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Instead of the usual political slugfests, ABC reportedly wants more celebrity stories and lifestyle segments. But not all the ladies were thrilled by the suggestion.
“This is what our audience wants. Isn’t it gonna look kind of bad if we’re all of a sudden not talking about politics?” one co-host reportedly pushed back, according to the Daily Beast.
Host Ana Navarro allegedly pushed back even harder during a separate conversation with Iger, where he reiterated his desire to see less political venom on the show.
The internal tension highlights an emerging battle between network executives who are eyeing broader audience appeal and hosts who seem determined to stay in attack mode.
The discord isn’t new. Earlier this year, the show was forced to air multiple legal disclaimers after the hosts made unverified claims about Trump’s cabinet nominees. The corrections embarrassed the network and likely added fuel to Disney’s demand for course correction.
One ABC insider put it bluntly to the Daily Beast: the network is having “ongoing conversations” with its talent about the show’s direction. Many see this as corporate speak for “tone it down.”
Some conservatives see it as a sign that Disney is finally waking up to the growing backlash against its lurch to the far-left. Others argue it’s simply damage control after Trump successfully forced the network into settling a defamation case involving ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Meanwhile, the panel’s recent attempt to dismiss Jake Tapper’s book Original Sin only served to deepen the divide. The book documents Joe Biden’s sharp cognitive decline, something most major media outlets refused to cover until it could no longer be ignored.
Joy Behar attempted to deflect, asking when Tapper planned to write a book about Trump’s mental state. Whoopi Goldberg added that Biden’s condition “didn’t matter.”
RINO token Alyssa Farah Griffin tried to inject a dose of reality, pointing out, “This table spends a lot of time criticizing Donald Trump and a lot of it is very valid and needs to happen, but it’s a fact his approval rating is 39 percent. However, Democrats’ is 27 percent. People felt gaslit and lied to.”
The writing may be on the wall. With viewers tuning out of leftist echo chambers, and legal liabilities mounting, the network appears to be inching toward moderation—or at least better PR optics.
Still, don’t expect Behar and company to suddenly embrace balance. But make no mistake, when Disney tells its biggest stars to zip it, there’s a reason. And that reason might just be fear that their Trump obsession is dragging the entire brand down.
