On Tuesday, amid swirling questions about why a Russian businessman gifted Donald Trump Jr. hundreds of thousands of dollars for his wedding’s after party, ABC’s purported “bona fide news program” The View used it as evidence to push the debunked conspiracy theory that President Trump stole the 2016 presidential election with help from Russia. Additionally, they had newfound respect for the Supreme Court they’ve hated on for years because they ruled against Trump on his vote-by-mail executive order.
“And, you know, I start to think back to Hillary Clinton. It's like everything she said came true, like, is she clairvoyant?” boasted co-host Sunny Hostin about the two-time failed presidential contender.
Hostin went on to argue that Clinton was “completely convinced” that she lost to Trump because Russia helped Trump steal the election:
And she said that she's completely convinced that Putin wanted her to lose and Trump to win the 2016 election. I - We remember that the U.S. intelligence agencies and a bipartisan congressional investigations [sic] confirmed that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 us presidential election, that Putin ordered an influence campaign to denigrate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump's chances.
The View is still claiming Trump stole the 2016 presidential election with help from Russia and praise Hillary Clinton as "clairvoyant" with her predictions about Trump 10 years later. pic.twitter.com/zkwR50vNjA
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 15, 2026
This was Hostin flip-flop-flipping on the idea that Trump stole the 2016 election.
For six years, Hostin had insisted that Trump’s first term was “illegitimate.” However, she walked that back in 2022 when then-newly minted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was getting flack for also being a 2016 election denier. Hostin was opposed by her co-hosts for changing her mind at the time:
HOSTIN: But I remember calling him an illegitimate president, and that was wrong.
BEHAR: Why?
HOSTIN: I should not have said that. He was not an illegitimate president.
GOLDBERG: But that's how you felt! You had every right to say it!
Again, there was no evidence that Trump won the election because of the Russians.
Back on Tuesday, moderator Whoopi Goldberg voiced her newfound respect for the U.S. Supreme Court following a Monday ruling that went against Trump’s wishes to change how mail-in ballots were treated:
I have to tip my dreads to those folks. You know, we don't see eye-to-eye on a lot but on your right as an American to vote, I am so proud of the Supreme Court saying, ‘you know what, we're not -- this is a bridge too far.’ I'm proud of these -- of the Republican governors who said, ‘You know, it's a bridge too far. Asking us to -- us to interfere.’
The View has new found respect for the U.S. Supreme Court after years of deciding them of being paid off by Trump.
Whoopi "tip[s]" her "dreads" (aka commends" SCOTUS for stopping Trump from purportedly trying to steal the 2026 midterms too.
She claims "something is happening"… pic.twitter.com/NlmtrOwS74— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 15, 2026
“Something is happening and we need to pay attention because something good is happening and we need to be part of it, so you know what you got to do,” she proclaimed. “Vote,” co-host Joy Behar demanded in response.
It wasn’t too long ago that Goldberg was calling for Americans to band together and launch a “class action suit” against SCOTUS for “no longer doing the job you’re supposed to be doing.”
The View had also compared the conservative justices to segregationists and asserted that Justice Clarence Thomas was going to outlaw his own interracial marriage.
“Bona fide news program.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
September 15, 2026
11:06:43 a.m. Eastern(…)
SUNNY HOSTIN: And, you know, I start to think back to Hillary Clinton. It's like everything she said came true, like, is she clairvoyant? I don't know -
JOY BEHAR: Politically savvy.
HOSTIN: - but she's so politically savvy. And she said that she's completely convinced that Putin wanted her to lose and Trump to win the 2016 election. I - We remember that the U.S. intelligence agencies and a bipartisan congressional investigations [sic] confirmed that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 us presidential election, that Putin ordered an influence campaign to denigrate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump's chances.
And so, the fact now that you have Donald Trump Jr having this close relationship, I would say, because a friend that gives you 100 - $270,000, that's a pretty good friend, man. I ain't got friends like that!
(…)
11:10:11 a.m. Eastern
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: This -- the wedding money is for me a distraction. But I refuse to be distracted because I've been watching what they've been trying to do and how they've been trying to block people. And I will say, states, Republican states and Democratic states have had enough time listening to what this person said they were going to do and there are Republican states who said, ‘you know what, we are -- we are with him but we're not going to let you do this.
[Cast murmurs in agreement]
We're not going to acquiesce to your need to keeping people from voting.’
I have to tip my dreads to those folks.
[Applause]
You know, we don't see eye-to-eye on a lot but on your right as an American to vote, I am so proud of the Supreme Court saying, ‘you know what, we're not -- this is a bridge too far.’ I'm proud of these -- of the Republican governors who said, ‘You know, it's a bridge too far. Asking us to -- us to interfere.’
HOSTIN: Yeah.
GOLDBERG: You know, I just --
HOSTIN: Sure.
GOLDBERG: Something is happening and we need to pay attention because something good is happening and we need to be part of it, so you know what you got to do.
JOY BEHAR: Vote!
