Why Whoopi Goldberg's 'View' Seat Is Safe for Now

Whoopi Goldberg has a funny way of treating guests on “The View.”

The show’s senior host all but chased Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro off the set this week following a contentious on-air debate. In true “View” style, Goldberg wouldn’t let Pirro get in a word without interrupting her in the heat of their disagreement.

Why? Goldberg melted down after being accused of suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Her frenzied comments hardly did her defense any favors.

That wasn’t the end of the skirmish, though.

Here’s Pirro describing to radio talker Sean Hannity what happened after Goldberg ended the segment in as rude a manner as possible.

“When I went off the stage, Sean, I’m walking downstairs and I said something like, ‘Whoopi, I fought for victims my whole life,’ and she came at me as I was leaving and she said ‘F you’ in my face — literally spitting at me, ‘F you, get the F out of this building,’ ” Pirro said.

“And I said to her, ‘did you just say that?’ She said that’s what I said, ‘get the F out of this building’ and she was screaming at me and I’m walking out of the building like a dog who was just kicked off,” Pirro added.

Goldberg shared a different version of those events on Friday’s “View” broadcast, saying Pirro treated the “View” staff rudely, among other transgressions.

Either way, Goldberg’s raw unprofessionalism could get her canned from most gigs. Roseanne Barr lost a massive sitcom earlier this year after sending out one very ugly tweet. Hank Williams Jr. lost his “Monday Night Football” gig after loosely comparing President Obama to Hitler (something stars do on a near-daily basis to President Trump).

So will Goldberg be looking for a new gig soon? Very unlikely. Here’s why:

• She picked the “right” target. Pirro is on Fox News and regularly defends President Trump. Conservatives aren’t afforded the same cultural protections as their liberal peers. Just ask Ivanka Trump, who was called a feckless c-word by Samantha Bee. The comic retained her TBS gig all the same.
• This is Standard Operating Procedure on “The View.” Right-of-center guests get a much rougher treatment on the show than liberal guests. Shouting doesn’t always ensue, but verbal traps and cross-talk often await them.
• It’s a one-day story at best. Media outlets will move on swiftly from this skirmish, unwilling to hold Goldberg’s feet to the fire for her antics. Had reporters dragged the story out for a week that could spell a different outcome.