During a heated exchange on The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg claimed that the experience of black Americans in the United States is equivalent to the conditions faced by citizens under the authoritarian regime in Iran.
The discussion began when co-host Alyssa Farah highlighted the severe human rights violations in Iran, noting that the regime will “literally throw gay people off buildings” and routinely suppresses basic freedoms. She argued that such conditions are vastly different from life in the United States.
Goldberg immediately rejected the comparison, responding that the US is known to “tie gay folks to the car.” She then compared life in Iran to black Americans.
“I’m sorry, they used to just keep hanging black people,” Goldberg said. “It is the same.”
Farah pushed back, emphasizing that Iran in 2025 is nothing like the modern United States. She noted how if she were to walk the streets of Tehran wearing a skirt and her hair showing, she would be severely punished for it. “I think it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran,” she explained.
Goldberg dismissed the distinction, replying, “Not if you’re black,” a remark that was met with applause from the audience.