In the wake of the volatile environment that's currently ongoing for late night talk shows following the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Rosie O'Donnell has shared some thoughts on how the political firestorm could find its way to her old stomping grounds at The View.
The long-running ABC daytime talk show has been long known for making headlines as the panel of co-hosts discuss hot-button political topics. In a new post on TikTok, O'Donnell reveals that she's "heard" ABC will allegedly review the "liberal bias" on The View. The former View co-host believes that the network reviewing the bias is "code" for the series ultimately being canceled.
"Apparently, the truth is dangerous now," O'Donnell wrote in the caption of her TikTok post, not mincing words about how she feels about the matter. "They say they want 'balance.' But what they mean is silence. Silence anything that doesn't praise the orange messiah and his golden escalator of lies."
O'Donnell first joined The View panel in 2006 as part of season 10. After leaving after only one year on the show, she returned again in 2014 for season 18, leaving again after only one more year. The actress, comedian, and talk show host famously argued with fellow co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck over politics in a tense on-air exchange about the Iraq War in 2007.
The View has always featured a multi-generational panel of women with differing perspectives, some liberal and some conservative. But according to O'Donnell, she fears that the network's alleged assumption of a bias in one direction could soon result in the show's cancellation after almost 30 years on the air. There's no official word yet, but O'Donnell shared her perspective in her post.
"We are in a dictatorship with good lighting," O'Donnell wrote. "I used to think the First Amendment meant something. I used think you couldn't just erase a voice because it made you uncomfortable. But that's where we are. They don't want balance. They want obedience. And they will shut down anything that reminds people of what freedom sounds like."
CBS' cancellation of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show, a late-night institution that began in 1993 with host David Letterman, rocked the industry and shocked fans. While the network cited financial reasons behind the cancellation, others pondered whether the cancellation was in connection to political reasons over Colbert's criticism of the Paramount-Skydance merger and President Trump. CBS Chair of TV Media George Cheeks called Colbert's comments and the cancellation announcement was coincidental.
O'Donnell's words and fears about The View lean into that concern that political opposition could be causing late night shows to be taken off the air. We've also seen how the White House and Trump administration have responded to new episodes of South Park. While O'Donnell's fears aren't totally confounded, no other shows have been canceled after The Late Show just yet.
With her lengthy post, which should be read in full to understand the scope of her thoughts and statement, O'Donnell doesn't appear to be instilling fear in her followers. Rather, she's asking fans, especially those of The View, what it would mean if the show —one that's always been important for women starting timely conversations — was actually confirmed to be in danger of cancellation.
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