Whoopi Goldberg Wants to Know Why Trump Can Continue to Threaten People: ‘If I Did That, They Would Not Consider It Freedom of Speech’

The women of ABC’s The View had a good laugh at former President Donald Trump’s expense on Tuesday, but as Trump sat in a New York City courtroom for the second day of his civil fraud trial, View co-host Whoopi Goldberg wanted to know how he was still allowed to keep making threats in public.

The panel didn’t exactly have an answer for her, maybe because no one has been able to answer this question beyond “It’s his First Amendment right to say what he wants,” even though there are many ways to interpret what constitutes a true threat. Trump has been consistently and openly attacking various public figures involved in his federal and state cases, and Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed multiple requests for a gag order on Trump citing his statements calling for the execution of Gen. Mark Milley. But Goldberg pointed out that if she was the one making similar threats, no one would be calling it free speech.

I have a big question about all of this because something’s been bothering me. Why can he continue to threaten judges, threaten AGs, and threaten just people? Now, I understand that some folks say it’s freedom of speech, but if I did that, they would not consider it freedom of speech. So why does he get to continue to threaten? And it’s threats like he did with January 6th. He basically said, “Come after her.” He didn’t say exactly those words, but I don’t know how else you can take those words. But why is he continuously allowed to do that when none of us would be able to do it?

Co-host Sunny Hostin did say Trump was hiding behind the First Amendment, but put his language in context:

I think the reason that he keeps on doing this is because it fires up his base. But most importantly, the reason he even showed up at this is because this threatens everything about his alleged empire, which he doesn’t really have, we all know. But she’s asking for $250 million. He’s not going to serve any jail time or anything like that. But he will lose all of his business certificates in New York. He’s already lost those, actually, believe it or not.

And co-host Joy Behar even noted herself that Trump looks “scared”:

He really looks scared. He looks scared. He’s very defiant, but that’s a cover. What I said last week about him and how he went bananas when Rosie O’Donnell mentioned his financial situation, this is what he cares about, he doesn’t care about his children, he doesn’t care about the country. He only cares about his money and power. And to stay out of jail. I think he’s scared, and I think he’s very nervous.

Watch the video above via ABC.