‘The View’ Hosts Were Asked To “Tone Down” Their Anti-Trump Rhetoric By ABC Execs, Disney CEO Bob Iger – But They Refused: Report

The hosts of The View were asked to dial back their political commentary and criticisms against Donald Trump, according to multiple sources.

The Daily Beast reports ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic asked the hosts of The View and executive producer Brian Teta to “broaden its conversations” beyond politics and lean more into celebrity-focused coverage, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

The ladies of The View immediately pushed back against the suggestion, noting their viewers tune in for their political perspectives. The hosts offer a variety of political backgrounds and opinions when they weigh in on politics, but the show has taken a noted anti-Trump stance since the 2024 election. The View has also established itself as a political forum where several officials and candidates have stopped by, including Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. Former President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden recently stopped by to give their first interview since leaving the White House.

One source claimed the hosts told Karamehmedovic,”‘This is what our audience wants. Isn’t it gonna look kind of bad if we’re all of a sudden not talking about politics?’”

Photo: Lou Rocco/ABC

The hosts ultimately turned the suggestion down, calling it “silly.”

“They were just going to keep doing their thing,” a source told the outlet.

One source claimed this was just another instance of ABC passing along viewer feedback, noting ABC will “constantly have conversations with talent based on viewer feedback, and this instance was no different.”

All of this comes in the wake of a flurry of fiscal attacks President Trump has unleashed against news organizations. ABC recently paid Trump $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos, and Trump has also filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and 60 Minutes, claiming they deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.

But Ana Navarro reportedly took the issue straight to the top and spoke to Disney CEO Bob Iger about it at Disney’s Upfront presentation.

While Iger confirmed that he supported the show and the ladies’ work, he maintained that the show needs “to tone down its political rhetoric,” sources said.

But they certainly haven’t. Recent episodes of The View have shown Joy Behar calling out “Trump’s atrocities” and “cognitive decline,” Navarro demanding Trump take the American citizenship test to refresh his memory on U.S. history, and more.

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.