Disney, which owns ABC News and airs “The View,” is reportedly asking the daytime talk show’s hosts to scale back their political commentary — particularly their criticism of President Donald Trump. According to sources cited by The Daily Beast, both Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic want a shift in the show’s political tone.
Executives expressed wanting a balance over politics
Conversations reportedly occurred through private meetings with the show hosts and informal discussions at a private ABC News event.
During one meeting between Karamehmedovic and all of “The View’s” hosts, the panel was told that the show needed a more balanced approach rather than an emphasis on political discourse. According to the report, the hosts were encouraged to focus more on celebrity interviews and lifestyle segments — formats that, according to ABC executives, perform well with viewers.
Sources say the hosts resisted the suggestion, arguing that their audience is highly engaged in political discussions, particularly during such a politically charged climate.
Ratings data has the show dominating
Recent ratings appear to support the hosts’ defense of their content. Nielsen data reviewed by The Wrap shows “The View” consistently attracts millions of viewers and outperformed competing programs in its time slot.
In the first quarter of this year, “The View” ranked as the top-rated daytime network talk and news program, drawing an average of 2.62 million viewers. That’s a 4% increase from 2024.
By comparison, “The Faulkner Focus” on Fox News — which also features a female-dominated panel — garnered 2.39 million viewers during the same period.
Disney CEO reportedly spoke to one host
The push for less political content wasn’t limited to internal meetings. According to The Daily Beast, Iger also privately spoke with “The View” cohost Ana Navarro at an ABC advertisers’ event.
Navarro reportedly thanked Iger for supporting the show. In response, sources say Iger reaffirmed his support but reiterated that the panel should tone down its politics.
Following Trump’s election victory, the hosts issued four legal disclaimers during November 2024 broadcasts for remarks made about Trump’s cabinet appointees.
“The View” is an opinion-based program where hosts are paid for their on-air commentary.
Reports remain unconfirmed by Disney, ABC
The Daily Beast based its report on unnamed sources. The New York Post spoke with their own anonymous show insiders, who reportedly corroborated the story.
As of now, neither Disney nor ABC News has issued a public comment regarding the alleged directive.
Tensions continue between Trump and network
President Trump is again threatening legal action against ABC News, this time over a jet being gifted to the U.S. from Qatar, said to be worth between $200 and $400 million dollars.
Trump pushed back on claims that he accepted a personal gift, saying the aircraft in question was intended for the U.S. Department of Defense — not for him personally.
“Everyone, including their lawyers, has been told that ABC must not say that Qatar is giving ME a FREE Boeing 747 Airplane, because they are not,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Instead, and as Fake News ABC fully knows and understands, this highly respected country is donating the plane to the United States Air Force/ Defense Department.”
Taking aim at Disney CEO Bob Iger, who oversees ABC, Trump said, “I give these SleazeBags fair warning!” Trump also referenced a defamation case involving ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos, which resulted in a $16 million settlement in December 2024.
