With Walgreens announcing that they will stop selling certain brands of abortion pills in states that prohibit them, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom launched a campaign against them with what the pharmacy chain called “false and misleading information.” Of course, the liberals of ABC’s The View adhered to Newsom’s marching orders and opened Thursday’s show by parroting his talking points, later being forced to read a legal note with Walgreens’ response to the lies.
Of course, racist moderator Whoopi Goldberg immediately leapt to playing the race card. “So Walgreens, are you scared of all these old white men coming after you?” she sneered. She then demanded they “be scared of the women. Be scared of the women because when women decide that you have stepped on their rights, you know, you have to pay attention to that.”
Co-host Sara Haines, a staunch abortion supporter, parroted Newsom’s line that Walgreens was “bowing down to the bully” and was glad Newsom was throwing around California’s population and economic weight.
While she usually tries to portray herself as an independent, Haines referred to the Democratic position as “we do believe in government intervention” against companies. At this point, she tried to suggest Newsom’s cause was righteous while those of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) were not.
“I think Newsom is behind an issue that's been the law of the land. He's saying don't take us backward. We're fighting for this and we’re going to keep it where it is,” she praised Newsom. “DeSantis seems to be pulling us backward by taking away rights from people like LGBTQ+ and people that had established lives and now he’s going the other way.”
She failed to give evidence of how DeSantis was “taking away rights.”
Joyless co-host Joy Behar suggested that Walgreens should retaliate against red states by refusing to sell Viagra. “Then you'll see some action. When these men can't get their blue pill, to keep them functioning with their young wives,” 80-year-old Behar said.
Goldberg’s fellow racist co-host, Sunny Hostin, built off of Haines to lecture conservatives on what it meant to be a conservative including how they should be in support of “drag [queen] brunch”:
I think that what's fascinating here is -- to elude to Sara's point is, conservatism was always about limited government. Conservatism was always about more freedom. And so, if you're taking freedom away from women to purchase an abortion pill, that's less freedom. If you're taking away from parents the freedom to take their kids to a drag brunch if they want to, that's less freedom.
“So, all this flies in the face of what a DeSantis or a Republican Party would generally believe in. I think what they're looking for is the hubris we saw in this conservative Supreme Court,” she scolded.
But at the end of the segment, Hostin was forced to read a legal note with Walgreen’s side of the situation where they called out Newsom:
A spokesman for Walgreens said the company was “deeply disappointed at California's decision not to renew our long-standing contract due to false and misleading information and that Walgreens' position had always been to sell the abortion pill where it was legally allowed to do so, consistent with federal and state laws.”
At this point, you might be asking yourself what The View’s resident Republican said during all this. Well, Alyssa Farah Griffin was surprisingly firm in pushing back against their attacks on Walgreens. She all but directly called Newsom a hypocrite for doing what he criticized DeSantis for doing.
“And Gavin Newsom has made a name for himself after going after Ron DeSantis … [went] after Disney. He says we should be targeting private companies for what they’re exercising. This is more egregious; Walgreens is simply following the state law,” she said.
Later on, Farah Griffin called out Newsom for going on vacation while constituents were dying in the aftermath of a severe snowstorm. But Goldberg interrupted her to stop viewers from hearing the truth.
The View’s misinformation and hatred at Walgreens was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Humana and Red Lobster. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
March 9, 2023
11:02:51 a.m. Eastern(…)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: 21 Republican attorney generals threatened legal action against Walgreens if they mail abortion pill in their states, citing a federal law they claim prohibits it. But the U.S. Justice Department disagreed saying, it's okay to mail these pills as long as the drug is taken lawfully.
So Walgreens, are you scared of all these old white men coming after you? You can -- don't be scared of them, be scared of the women. Be scared of the women because when women decide that you have stepped on their rights, you know, you have to pay attention to that.
Now, we have very different ideas at this table about abortion and that's okay because that's what's going on in the country. So, I kind of feel like they went to a law from 1898 or something --
SUNNY HOSTIN: 1873.
GOLDBERG: '73. When women had no rights, couldn't vote, barely could go down the street. But hey, that's what they scared them with and they caved to that.
HOSTIN: Yes.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I think this is the wrong target by Governor Newsom, just to take the other side on it. Walgreens is following a state law. His issue is with the state laws. I don’t think we shouldn't be targeting a private company for following a state law. Take it up with Texas if you think abortion pills should be provided.
And I would note, every company that sells -- whether its Plan B or in this case mifepristone – I believe is the pill that they use. CVS is going to run into this. Amazon is going to run into it. You can't target the companies. And Gavin Newsom has made a name for himself after going after Ron DeSantis – and actually, I think rightly – for going after Disney. He says we should be targeting private companies for what they’re exercising. This is more egregious; Walgreens is simply following the state law.
SARA HAINES: But so, four of those states Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana, the laws do allow for it. But because of the threat of litigation, Walgreens is – as Newsom said – bowing down to the bully.
The thing I like think is unique for Governor Newsom right now is, he has a population in that state greater than the 21 states combined. And he's the fourth largest economy in the world. So, to put that heft and throw it around, I kind of – I actually feel it’s a little different from DeSantis in two important ways. One, it's not a conservative belief to have government overstep. Like, in the name of conservatism DeSantis is bringing in big government. Newsom is falling in line with party, which is like, we do believe in government intervention. You know? Democrats agree with that.
The second thing is, I think Newsom is behind an issue that's been the law of the land. He's saying don't take us backward. We're fighting for this and we’re going to keep it were it is. DeSantis seems to be pulling us backward by taking away rights from people like LGBTQ+ and people that had established lives and now he’s going the other way.
(…)
11:06:13 a.m. Eastern
JOY BEHAR: Walgreens, they should just say, “Well, you don't want us to sell birth control pills or abortion pills, we're not going to sell Viagra pills either.” Then you'll see some action. When these men can't get their blue pill, to keep them functioning with their young wives.
(…)
11:06:42 a.m. Eastern
HOSTIN: I think that what's fascinating here is -- to elude to Sara's point is, conservatism was always about limited government. Conservatism was always about more freedom. And so, if you're taking freedom away from women to purchase an abortion pill, that's less freedom. If you're taking away from parents the freedom to take their kids to a drag brunch if they want to, that's less freedom. So, all this flies in the face of what a DeSantis or a Republican Party would generally believe in. I think what they're looking for is the hubris we saw in this conservative Supreme Court.
(…)
11:09:47 a.m. Eastern
HOSTIN [sarcastic tone]: I have a legal note. A spokesman for Walgreens said the company was “deeply disappointed at California's decision not to renew our long-standing contract due to false and misleading information and that Walgreens' position had always been to sell the abortion pill where it was legally allowed to do so, consistent with federal and state laws.”
BEHAR: They're saying what you're saying, Alyssa.
(…)
