The exchange on The View highlighted differing perspectives on former President Donald Trump’s actions and their impact on public opinion.
Alyssa Farah Griffin initially suggested that Trump attending the funeral of a fallen NYPD officer presented “good imagery” for his political image, particularly among Republicans. However, Whoopi Goldberg challenged this viewpoint by expressing her offense at Trump’s presence, citing his alleged lack of concern for law enforcement officers during the January 6th Capitol insurrection.
Farah Griffin acknowledged Goldberg’s point and referenced Officer Brian Sicknick’s death in the aftermath of the Capitol riot as evidence of Trump’s controversial relationship with law enforcement. She argued that while Trump’s actions at the funeral may have appealed to his base, his subsequent behavior, such as sharing offensive images of President Joe Biden, undermined any positive perception.
Farah Griffin: [W]hat will lose Trump this election? I don’t think it’s abortion, I don’t think it’s the democracy argument. I think it is his rhetoric and lack of impulse control. Because right now voters are kind of tuning it out, but they’re starting to tune in, saying, “No, we’re in an election cycle.”
Sunny Hostin: Don’t they like his rhetoric though?
Farah Griffin: No, most voters, that’s why he lost in 2020. It’s the moderates and independents, not the 30 percent who are never leaving him. Because this past week, he had a brief, good political moment for a Republican. He attended a slain NYPD officer’s funeral to juxtapose, you know, what he was framing as Biden hobnobbing with celebrities. Choose what you like there, but for Republicans, it was good imagery.
Goldberg: Really?!
Farah Griffin: Yes.
Goldberg: And I’m asking that because I was so offended. Because, you-know-who showed up, whether he was asked or not, this is a man who didn’t care what happened to the officers on January 6th.
For his base, those were smart optics, but he steps on it a minute later by tweeting out this offensive, dangerous photo of Joe Biden that any child would see that and be like, “Ooo, Mommy, that’s not something I should share.” He lacks the most basic instincts around impulse control, and I think that’s going to hurt the closer we get to Election Day.
