Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. president Donald Trump on Friday, and was promptly screamed at by Trump and Vice President JD Vance. According to “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg, it was “one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever seen.”
Among other things, Zelenskyy was yelled at for apparently not being grateful enough for U.S. support in the war waged against Ukraine by Russia, despite the fact that Zelenskyy has repeatedly thanked the U.S. very publicly. Eventually, Trump told Zelenskyy that “You’re gambling with World War III.”
“That has to be one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever seen,” Whoopi said angrily after watching the clip on Monday. “This is the leader of a sovereign nation, and you are doing theater with him because you’re trying to show that you’re the hard guy.”
“But I don’t think anybody wanted you to be the hard guy!” she continued. “I don’t think you asked anybody how they felt, people who voted for you, you didn’t ask them how they feel about what you’re doing. You didn’t ask them if they want to be operatives of Putin’s government. You have not asked that, and I’m sorry. I do stand with you, Zelenskyy!”
Host Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed “it was chilling,” reminding audiences that 62% of Americans support Ukraine, and Trump and JD Vance are in the minority. The ABC host also called out Lindsey Graham, for giving two opposite opinions on Zelenskyy in the span of two weeks, because of the confrontation.
“I will never understand, in my bones — having been on Air Force One with Trump, having been to Mar-a-Lago — is all that worth it to sell out everything you believe in? To sell all of your principles?” Griffin added.
Host Ana Navarro also took issue with Trump and his allies criticizing Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit to the Oval Office.
“He’s wearing what he’s wearing because he is representing people’s suffering, because he is representing a country of war, because over 100 hospitals have been destroyed,” she said. “Over 700 schools have been destroyed. Over 100 churches have been destroyed.”
“Thousands and thousands and thousands of Ukrainian lives have been destroyed, and lost, and for them to be picking on the way he was dressed was one of the worst, most embarrassing, horrifying, mortifying moments I’ve ever seen in the Oval Office.”
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
