In what appears to be a rare but notable internal pushback against daytime TV’s most politically charged panel, Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic have reportedly asked the co-hosts of ABC’s The View to tone down their inflammatory political commentary. But if they hoped for a pivot toward more measured dialogue, they were quickly disappointed.
According to an explosive report by The Daily Beast citing multiple sources within Disney and ABC, the suggestion was politely dismissed—if not outright ignored—by the show’s fiercely opinionated hosts, who made clear they have no plans to change course.
Karamehmedovic reportedly held a meeting with executive producer Brian Teta and the show’s panel, urging them to expand beyond their heavy focus on politics and embrace the broader range of content that has proven successful in recent months—interviews with celebrities, lifestyle segments, and light-hearted discussions that still draw strong ratings without polarizing half the audience.
But the suggestion—particularly as it pertained to cutting back attacks on President Trump and conservative Americans—was met with resistance, especially from Ana Navarro, a self-styled “Republican strategist” who’s known for championing left-wing talking points and scorched-earth attacks on the right.
“This is what our audience wants,” one source quoted the panel as saying. “Isn’t it gonna look kind of bad if we’re all of a sudden not talking about politics?”
Navarro, in particular, reportedly argued that toning down the show’s trademark political rants would result in declining viewership and lost influence. According to The Daily Beast, she even confronted Iger directly at a Disney event, thanking him for his continued support of the show’s “relevance” in America’s divisive political climate.
Iger was reportedly gracious, but reiterated his preference for a reduction in divisive rhetoric, suggesting that the current tone might be alienating to potential advertisers and broader audiences.
The show’s primary hosts—Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Joy Behar—are all well-known for their deeply partisan takes and regular diatribes against Donald Trump, his voters, Republicans, Christians, white Americans, and more. Whether mocking political opponents or launching sweeping generalizations about identity groups, the show has become a lightning rod for controversy—and, undeniably, ratings.
Though not every episode is steeped in politics, the show has leaned hard into hyper-partisan culture war commentary in recent years, drawing ire from critics and praise from its progressive base. The attempt by Disney and ABC News to rebalance the show’s tone is part of a larger pattern: a corporate effort to walk back some of the overt politicization of entertainment content, which has become a flashpoint for cultural backlash.
Yet the hosts, backed by their own convictions—and, to be fair, consistently strong ratings—remain defiant.
