Executives at Disney and ABC News have reportedly urged the hosts of The View to moderate their criticism of President Donald Trump and reduce the show's political focus.
Historically, The View has not hesitated to critique Trump and the Republican Party, but it seems the network's leadership is concerned that the program has drifted too far from its original format as a women's talk show.
As reported by Breitbart, the Daily Beast revealed that Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic recently convened with The View's hosts and executive producer Brian Teta. During this meeting, they encouraged a shift away from political discussions.
"Karamehmedovic highlighted episodes with celebrity guests that he said were highly rated, one source said, and encouraged them to lean into such coverage moving forward," the outlet noted. Although Iger and Karamehmedovic did not explicitly demand changes, their suggestions reportedly unsettled the hosts.
Ana Navarro, one of the show's co-hosts, allegedly expressed concern that their audience expects political commentary, stating, "'This is what our audience wants. Isnt it gonna look kind of bad if were all of a sudden not talking about politics?'"
Some hosts reportedly dismissed the executives' suggestions as "silly" and vowed to maintain their current approach. During Disney's recent Upfront presentation to advertisers, Navarro reportedly confronted Iger about the suggestion.
Sources indicated that Navarro thanked Iger for supporting the hosts in a politically charged climate, while Iger reiterated the need to tone down the political rhetoric. Another insider suggested that ABC regularly engages in discussions with talent based on viewer feedback, implying that some viewers have expressed a desire for less political content.
The request for The View to reduce its political rhetoric follows a series of incidents where the hosts had to issue legal clarifications for exaggerated remarks about Trump's cabinet selections. Additionally, CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, are reportedly negotiating a settlement with President Trump over claims of election interference related to a heavily edited interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on a 60 Minutes segment last year.
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