Whoopi Goldberg knocks Obama, Mark Cuban for criticizing Democrats
Whoopi Goldberg took aim at former President Obama and billionaire investor Mark Cuban for criticizing the way Democrats have been responding to various actions and policy initiatives undertaken by the Trump administration.
Goldberg cited recent criticism from Obama, who urged Democrats to “just toughen up” in remarks Friday at a private fundraiser in New Jersey, according to excerpts obtained by The Hill.
“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said.
In comments responding to Obama on ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, Goldberg said, “Let me remind everybody who was out on the front lines marching when we had the giant marches that went on. It was the people. The people went out.”
“They were not ‘navel-gazing,’” she continued. “It was older people who were saying, ‘Why are you touching my Social Security?’ It was not people ‘whining.’ It was about people saying, ‘Why are you taking these rights from my child when my child was born here?’”
Goldberg also cited Cuban’s recent remarks in a “Pod Save America” interview, in which the former surrogate for Vice President Harris’s 2024 campaign criticized Democrats’ messaging on issues like the recent sprawling tax and spending bill that Trump recently signed into law.
That law reduces federal spending on Medicaid, but it leaves it to states to decide whether to contribute more state dollars to the program or, instead, to make cuts. Cuban argued Democrats should focus more attention on governors and ask them directly whether they will decide to cut Medicaid. Instead, he said, Democrats are too focused on Trump.
“We pick the wrong pressure points,” Cuban said. “It’s just, ‘Trump sucks.’ That’s the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. ‘Trump sucks.’ Trump says, ‘The sky is blue’: ‘Trump sucks.’”
“That’s not the way to win,” he added. “It’s just not.”
But Goldberg pushed back on the criticism, noting Democrats have been leaning in and are politically engaged.
“When you say Democrats, he’s talking to us, saying our messaging is bad,” Goldberg said, clarifying that she’s delineating between voters and elected officials. “And I’m saying, no, our messaging has not been bad because people have been out.”
“Democrats have been angry at what this man tried to do the last time. They’ve been angry this time. So, I — with much due respect to you both — I believe you are pointing the finger at the wrong person when you say Democrats,” Goldberg said, addressing Obama and Cuban.