Overview

• On June 18, 2025, Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Farah Griffin engaged in a heated debate on The View over whether Black Americans face oppression comparable to LGBTQ individuals and women in Iran.
• Alyssa Farah Griffin cited Iran’s criminalization of homosexuality, death penalty for LGBTQ individuals and restrictions on women’s rights while Whoopi Goldberg invoked historical and ongoing racial violence in the United States.
• Sunny Hostin argued that Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran violate international law and Sara Haines condemned Tehran’s support for terrorist groups and the regime’s lack of basic civil liberties.
• The exchange was cut short by a commercial break as tensions escalated and prompted backlash on social media against Goldberg’s comparison.
• The clash underscored deep splits on US foreign policy and domestic justice in the face of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.