Whoopi Goldberg stuns The View panel with statement about the challenges of living in the US as a black person compared to Iran.

During a heated debate on The View, Whoopi Goldberg made a controversial statement by suggesting that black people in the United States face similar levels of oppression as those living under the Iranian regime.

The argument escalated when co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pointed out the differences between living in the US in 2025 and living in Iran, triggering a reaction from Goldberg, whose net worth is estimated at $60 million.

‘Not if you’re black,’ Goldberg responded. 

The discussion among The View panelists was prompted by President Donald Trump’s remarks about Iranian leader Ali Khamenei being an ‘easy target’, leading to a debate about the extent of US involvement in the conflict.

‘Let’s just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings. They don’t adhere to basic human rights,’ Griffin said. 

Goldberg responded: ‘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.’ 

The panelists raised their voices as Goldberg repeatedly told Griffin that, ‘there’s no way I can make you understand it’, to which Griffin fired back: ‘The Iranian regime today is nothing compared to the United States.’ 

‘Murdering someone for their difference is not good, whoever does it. It’s not good,’ Goldberg responded.  

The hostile exchange came amid rising fears in the US that Trump could plunge into war with Iran, with the country’s leader Ali Khamenei sending an ominous warning hours before The View episode that America would face ‘irreparable damage’ if it joins the conflict. 

Whoopi Goldberg sparked a furious clash on The View after claiming that black people in the US are just as oppressed as people living under the Iranian regime

Panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin (right) argued that ‘it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran’, to which Goldberg responded: ‘Not if you’re black’ 

Griffin pointed to her clothing and argued that in Iran she wouldn’t be allowed to walk around with her hair and legs showing, telling her co-hosts: ‘Don’t go to Tehran guys. No one at this table should go to Tehran.’ 

”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,’ Goldberg responded. 

‘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 countered: ‘Nobody wants to diminish the very real problems we have in our country but there are places far darker than our country.’ 

After Goldberg pointed out that many black Americans could not vote until 1965, Griffin noted that in Iran, ‘they don’t have free and fair elections in Iran… it’s not even the same universe.’ 

‘There’s no way to make you understand,’ Goldberg said back. 

Joy Behar waded into the clash as she told Griffin to ‘reverse roles with a black person’, to which Griffin countered: ‘I think you know that Iran is a significantly worse country, Joy.’  

The hostile exchange came amid rising fears in the US that Trump could plunge into war with Iran as it continues its war with Israel

As Goldberg claimed that black Americans suffer as much as Iranians, The View panelists waded into the possibility of US strikes on Iran as the world waits to see if Trump pulls the trigger. 

Host Sunny Hostin appeared to justify Iran’s side of the conflict, arguing that the Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites and the assassinations of several top Iranian military leaders was illegal. 

She said she disagreed with Trump branding Khamenei an ‘easy target’, saying: ‘We really need to have a bird’s eye view of what’s going on. 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?’ 

Joy Behar added: ‘Well, think of it this way, what if Canada was saying was going to build a nuclear bomb and they threatened to kill us all? What would we do?’ 

Hostin responded: ‘You have to do it diplomatically, Joy.’ 

Behar said: ‘Really? What’s so diplomatic about having a nuclear bomb and threatening another country?’ 

The View’s take on the conflict comes as many of the president’s diehard MAGA supporters have urged him not to enter the conflict and follow through with his isolationist platform that got him elected.

On Wednesday, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released bombshell interview clips where Texas Senator Ted Cruz appeared to admit U.S. is already actively engaged against Iranian targets.

‘You said Israel was,’ Carlson said, to which Cruz responded: ‘I’ve said “we.” Israel is leading them, but we’re supporting them.’

‘You’re breaking news here,’ Carlson responded. ‘The U.S. government last night denied… on behalf of Trump, that we’re acting on Israel’s behalf in any offensive capacity.’

Earlier this week, both Carlson and Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon said on their podcasts that striking Iran would put the US on a disastrous path forward.

They blamed the ‘deep state’ in the intelligence agencies and war hawk Republicans for swaying Trump to support Israel’s military strikes on Iran.

And they warned the president faced the ‘end of his presidency’ if he got America embroiled into another lengthy war in the Middle East.

The president bristled at Carlson’s criticism, dismissing his comments at the G7.

‘I don’t know what Tucker Carlson is saying, let him go get a television network and say it so the people listen,’ Trump said.

Shortly afterward, the president fired back at Carlson on social media.

‘Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,’ Trump wrote.