Whoopi Found in Epstein Files — Reaction
News popped that Whoopi Goldberg’s name appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files. The View waited a couple weeks and then talked it through on air. The tone was familiar. Calm. Dismissive. And quick to point at President Donald Trump.
The hosts treated the item like a nothingburger. They said anyone could be on a list. They leaned into the idea that being named doesn’t equal wrongdoing.
From NewsBusters:
Goldberg proceeded to read the contents of the request. Co-host Sunny Hostin immediately brushed off the request by pointing out that Jeffery Epstein rejected it:
GOLDBERG: My is in the files. Yes. And what does it say? It says, ‘Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco. John Lennon’s charity’ — it should say ‘Julian Lennon’s charity is paying for it. They don’t want to charter so they looking for private owners. Here’s the info.’ And they give all the information, and they’re saying, ‘do you want to offer your GII?’ Okay.
HOSTIN: It looks like they said ‘no thanks.’
“In other words, anybody can be on this list,” co-host Joy Behar dismissed the facts, before trying to whatabout her way back to Trump: “But Trump is on the list 38,000 times. Come on!”
GOLDBERG: Well, I can’t speak to him but I’m speaking about me because I’m getting dragged. People actually believe that I was with him. It’s like, honey, come on.
The reaction was predictable. If the named person is a liberal celebrity, the hosts shrugged. If it’s President Donald Trump, the same evidence is held up as damning. That double standard is what critics online pointed to right away.
Whoopi read the request on air and said she wasn’t Epstein’s friend or girlfriend. Co-hosts noted Epstein rejected whatever was being asked. That’s a key detail. It changes how people interpret the mention. But it didn’t stop critics from calling out hypocrisy.
The clip and the coverage sparked debate about how media outlets handle names on lists. Some argue presence equals guilt. Others say context matters. The View chose the latter. Critics saw a soft defense because one of their own was involved.
Watch the clip below:
After two weeks of silence, The View finally addresses Whoopi Goldberg being in the Epstein files and seemingly requesting to borrow his jet.
JOY BEHAR: Anybody can be on this list.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Anybody. Well, this is my point. Because, I'm telling you when I tell you… pic.twitter.com/7vBqpKFTHD
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 17, 2026
Whatever you think, this will keep getting talked about. Expect more takes. Expect more comparisons to President Donald Trump. And expect both sides to keep calling the other hypocrites.