Whoopi Goldberg made an unexpected clarification on Thursday’s episode of The View, telling viewers, “I’m not a racist,” after a heated discussion about a Maine politician’s controversial tattoo took an awkward turn. The conversation began when Goldberg introduced a segment about Graham Platner, a Democratic politician from Maine who recently faced backlash for a skull tattoo that many said resembled Nazi imagery.
Platner, who served in the Marine Corps, claimed he got the tattoo during a night of heavy drinking in Croatia in 2007 and has since covered it up. “When you’re drunk, you tell the truth,” joked cohost Joy Behar as the panel discussed Platner’s explanation. Behar compared the situation to actor Mel Gibson’s infamous 2006 arrest, during which he was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks.
“When I have a couple of glasses of wine, I don’t start spouting Nazi slogans,” Behar quipped. Goldberg, 69, responded by recalling her own struggles with drinking in the past. “When I was drinking, strange stuff came out of my mouth, yes,” she said. “You know what, nothing like that to us now, but to people then, it would’ve sounded…”
Before Goldberg could finish, Behar interjected, “Yeah, but it wasn’t racist. It wasn’t anti-Semitic.” Goldberg replied, “You don’t know that,” prompting Behar to insist, “I do know that.” Goldberg continued, “I can’t tell you that when I used to get drunk, I didn’t do stupid stuff. I know I drank and did stupid stuff, and I took responsibility for it.”
The View moderator then turned directly to the camera. “I wanted to take responsibility before it’s uncovered by other people,” she said. “And don’t think I don’t think y’all will be looking for stuff. You can’t find anything of me drunk, because I haven’t drunk in years.”
After a commercial break, Goldberg revisited the topic to clear up any confusion. “Welcome back,” she said. “Before we start, I just want to point out that my point was that people say stupid stuff sometimes when they’re inebriated. I’m not a racist. I know how folks like to send that stuff in. Please don’t do that.”
Goldberg and her fellow View cohosts have frequently addressed issues of racism and discrimination on the show. Earlier this year, Republican panelist Ana Navarro condemned members of her party for visiting Florida’s controversial Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention centers as though they were tourist attractions. The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ABC.