ABC’s hypocrisy was on full display between Tuesday and Wednesday’s episodes of The View, when it came to concerns about government overreach involving the media. First, when speaking with journalist Evan Gershkovich about surviving his time in Russian captivity, The View suggested President Trump was turning America into a mirror of what he just escaped. Then, when it was revealed in a congressional hearing that Special Counsel Jack Smith had scooped up journalists’ emails in his Trump investigation, they claimed it was a “waste of time.”
When nearing the end of their interview with Gershkovich, where he detailed how he was arrested by Russian authorities and used as a bargaining chip with the United States for prisoner swaps, co-host Joy Behar tried to bait him into agreeing with her that America was becoming like Russia under Trump.
“Seems to be the situation that these dictatorships, the first place they go is the press. We're experiencing some of that in this country right now,” she proclaimed while banging her hand on the table. Legacy co-host Lisa Ling, filling in for Whoopi Goldberg, agreed with a firm, “Certainly.”
Gershkovich appeared reluctant to go where Behar tried to lead him. Once it became obvious her wasn’t giving her what she wanted, Behar interjected and promptly went to a commercial:
GERSHKOVICH: Yeah, I mean there's a part - You know, the Part 4 of the book is this sort of when I get home and I start reporting again. I want to figure out why they took me, you know, answer some of these questions, but also how the swap worked, how the negotiations went. And it was the - Trump’s second inauguration had already taken place and I was, you know, DOGE had basically --
BEHAR: Well, Trump just invited Putin to go down to Miami, so they're palsy-walsy.
His new memoir, This Cured Beautiful land: A Russian-American Story is available now. You can scan the QR code on your scene to purchase a copy. We'll be right back.
Joy Behar tries to bait Evan Gershkovich, a journalist arrested and held hostage in Russia, into agreeing that Trump is turning America into Russia and going to arrest journalists.
He doesn't take the bait, and the interview ends. pic.twitter.com/gHsmtqeQaC— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 29, 2026
Fast-forward 24 hours, The View was discussing the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Smith. The same hearing where Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed that Smith had sifted through the e-mails of conservative and liberal journalists, including the Media Research Center.
The intrusion into the private conversations of journalists by a federal government investigator went completely unmentioned by The View cast, who were more interested in mocking Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) for his failed slam-dunk on Smith.
“These things are such a waste of time,” shouted pretend independent Sara Haines. “They are such a waste of time! We literally are talking about a war that is dividing this country. People can't afford dinner or gas. And we have midterms coming up and this is what they're going to choose to focus on.”
“Isn't that the point? Isn't that the point?” Behar agreed.
Perhaps they didn't care because ABC wasn't on the list shared by Grassley.
Sen. Grassley says Jack Smith obtained communications from 18 media outlets, the Media Research Center among them. Everyone on that list should want answers.
We do. pic.twitter.com/sVto9VBL2b— Media Research Center (@theMRC) September 29, 2026
Helping the regular cast beclown themselves, legacy co-host Debbie Matenopoulos, who was also filling in for Goldberg, suggested the only important information to come from the hearing was that Smith was a fan of women’s basketball. Of course, faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed:
MATENOPOULOS: It’s wag the dog, ‘look over here, look over here, don't look at this, look over here.’ I mean, I think the only thing that's come of this is we now know that Jack Smith is a huge Caitlin Clark fan.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Right? That was literally the only thing.
Ignoring the revelation that Jack Smith obtained the email communications of many journalists and news outlets as he targeted Republican law makers, The View claims the only thing we learned form the Judiciary Committee hearing was that he's "a huge Caitlin Clark fan." pic.twitter.com/7reTNEu9LA
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 30, 2026
“I don't know what went on there but I find Jack Smith very hot,” Behar, the queen hypocrite agreed.
The transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
September 39, 2026
11:52:21 a.m. Eastern(…)
JOY BEHAR: Seems to be the situation that these dictatorships, the first place they go is the press. [Bangs her hand on the table] We're experiencing some of that in this country right now.
LISA LING: Certainly.
EVAN GERSHKOVICH: Yeah, I mean there's a part - You know, the Part 4 of the book is this sort of when I get home and I start reporting again. I want to figure out why they took me, you know, answer some of these questions, but also how the swap worked, how the negotiations went. And it was the - Trump’s second inauguration had already taken place and I was, you know, DOGE had basically --
BEHAR: Well, Trump just invited Putin to go down to Miami, so they're palsy-walsy.
His new memoir, This Cured Beautiful land: A Russian-American Story is available now. You can scan the QR code on your scene to purchase a copy. We'll be right back.
September 30, 2026
11:06:10 a.m. Eastern(…)
SARA HAINES: These things are such a waste of time! They are such a waste of time! We literally are talking about a war that is dividing this country. People can't afford dinner or gas. And we have midterms coming up and this is what they're going to choose to focus on.
BEHAR: Isn't that the point? Isn't that the point?
(…)
11:08:19 a.m. Eastern
DEBBIE MATENOPOULOS: It’s wag the dog, ‘look over here, look over here, don't look at this, look over here.’ I mean, I think the only thing that's come of this is we now know that Jack Smith is a huge Caitlin Clark fan.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Right? That was literally the only thing.
SUNNY HOSTIN: That’s basically it.
(…)
11:08:59 a.m. Eastern
BEHAR: I don't know what went on there but I find Jack Smith very hot.
[Laughter]
We'll be right back.
