true. That’s true. Kamala was there.
NAVARRO: Kamala was there.
GOLDBERG: Yeah, well, you expect to see her at the Essence. You didn't expect to see you-know-who at the Essence Festival. I’m just saying.
NAVARRO: But – And I also want to focus on – What she was talking about was, last week the President awarded a presidential medal of freedom, which is the highest honor a civilian can get, to Raúl Yzaguirre.
Raúl Yzaguirre, who is friend of mine, a mentor of many years, founded the National Council of La Raza. Today, his body is racked with Parkinson’s, but his mind is intact. And one of the things that Raul really focused on his entire life was bringing unity amongst Hispanics. He understood that as Mexican-Americans, and Dominican-Americans, and Nicaraguan-Americans, and Venezuelans—
HOSTIN: And Puerto Ricans.
NAVARRO: -- and Puerto Ricans, we were stronger as one.
And that's what she, very inarticulately, was referring to. Pro-tip, when speaking to Hispanics really, really avoided any comparisons to tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, alcapurrias, and chilaquiles.
ZEE: And speaking about anyone, don't you avoid food-related to people. Whether that’s skin color. You don’t use food to describe people.
[Crosstalk]
GOLDBERG: I would be upset if someone said, “you bring the chicken out in people.”
HOSTIN: Yeah.
ZEE: Right.
[Audience reaction]
HOSTIN: I don't know who –
[Audience reaction]
GOLDBERG: That's kind of what, in case you're not – this is what –
HOSTIN: It was a racial stereotype. She used racial stereotypes. So, I don’t know who wrote that for her, but –
And it was such an unforced error. Right? Because when you think about political affiliation, there's -- Republicans are making the argument that there are more Hispanics that are now registering as Republican, and that – I don't know if that's true and I don't think it's true, because right now, 56 percent of Hispanic-Americans identify as Democrats, whereas only 26 percent of Hispanic Americans identify as Republicans.
And so she was sort of preaching to the choir and in doing so she's talking about tacos and bodedas, which I’ve never been to one.
NAVARRO: Bogeda is when you mix a bodega with a pagoda.
HOSTIN: Oh, a pagoda so that’s a –
[Crosstalk and laughter]
GOLDBERG: I thought it was the place in Bolivia. Bodega.
NAVARRO: No, that’s Bogota.
GOLDBERG: Oh, I see.
NAVARRO: And that’s Colombia.
ZEE: Columbia.
GOLDBERG: But his is what we will say what we'll say – what I will say – that’s right is Columbia, hello!
We all – I don't know if we all have stepped in it, I know I have stepped in it. So, Dr. Jill, you know, hear the humor, we get it, we understood what you were trying to do and just try not to do it again.
NAVARRO: And today is Taco Tuesday!
GOLDBERG: We'll be right back.
