‘The View’ erupts as Goldberg makes shocking US-Iran comparison in Middle East debate

The heated segment began as co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sara Haines firmly denounced Iran, calling it a terrorist regime that violates basic human rights.

“Let’s remember, the Iranians literally throw gay people off buildings. They don’t adhere to basic human rights,” Griffin asserted, adding that no one on the panel should be defending Iran.

Sunny Hostin, however, took aim at Israel for launching preemptive strikes on Iran, calling the attacks illegal under international law. That’s when Goldberg entered the fray, redirecting the conversation to the United States’ own history.

“Let’s not go there,” Goldberg said. “Because if we start with that, we’ve been known in this country to tie gay folks to the back of cars. I’m sorry, they used to just hang Black people.”

Griffin immediately pushed back, stating, “It’s not comparable. In 2025, I can wear this outfit here in the U.S. — I’d be jailed or worse in Iran.”

“It is the same,” Goldberg insisted. “Murdering someone for being different is wrong, no matter who does it.”

Griffin doubled down, emphasizing, “Living in America in 2025 is fundamentally different than living under theocratic rule in Iran.”

“Not if you’re Black,” Goldberg shot back. Hostin chimed in, “Not for everybody.”

Goldberg acknowledged that the U.S. remains “the greatest country in the world,” but said that many still live in fear — especially Black parents worrying about their children being shot. She also reminded viewers that Black Americans were only officially granted voting rights in 1965.

Griffin, growing visibly frustrated, responded, “No one’s diminishing our country’s problems. But we must recognize that there are places far darker than America — people are living without basic freedoms.”

Goldberg remained unmoved. “Not everyone agrees,” she said. “There are still people in this country who feel oppressed.”

Later in the segment, Hostin once again criticized Israel’s actions, while bracing for public backlash.

“I want to say this clearly so I don’t get flooded with hate mail,” Hostin said. “Criticism of the Israeli government is not antisemitism. I’m criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu, not Jews. What Israel is doing is not legal under international criminal law. That’s the bottom line.”

The exchange ended with the panel visibly divided — not just on geopolitics, but on what it means to compare freedoms and oppressions across borders.