Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was not impeached this week, in large part because 11 Democrats were absent from the hearing where the procedural vote took place. The results infuriated the hosts of “The View” on Wednesday morning, prompting moderator Whoopi Goldberg to offer Dems a warning: they don’t get to do this again.
Discussing the situation during the day’s Hot Topics, Goldberg scoffed at the excuses offered by the Democrats who were absent, including traffic, health issues, and conflicting events. After watching clips of angry Democrats who were present scolding those who weren’t, the ABC moderator promptly wanted to “pile on.”
“We just got voted in,” she said. “We are saying, this is a very bad way to come out of the gate. Now listen. Next time, you know there’s a vote, leave your house earlier. You know there’s traffic!”
“This is the last time you get to do this, because as quickly as we put you in power, we can remove you from power,” Goldberg added. “Do not do this.”
Host Alyssa Farah Griffin called the absences “shameful,” and argued that it simply plays into the ideas that voters have about Washington D.C. being “all cocktail parties and smoke-filled rooms, not doing the actual work.” She stressed that the next congress will get a chance to impeach Hegseth, but that this was not the way for Dems to hit the ground running after midterms.
“All the American people are saying — I’m not saying we’re speaking for everybody, but I think we might be — don’t do this again,” Goldberg reiterated. “Make this the last time.”
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
