“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg had to issue a clarification after joking that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is secretly gay.
On Thursday, the co-hosts brought up Graham’s national ban on abortion after 15 weeks. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who made a guest appearance on the show, noted Graham had previously argued the issues of abortion and marriage should be left up to the states.
“So Sen. Graham, what changed?” she asked.
Co-host Joy Behar chimed in, “I know. What changed?”
Goldberg quipped, “Well, maybe he’s getting married.”
“Do it quick because I know people are fooling around with our marriage rights. Whoever, wherever you stand,” she added.
Her comments refer to concerns that conservatives could push to restrict same-sex marriage.
Watch the video below:
Later, Whoopi tries to clarify, calling her homophobic attack on Graham "a joke."
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 22, 2022
"I was doing what I was doing as a comic," she said. "I just had a whole conversation about people misunderstanding the joke."
"I should probably never do this show again…" pic.twitter.com/fcL7lyGYdE
Later in the show, Goldberg had to clarify her comments as she said, “Before I do this introduction, I need to make clear that I was doing what I do as a comic.”
“Sometimes I make a joke. And it was a joke. Nothing more than that. I just got a whole conversation about people misunderstanding the joke. I mean, OK,” she continued.
Finally, Goldberg added, “I should probably never do this show again — if this is what it’s coming to. It was a joke, guys.”
On Sept. 13, Graham introduced a bill that would ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
His proposal does allow for an exception in the case of rape or incest, as well as if the mother’s life is at risk.
Graham defended the proposal for a national ban by saying, “It’s not a states’ rights issue.”
Lindsey Graham on his federal abortion ban: "States' rights has been used to justify some pretty bad things in the past, I'm not going to let it happen here" pic.twitter.com/cqwKKTLO9B
— Jason S. Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) September 22, 2022
“States’ rights has [sic] been used to justify some pretty bad things in the past. I’m not going to let it happen here,” he added.