On a recent episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg, 69, stepped in to cut off an intense debate between co-hosts Sunny Hostin, 56, and Alyssa Farrah Griffin, 35, over the controversial topic of school vouchers. The heated exchange reached a boiling point, prompting Goldberg to send the show to a commercial break.
The debate sparked during a discussion about President-elect selection of WWE co-founder Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education. Griffin, who previously worked in the Trump administration but endorsed Harris in 2024, defended the idea of expanding voucher systems.
“I don’t think the President elect is just going to abolish the Department of Education,” Griffin argued. “I think he’s going to move to invest more on voucher systems in education savings plans.”
Hostin, a vocal critic of school vouchers, strongly disagreed. She highlighted research suggesting that vouchers primarily benefit families already able to afford private schooling.
“What happens with vouchers, the studies show very clearly, that they fund students that are already attending private schools, so people with money get those vouchers, use those vouchers to pay less for their private schools, and their kids go on to do well,” Hostin stated. “Where do you get the money for those vouchers? You pull the money from those poor schools.”
As Griffin attempted to interject, Hostin continued her critique. Griffin tried to steer the conversation, saying, “Let me get in just to make it a conversation,” and pointed out that Hostin had attended private school while she herself went to public school. However, Hostin persisted in her argument, leading to a chaotic back-and-forth.
WHOOPI HAD TO STEP IN
The escalating interruptions prompted Goldberg to step in. “Nobody can figure out what’s being said here right now,” she exclaimed, shutting down the exchange. Despite Hostin’s attempt to finish her point, Goldberg refused to allow it.
“No. There’s no last thing being said here right now,” Goldberg asserted firmly, before cutting to a commercial break with, “We’ll be right back.” As the show transitioned, Griffin was overheard saying, “We haven’t gotten a word in! She’s been talking for three minutes!”
During the tense moment, co-hosts Joy Behar, 82, and Sara Haines, 47, notably stayed out of the fray.
After the break, Goldberg addressed the incident, reopening the conversation with a call for civility. “Welcome back, we’re all here at the table and we’re having a conversation and we’re going to go back to it,” she said, acknowledging the heated exchange.
“Before we do, I just want to say this is the beauty of people who have different opinions. Sometimes it’s messy, sometimes we’re messy,” Goldberg explained, adding, “There’s something in the air. Just know that something is chewing on us.”
