Whoopi Goldberg was lambasted by a co-host of “The View,” after she compared human rights violations in Iran to conditions black people faced in the United States.
The debate erupted when former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin criticized the Iranian regime on Wednesday’s show.
“Let’s just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings. They don’t adhere to basic human rights,” she pointed out.
Goldberg immediately shot back that black Americans have historically faced comparable injustices.
Whoopi and Sunny say it's worse to be black in America today than to live in Iran today. Whoopi shouts down Alyssa Farah Griffin for noting that Iran kills gay people because America is a terrible country. Alyssa stand up to her in a big way:
Alyssa: Let's remember the Iranians… pic.twitter.com/sxxOK08EPK
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 18, 2025
“Let’s not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car,” she snapped back. “Listen, I’m sorry, they used to just keep hanging black people.”
Griffin, taken aback, tried to draw a distinction between the systemic policies of Iran and America’s current democratic state.
“It’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran,” she said.
Goldberg insanely claimed, “Not if you’re black!” Sunny Hostin chimed in, “Not for everybody!”
The conversation took place as fears mount over a potential military escalation between the United States and Iran.
President Donald Trump has reportedly been considering a missile strike using a 30-ton “bunker buster” to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The president has warned he is prepared to make a “final decision” amid increasing attacks between Iran and Israel.
Goldberg continued her argument, stated, “Murdering someone for their difference is not good, whoever does it! It’s not good!”
Griffin, pointing to the privileges she has in America, remarked, “Guys, don’t go to Tehran. Do not. No one at this table can go to Tehran.”
She referenced the freedom to show her hair and legs, which are liberties that are banned for women under Iran’s strict dress codes.
Goldberg wasn’t persuaded. “Let me tell you about being in this country. This is the greatest country in the world. But yeah, I know that. I know. And we all know that, but every day we are worried.”
She continued, “Do we have to be worried about our kids? Are our kids going to get shot because they’re running through somebody’s neighborhood?”
Griffin replied, “Nobody wants to diminish the very real problems we have in our country but there are places far darker than our country.”
Naturally, Goldberg interrupted her. “But not everybody feels that way. Not everybody feels that way,” she continued.
“Listen, I’m sorry, you know, when you think about the fact that we got the vote in 1965—”
At that point, Griffin cut in and said, “They don’t have free and fair elections in Iran! It’s not even the same universe!”
Goldberg ended the exchange with, “You know what, there’s no way I can make you understand.”
Joy Behar added her perspective, advising Griffin to “reverse roles with a black person,” but Griffin wasn’t swayed.
“I think you know that Iran is a significantly worse country, Joy,” she sniped.
The panel changed the subject to the U.S.’s potential involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, with Hostin suggesting that Israel’s actions may have breached international norms.
“We really need to have a bird’s eye view of what’s going on,” she opined. “If that’s OK for Israel to do, if that’s OK for our president to do. Is that OK for another country to do to us?”
Behar jumped in with a hypothetical, positing, “Well, think of it this way, what if Canada was saying it was going to build a nuclear bomb and they threatened to kill us all? What would we do?”
“You have to do it diplomatically, Joy,” Hostin responded.
Behar pressed back, “Really? What’s so diplomatic about having a nuclear bomb and threatening another country?”
Trump signaled he may be nearing a “final decision” regarding the intensifying standoff with Tehran, as hostilities between Israel and Iran stretched into their seventh consecutive day.
On Thursday morning, senior U.S. officials convened at the White House, where it was revealed that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has been involved in confidential outreach with Iranian representatives in an effort to secure a “diplomatic end to the crisis.”
Meanwhile, tensions escalated further when Iranian forces launched overnight strikes that targeted several locations in Israel, including a hospital in Beersheba.
The attack left at least 71 Israelis injured, according to local reports.
Watch the entire segment on “The View” here: