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“Enough Is Enough”: ABC Suspends Whoopi Goldberg (Again) Amid New On-Air Firestorm — Staff Say ‘Culture of Immunity’ Finally Ends

It happened again.

On Monday’s live broadcast of The View, Whoopi Goldberg launched into what was supposed to be a routine commentary on political polarization in 2025 America. But what came out left the studio in stunned silence — and ignited a firestorm that ABC News leadership could no longer ignore.

“Let’s stop pretending certain kinds of extremism are more dangerous than others. White supremacy is a problem — but so is racial tribalism. We can’t just call out hate when it’s convenient.”

The comment, delivered with Whoopi’s signature certainty, sparked immediate backlash online. Critics called it a false equivalence. Advocates accused her of minimizing white nationalist threats in an election year already boiling with racial tension. Even longtime viewers of The View said the moment “crossed a line.”

By Tuesday night, ABC News President Kim Godwin had made her move.

Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended, without pay, for two weeks.

The announcement came not on air, but in a carefully worded internal memo obtained by multiple outlets — including this one.

“Effective immediately, Whoopi Goldberg will be suspended from The View for a period of two weeks following statements that were not in alignment with our editorial standards, nor our commitment to inclusive, fact-based dialogue,” the memo read.

For staffers at ABC, the suspension wasn’t just about this one moment. It felt like the culmination of years of tension simmering just below the surface.

According to multiple ABC insiders, frustrations over Whoopi’s and co-host Joy Behar’s unchecked power have been quietly mounting since the passing of The View’s founding force, Barbara Walters, in late 2022.

“Barbara kept everyone in line,” one producer shared under condition of anonymity. “After she left us, the power dynamic shifted. Whoopi and Joy ran the table. Standards began to blur.”

Kim Godwin, appointed president of ABC News in 2021, had reportedly been under increasing pressure from Disney executives to address what one insider called “a culture of immunity” on the daytime flagship.

“They say what they want, when they want. The rules apply to everyone else,” said one longtime staffer. “But today’s action shows that era is over.”

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ABC News President Kim Godwin was brought in in April

Public response has been swift — and deeply divided.

Hashtags like #StandWithWhoopi trended side-by-side with #FireWhoopi as the news broke late Tuesday night.

Her critics argue this isn’t the first time Whoopi has made problematic comparisons. Supporters, meanwhile, say her remarks were misinterpreted, and accuse ABC of bowing to political pressure in an increasingly censorious media environment.

Adding fuel to the fire, sources tell us that Joy Behar is “furious” behind the scenes, having privately expressed that Whoopi is being “scapegoated” for what should have been “a nuanced discussion.”

Yet others on staff quietly applauded the suspension, calling it a long-overdue correction.

“This isn’t about silencing Whoopi,” said one mid-level producer. “It’s about restoring accountability — and rebuilding a show that people can trust again.”

Godwin, known for her steady, crisis-tested leadership style, didn’t hold back in her internal note to ABC employees.

“Words matter,” she wrote. “They carry weight, especially when spoken by those with national platforms. We are responsible not just for what we say, but how it impacts others — our viewers, our communities, our colleagues.”

She acknowledged Whoopi’s long history of advocacy but emphasized that “past goodwill does not erase present missteps.”

In a parallel move, ABC has announced that episodes of The View will now undergo real-time editorial review by a senior content compliance officer — a quiet but clear signal that the leash is tightening across the board.

Several sources say the latest suspension is part of a broader internal push by Disney to reform ABC’s daytime and news divisions heading into the 2025 election cycle — a period already marked by divisive media narratives and mounting advertiser sensitivity.

“Disney is fully backing Kim’s moves,” said one executive close to the situation. “There’s a lot riding on ABC’s credibility right now — and they’re not going to let their flagship talent derail that.”

This isn’t the first time Goldberg has faced internal consequences. In early 2022, she was suspended after controversial remarks about the Holocaust — a moment many thought would change the dynamic at The View. But insiders now admit that “nothing really changed.”

This time, they insist, it will.

According to our sources, Whoopi “accepted the decision calmly” when informed by Godwin on Tuesday afternoon.

“She didn’t argue. She said she understood,” a source close to the show said. “But make no mistake — she’s not happy.”

She’s expected to return to her seat on The View in mid-July, though multiple sources say discussions are underway about bringing in a permanent guest co-host to “rebalance the panel.”

Names floated internally include Tara Setmayer, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and even former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson.

For now, no. But the winds are shifting.

“The message from Kim Godwin is clear,” said one former ABC executive. “No one is untouchable anymore — not even Whoopi.”

And as Disney continues to streamline its media assets and prep for a potential spinoff of its news division, there’s growing speculation about whether The View — once a lighthearted morning table talk — can survive this new era of political precision and social accountability.

This article is a dramatized interpretation based on recent developments in U.S. television news media. While the events and characters referenced are real, certain timelines and statements have been adapted for narrative cohesion and emotional impact. This version does not claim to represent the official views of ABC News, The View, or Disney, and is intended for commentary and storytelling purposes only.

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