Anti-Trump comedian Rosie ODonnell is preparing to return to ABCs The View for its 30th season, confirming that she will appear on the programs anniversary special during a podcast interview.
According to The Post Millennial, ODonnell revealed the comeback plans during an episode of the Tangle With Kyle Ridley podcast, where she discussed her role in the milestone broadcast. The 64-year-old said she will participate in whatever way they want her just as a guest, framing the appearance as a celebration of the shows evolution rather than a permanent return to the panel.
ODonnell told the podcast that producers are planning a broad reunion of past personalities, saying, Theyre bringing back all the hosts, I think. And, you know, Im pretty proud of that show, what its become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics. Her remarks underscore how The View has increasingly positioned itself as a political platform, often leaning left and serving as a reliable megaphone for progressive talking points.
The comedian previously co-hosted the daytime program during seasons 10 and 18, leaving behind a legacy of on-air clashes and ideological combat. When announcing her return, she revisited her tense relationship with longtime moderator Whoopi Goldberg, which contributed to her 2015 departure.
I admired Whoopi, wanted to be on her team, had respect for her and I expected we would be like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan passing the ball back and forth, shooting and leading the team to victory, ODonnell recalled. And thats not exactly what happened. She suggested that Goldberg may have viewed her as a rival rather than a partner, noting that Goldberg possibly felt encroached upon in some way, which she said may explain why it didnt go so well.
ODonnells reemergence comes at a moment of heightened scrutiny for The View and its corporate parent over their political role in the media landscape. The Trump administrations Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been engaged in a legal dispute with ABC over whether the show should continue to enjoy an exemption from federal equal-time rules that govern political broadcasting.
The controversy intensified after Democrat James Talarico appeared on the program in February, prompting the FCC to question whether rival candidates were entitled to comparable airtime under federal law. In response, ABC and then-parent company Disney argued that The View qualifies as a bona fide news program, a designation that would shield it from equal-time obligations and allow it to continue favoring one side of the political spectrum without offering balance.
The FCC inquiry remains open and has expanded to other ABC stations, with the network accusing regulators of censorship rather than addressing concerns about partisan advocacy on a major broadcast platform. That fight highlights the broader debate over whether shows like The View, which routinely promote liberal narratives while attacking conservatives, should be treated as news or as political entertainment subject to stricter rules.
ODonnell herself has long embodied the shows hostility toward President Donald Trump, using her platform to launch repeated personal and political attacks. Their feud became a cultural flashpoint during the 2016 presidential debate, when Megyn Kelly pressed Trump about allegedly calling women pigs and slobs, and he famously cut in with the retort, Only Rosie ODonnell, drawing laughter from the audience and crystallizing the clash between Trump and the Hollywood left.
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