ABC’s millionaire moderator, Whoopi Goldberg was in a foul mood during Thursday’s edition of The View because former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain dared to say President Biden should focus his reelection message on issues that average Americans were concerned with such as inflation and high grocery prices. She repeatedly shouted down any attempt to suggest he had the power to curtail inflation but then went on about how expensive her commute was as if Biden could deal with it.
According to big brain Goldberg, who recently couldn’t remember which years former President Trump ran for office, Biden wasn’t responsible for inflation at grocery stores; rather, it was the stores just raising prices for the hell of it. “I think our kvetch is not with him for grocery prices. I’m mad at the grocery stores, because if all of the things have been open why are you still raising prices?” she shouted.
Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin tried to argue that prices were the top concern of the undecided voters she’s spoken to and that there was a way for Biden to address it, but Goldberg repeatedly shouted over her, suggesting if those “people knew civics” as she did they’d know they were wrong (Click “expand”):
FARAH GRIFFIN: What I hear when I talk to undecideds is “the grocery bills are–”
GOLDBERG (interrupting): Yes, but if the people knew civics they would know that is not his —
FARAH GRIFFIN: There are absolutely things that Biden can do to address it and grocery prices have jumped 25 percent over four years.
JOY BEHAR: What can he do?
[Crosstalk]
FARAH GRIFFIN: Hang on real quick. This is the reality. It’s the most immediate and repetitive thing. You have to buy groceries every week.
GOLDBERG (interrupting): We get all that. But the question is what do you want him to do? What can he do?
FARAH GRIFFIN: He can challenge the major grocery chains if he wants to. There are things that he could do with – that he could encourage the Fed to do.
Goldberg insisted Biden was “doing stuff he’s supposed to be doing. He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing,” but never explained what that “stuff” was.
Farah Griffin tried to reiterate that “Americans are spending 11 percent of their income on food” but Goldberg interjected with her own problems. “I’m an American. I’m a little pissed off about over-the-price stuff, but I’ll tell you what I’m really pissed off about,” she shrieked. “I wanted to talk about why the people in New Jersey now are facing not just getting the prices raised on the buses and trains…”
Suggesting that Biden was in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t scenario, Goldberg argued that he was just a busy guy getting pulled in different directions:
Listen, he can do what he did with the gas people. He can do everything but then he’s not going to be able to take care of what he needs to do in Israel, then he’s not taking care — I mean, it’s like, there’s a lot of stuff to do but we get it. We know there’s a lot to do.
Backing up Goldberg through all of this, was staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host, Sunny Hostin (the descendant of slave owners), who was blaming the high prices on grocery stores. Without evidence, she accused all grocery stores of “price gauging.”
“Maybe we just need corporations like these grocery stores to be good corporate citizens and stop gouging! Stop trying to make money off of our backs!” she shouted.
A little over a year ago, Hostin bragged that she hadn’t gone grocery shopping in years, ever since the COVID pandemic.
The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:
ABC’s The View
April 11, 2024
11:05:49 a.m. Eastern(…)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I think our kvetch is not with him for grocery prices. I’m mad at the grocery stores, because if all of the things have been open why are you still raising prices?
(…)
11:07:07 a.m. Eastern
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: What I hear when I talk to undecideds is “the grocery bills are–”
GOLDBERG (interrupting): Yes, but if the people knew civics they would know that is not his —
FARAH GRIFFIN: There are absolutely things that Biden can do to address it and grocery prices have jumped 25 percent over four years.
JOY BEHAR: What can he do?
[Crosstalk]
FARAH GRIFFIN: Hang on real quick. This is the reality. It’s the most immediate and repetitive thing. You have to buy groceries every week.
GOLDBERG (interrupting): We get all that. But the question is what do you want him to do? What can he do?
FARAH GRIFFIN: He can challenge the major grocery chains if he wants to. There are things that he could do with – that he could encourage the Fed to do.
SUNNY HOSTIN: Challenge how? Can he take them to court?
BEHAR: So far, we’re in a free country.
GOLDBERG: Let her answer.
FARAH GRIFFIN: There are a number of things to be done but to say, “I wash my hands, it’s not my problem you can’t afford groceries.”
HOSTIN: But what can he do? Can he take them to court because they’re price gauging?
FARAH GRIFFIN: No, it’s not a matter of taking them to court.
[Crosstalk]
SARA HAINES: I see what you’re saying. Even campaigning on things like that helps. Because I think also making room for immigration would be helpful here. One of the things, if you’re looking towards the election if you want to grab people and get them voting, immigration is one of the most agreed upon problems.
GOLDBERG: But here’s the problem, he does — He goes and he takes care of what he’s supposed to be taking care of, which is the bridge and how to open – just hold on.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I don’t think that’s what Ron Klain was saying. He was talking about him going to – [crosstalk] infrastructure projects –
[Crosstalk]
GOLDBERG: But here’s the thing, you know, people are bitching if he does stuff, they bitch if he doesn’t do stuff. Listen, he’s doing stuff he’s supposed to be doing. He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. But I’m pissed off.
[Crosstalk]
FARAH GRIFFIN: Americans are spending 11 percent of their income on food, the most –
GOLDBERG (interrupting): I’m an American. I’m a little pissed off about over-the-price stuff, but I’ll tell you what I’m really pissed off about. I’m really pissed out that people seem to think that the American citizen is a wallet where you can just get your hand in through. That’s what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about why the people in New Jersey now are facing not just getting the prices raised on the buses and trains—
HOSTIN: Congestion pricing.
GOLDBERG: No, no, this is on the Jersey side.
HAINES: Yeah, I know, but it’s all part of the same —
GOLDBERG: But the congestion pricing isn’t making me as nuts as —
FARAH GRIFFIN: I just want to underscore. I think it’s a fair point. There’s not one box he can check and suddenly grocery prices go down. That would be ridiculous to suggest but what is being told by advisers is, “You need to speak to what people are feeling. You need to speak to this very real reality.” I make a lot of money. I put a red onion back the other day because it was $4.99. That’s ridiculous!
GOLDBERG: Yeah, but, again, he can talk — Listen, he can do what he did with the gas people. He can do everything but then he’s not going to be able to take care of what he needs to do in Israel, then he’s not taking care — I mean, it’s like, there’s a lot of stuff to do but we get it. We know there’s a lot to do.
My kvetch with him is – Listen, Ron, if there’s something you want him to talk about, let’s say, listen, we know you’re doing all this stuff but when you say, “I don’t want him to be talking about bridges anymore,” it sounds to people who live and need that bridge like they’re being dismissive.
HOSTIN: Maybe we just need corporations like these grocery stores to be good corporate citizens and stop gouging! Stop trying to make money off of our backs!
(…)