A heated debate erupted on The View this week as co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Farah Griffin clashed over the Israel-Iran war, drawing contrasts between Iran’s human rights record and America’s historical injustices. Goldberg claimed on the show, “The year 2025 in the United States is nothing like if I step foot wearing this outfit in Iran right now,” Griffin argued, pointing to Iran’s dress codes and gender restrictions. “I can’t have my hair showing, I can’t wear a skirt, I can’t have my arms out.” “Not if you’re Black,” Goldberg interrupted, drawing a parallel between racism in the U.S. and oppression elsewhere.

Iran is a “terrorist nation”

The discussion was sparked by Israel’s recent airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites, a move co-host Sunny Hostin argued may have violated international diplomatic laws. Sara Haines countered sharply, stating she would not defend Iran under any circumstances. “Iran is a terrorist nation that has been funding people killing people for decades,” Haines said. “They have never followed the rules.” Alyssa Farah Griffin condemned Iran’s treatment of minorities and women, saying, “Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings” and “don’t adhere to basic human rights.” She argued that Iran’s current regime poses a grave threat to its citizens, particularly women and the LGBTQ+ community. Goldberg responded forcefully, urging caution when comparing human rights abuses abroad without acknowledging America’s own history.

“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,” Goldberg said. “They used to just keep hanging Black people.” Griffin apologised but stood by her point. “I’m sorry, but where the Iranian regime is today in 2025 is nothing compared to the United States,” she said.

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Schwarzenegger on immigration

Later in the episode, actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on the show to promote the second season of his Netflix series FUBAR. The conversation shifted when Schwarzenegger remarked that immigrants in the U.S. should “behave like a guest.” Goldberg quickly rebutted the comment, arguing that most immigrants are law-abiding and contribute positively to society. “Ninety percent of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing,” Goldberg said. “People who have visas, people who have all those things. We want all the right people. We don’t want people who are doing bad stuff.”

“She should be schooled”

The Internet quickly reacted to her comment. A user said, ” Women in Iran face brutal violence… beatings, rape, and death for simply showing their hair. Yet, Whoopi Goldberg, a multimillionaire celebrity in America, compares her life to theirs. Life in the United States as a woman is not the same as it is in Iran.” Another noted, “Whoopi Goldberg said it’s not different to live in the US and Iran in 2025. How can you be this clueless? Her co-host, who has Iranian heritage, is trying to point out that women can’t even dress like she is on the show. Gets shouted down:”

“Whoopi Goldberg on The View (of all shows) just said that it’s no different living in Iran than the US. The Islamic Republic has arrested over 30,642 women since 2022 for not wearing hijabs. They’ve killed, raped, and tortured many of them,” claims another. “I can not believe Whoopi Goldberg compared being Black in America to living in Iran,” said a user.