On the June 11 episode, “The View” guest co-host Sophia Bush and co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Farah Griffin criticized President Donald Trump for remarks about inflation and for what they say is a growing focus on White House and Washington, D.C. renova
The June 11 episode of “The View” didn’t waste time turning President Donald Trump’s words into a teachable moment about what Americans say they can’t afford.
A clip aired of the commander-in-chief declaring, “I love the inflation.” The line immediately landed with a thud on set. Guest host Sophia Bush. filling in for Joy Behar. called Trump “tone-deaf. ” saying it sounded especially disconnected coming from someone who “grew up in a wealthy family” and speaking this way “in a country where the average American can’t afford an unexpected $400 medical bill for themselves or their children without risking bankruptcy.”.
Bush didn’t stop there. She asked, “Who are you to say that the pockets of the American people are not your highest priority as the president?”
The conversation quickly widened from Trump’s inflation remark to what several co-hosts described as a bigger problem: priorities. Alyssa Farah Griffin. a conservative who served as White House communications director during Trump’s first term. joked that the president seems “more interested in home renovation than being president right now.”.
Her point landed in a vivid picture. “It’s like, ‘We’re building the ballroom. We’re painting the [Lincoln Memorial] reflecting pool. We’re gilding the White House.’ And it feels so detached from the reality of so many Americans right now who are just struggling to make ends meet.”
Griffin tied that feeling to figures she said explain why voters remain frustrated. “The economic stats are unbelievable right now. People are really hurting,” she said. She added that “Inflation’s at 4.2 percent. ” while “wage growth” is “3.4 percent.” She also referenced that “Moody’s says that the average American household is spending nearly $300 more a month due to inflation. ” and said. “10 percent of American households have food insecurity. ” calling it “higher than during the pandemic.”.
Then she circled back to Trump’s “I love the inflation” comment—linking it to a moment she said Americans didn’t ask for. “And a lot of Americans voted for this president because they thought he was going to address the cost of living. And here we are now in a war [with Iran] that nobody wanted saying. ‘I love the inflation.’ Not good. not good. ” Griffin said.
Sophia Bush returned to the anger in the room. leaning into the disconnect she said she sees between Trump’s spending and everyday survival costs. She said, “This man has profited, some estimates say $4 billion since he took office, while Americans can’t afford gas?. C’mon, y’all!. He’s selling meme coins?. No. We should’ve given this man an HGTV show and said. ‘Go renovate the ballrooms and leave the rest of us alone.’”.
Bush’s claim appeared to reference estimates published by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. who have said Trump and his family have profited financially during his return to office. The Democratic committee members’ website estimates Trump’s gains at billions of dollars. though the figures have been disputed by Republicans.
Whoopi Goldberg took the argument back to fundamentals—what people say they need right now, not what Washington looks like. She agreed that American taxpayers should not be treated as a “wallet,” then framed the issue as the difference between bills and “ballrooms.”
“We are. every one of us. working our tails off. we’re taking care of our families. we’re trying to get everything done that we can get done for our families safely and well. you keep coming to us for not smart stuff. for ballrooms. ” Goldberg said. “I don’t have a ballroom. You don’t have a ballroom. Nobody in this room — I don’t think — has a ballroom.”.
She added, “None of these folks are making over their reflecting pools and building giant arches in their backyards,” before sharpening the comparison: “They’re trying to feed their families. They’re trying to put gas in the car. They’re trying to get to work.”
Goldberg argued that the rest of the country’s daily grind is colliding with decisions she described as misdirected. “But you keep cutting jobs and getting mad that there’s not enough people to do stuff. You’ve got to go!. It’s time!. And I say that with all due respect. A lot of people put all their hopes and dreams in you. and now. their hopes and dreams have taken the backseat to insane stuff for this country.”.
The View Sophia Bush Whoopi Goldberg Alyssa Farah Griffin Donald Trump inflation White House renovations Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool cost of living House Oversight Committee