The View Fans Threaten to Boycott after Savannah Chrisley Appears as Co-host: 'This Was a Mistake'

Reality star Savannah Chrisley's debut as guest host on The View sparked viewer backlash, with fans threatening to boycott the ABC talk show while Alyssa Farah Griffin is on maternity leave

via: Daily Mail

The View fans have threatened to boycott the ABC show while Savannah Chrisley co-hosts this week.

It was announced on Monday that the reality television star, 28, whose parents, Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, were famously pardoned by President Donald Trump last year, would have a seat at the table for four days.

Chrisley made her first appearance of the week on February 17, where she joined panelists Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin.

During the episode, she defended the Trump administration over the Epstein files and RFK Jr's health policies.

She claimed that the Department of Justice had been 'transparent' in its release of documents related to the pedophile and said the Clintons should agree to a private deposition.

'The Clintons are, in fact, trying to twist things and get sound bites from a public hearing,' she said.

'So having a deposition allows each individual to have different members of their teams, and they're asking the right questions, the hard questions to then gather it for.'

She also clashed with the co-host when she stood ten manicured toes down on the fact that the wannabe fascist-in-chief isn't racist.

The moment came Thursday during a tense debate over Donald Trump's handling of DEI initiatives amid Black History Month after moderator Whoopi Goldberg said the president "is being accused of sending mixed messages on the issue" after a judge ordered his administration to replace the slavery exhibit he had removed from a historic Philadelphia site ahead of Trump praising rapper and MAGA supporter Nicki Minaj.

After the show played a clip of Trump speaking at an event earlier this week — in which he said he loves Minaj because she's "beautiful" and expressed adoration for her long nails — Chrisley, filling in for conservative cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin during her maternity leave, said it was "hard" for her to see people accuse Trump of being racist. Her assertion comes after Trump granted a pardon for her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022 and sentenced to 19 years in prison.

"I've seen him firsthand," the Chrisley Knows Best star said, pointing out that Trump has had platonic relationships with Black people in the past.

"He is a racist," permanent cohost Sunny Hostin emphatically alleged on the show. "So he has a Black friend. He's a racist."

Goldberg jumped in to advise Chrisley on the matter. "Here's the problem, Savannah," she said, before elaborating on Trump targeting "DEI programs with executive orders" during his second-term presidency. She also pointed to him sharing "racist posts about the Obamas," referring to Trump's Truth Social account recently amplifying a video that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.

Later, Hostin alleged again that Trump is a racist.

"Let's call a thing a thing. Donald Trump is a racist. There's no question in my mind," Hostin said. "The most recent thing that he did by posting on Truth Social the Obamas depicted as apes in The Lion King, [when] there are no apes in The Lion King, that was a racist act. He tried to blame a staffer."

Chrisley defended Trump, telling Hostin, "It was in fact a staffer who posted it."

Hostin then called for the View crew to play a clip of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters Wednesday, "When you see it on Truth Social, you know it's directly from President Trump."

Hostin again alleged that "President Trump is a racist," to which Chrisley pushed back, telling Hostin, "He is not."

Chrisley added, "For the first time in history, HBCUs got permanent funding under the Trump administration," to which Hostin countered, "That funding was started, Savannah, sweetheart, before Donald Trump got into office."

The reality TV star eventually admitted that "the White House failed when it came to the posting of that video because it is the White House's responsibility to protect minority groups that lost friendships and relationships over just standing for President Trump."

Goldberg then stepped in to end the tense segment on a lighthearted note. "This is the good thing about this show: Everybody has an opinion," she said. "We say, 'I don't agree, I don't think this is cool,' and we can have these conversations. Then we go away and talk about our bra size!"

When reached for comment about the View debate, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Entertainment Weekly: "Sunny Hostin is an extremely unlikeable, talentless hack with a poorly rated TV show who clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. No President has done more for Black Americans than President Trump has. During his five years in office, President Trump signed criminal justice reform, prison reform, opportunity zones, long-term funding of historically Black colleges, school choice funding, Trump Accounts, and the largest middle-class tax cuts in history. President Trump was proud to receive historic support from the Black community in 2024, and he is working around the clock to deliver for them and make our country greater than ever before."

Fans of The View slammed producers for booking Chrisley before she even made her first appearance and vowed that they would abstain from watching the show until she was off.

Commenting underneath a photograph announcing Chrisley's booking on the official Instagram page, one asked: 'Whose brilliant idea was this? I will take a hard pass on watching this week!'

'Good to know what days to avoid watching, sorry ladies,' wrote another.

Echoing a similar sentiment, a third continued: 'Why? I'll be skipping watching this week.'

'Enjoy your week. I'm out,' another blasted. 'I can't even imagine how this will play out. Why not have her mom and dad on too?'

A fifth continued: 'I appreciate that the producers want to respect Barbara's [Walters] vision with diverse views but... This tarnishes her professionalism.'

'These will be the only episodes I miss since the first episode over 20 years ago. This was a mistake,' wrote a sixth.

A seventh said: 'I won't be watching. Some people do not need a platform.'

Chrisley's parents, Todd and Julie, were pardoned by President Trump after serving time for tax evasion and bank fraud.

The reality star couple was found guilty in July 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. They were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle.

At the time of their pardon, the ladies on The View did not seem too thrilled by the decision and criticized the President's choice on air, calling it dishonest and unethical.

Chrisley has been very vocal about her support for President Trump and even campaigned for him during the 2024 presidential race.

In December, Chrisley said that she was excited for the challenge of co-hosting The View.

'I'm totally going outside of my comfort zone by doing The View,' she said. 'I mean, this is a show that… these personalities have bashed my family, have bashed me.

'These are the same women who made a comment to the extent of, "Wonder what she had to do for those pardons."'