Whoopi Goldberg on Wednesday criticized Democrats for publicly airing concerns about President Joe Biden’s fitness for office, saying party officials should have handled the matter privately rather than creating a “public spectacle.”
Goldberg made the remarks while discussing an excerpt from former Vice President Kamala Harris’s new book, an excerpt published this week by The Atlantic in which Harris described Biden’s decision to run for another term as "reckless." Goldberg said the party’s public handling of the issue harmed voters’ perceptions of Democratic leadership.
"If the Democrats had kept their mouths shut and looked like, hold on, hear what I’m saying, if they had kept their mouths shut and took care of this in-house, as opposed to making it a public spectacle, I think people would have had a better feel about it," Goldberg said on ABC’s The View.
Co-hosts on the long-running daytime panel offered differing reactions. Joy Behar said sexism played a role in the debate over a woman in the White House, asserting the country would "never elect a woman." Sunny Hostin agreed with concerns raised by Harris, saying the stakes of Biden’s decision were high. Alyssa Farah Griffin disagreed with Goldberg’s view that party officials should police nominations, arguing there is "no primary when there is a sitting president" and citing poll figures she said showed voters worried about Biden’s age.
Harris’s excerpt also criticized aspects of the Biden administration’s communications operation, saying it had been difficult to mount positive defenses of her record. "They had a huge comms team; they had Karine Jean-Pierre briefing in the press room every day. But getting anything positive said about my work, or any defense against untrue attacks, was almost impossible," Harris wrote in the passage published by The Atlantic.
The book excerpt and Goldberg’s remarks come amid ongoing public debate within the Democratic Party about Biden’s 2024 reelection bid and the party’s handling of questions about his age and performance. Critics inside and outside the party have faulted campaign strategy and communications choices, while allies have defended the president and pointed to the unusual dynamics that accompany an incumbent’s renomination effort.
Former President Biden and Harris, who served together through the 2024 election cycle, have appeared together at official events since leaving office. The exchange on The View followed widespread coverage of Harris’s comments and deepened discussion among Democratic-leaning media and pundits about how the party might manage internal disagreements in future cycles.
Goldberg’s remarks were part of a broader public reckoning among Democrats about strategy and messaging after the 2024 campaign. The debate highlights tensions between critics who say concerns should be raised publicly to inform voters and those who argue intra-party disputes are best resolved away from public view to preserve party unity.
The View is a widely syndicated daytime talk program whose on-air discussions often reflect and amplify broader political conversations. Harris’s book and the Atlantic excerpt have prompted responses across media outlets and among political figures, underscoring continuing divisions over how Democrats address leadership questions and election strategy.