In a moment few viewers expected to see, longtime Trump critic Whoopi Goldberg publicly defended President Donald Trump during Monday’s episode of The View.
The surprising defense came as critics complained about Trump’s decision to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. But Goldberg made it clear she believes politics should not determine who gets to support New York’s team.
Goldberg argued that any devoted Knicks supporter deserves a seat at the game, regardless of politics.
For years, Goldberg has frequently clashed with Trump and his supporters on political issues. That’s why her comments immediately stood out to viewers.
The discussion began after The View aired clips of fans objecting to both Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attending the game.
Goldberg quickly rejected those complaints.
“Trump and Mayor Mamdani are Knicks fans. They’ve been New Yorkers for a long time,” she said. “There’s nothing either one of them can do to change what’s happening with this team.”
The comments marked a rare moment of agreement involving Trump on a program that has often been critical of the president.
Trump confirmed earlier that Knicks owner James Dolan personally invited him to attend the game.
Trump said he has supported the Knicks for many years and also holds a favorable opinion of team owner James Dolan, adding that he accepted Dolan’s invitation to attend the game.
Not everyone welcomed the news.
One fan featured in the segment argued that neither Trump nor Mamdani should attend the game, claiming New Yorkers did not want either political figure at Madison Square Garden.
Goldberg wasn’t convinced.
She dismissed concerns that Trump’s presence could somehow hurt the Knicks’ chances of winning.
Goldberg dismissed concerns about bad luck, saying the team remains fully focused on its goal.
The conversation then shifted to whether Trump would receive blame if New York lost.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin joked that political opponents would likely point fingers at Trump if the Knicks were defeated.
Sunny Hostin even suggested that Trump’s attendance could bring “bad juju” to the arena.
Goldberg once again pushed back.
Instead of focusing on politics, she urged fans to rally behind the team as New York looks to move one step closer to its first NBA championship in decades.
“All we need to concentrate on is putting our energy and good energy toward the Knicks,” Goldberg said.
Trump is expected to attend as a guest of Dolan, while Mamdani plans to attend separately.
The Knicks enter Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead and enormous momentum as Madison Square Garden prepares to host its first NBA Finals game since 1999.
Because of Trump’s attendance, security around the arena has been significantly increased. Officials canceled a planned outdoor watch party and implemented enhanced screening measures for fans entering the building.
But the biggest surprise of the night may have come before the opening tip-off.
For one rare moment, Whoopi Goldberg and Donald Trump found themselves on the same side of an argument — and many viewers never saw that coming.