Reflecting on Show Dynamics and Future

Barbara Walters had an idea for a show featuring different women with different points of view The view has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly thirty years. Now, the FCC wants to control who is allowed on the show. Viewers use your voice. Tell the FCC to let the viewers decide. You have until july sixth Act now by clicking on the link in the episode description of this podcast This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at progressive. comot Progressive casualty insurance compompany and affiliates, potential savings will vary, not available in all states It's Thursday, july second, and you're listening to one of our recent episodes of Behind the Table. This time, a conversation with Alyssa Farra Griffin. Enjoy and we'll see you back on Behind the table on Monday, july sixth Let's dive right into hot topics because we're seeing some pushback from the right now on this one point eight billion dollars anti weaponization fund known on the view as a slush fund. Is there any stopping this? I'm starting to think maybe there is. Well, by the way, I want to point out that we round up to one point eight billion do. It's actually one point seven seven six billionars in honor of our nation's founding hundred fifty years of America, which is just so bizarre So I actually think this is going to be stopped. and I'll tell you why It is so ly absurd and so just aggressively bypasses the legislative process. like On Congress can authorize the use of funds and can direct where the funds go. And Trump has definitely pushed the limit of trying to reappropriate funds within the executive branch. But courts have stepped in when he's done that in the past. We saw with some of the Doge cases where he's like slashing funding to this and he's firing these people And it took the courts a while, but they ultimately stepped in and said, those are congressionally appropriate for a certain reason. Well, this money's coming from somewhere. This money was supposed to, presumably be at the IRS, whether for enforcement or whatever process. That was appropriated by Congress to a government entity. So I think there'll be some combo or version of either the courts blocking it, which could take some time Or you're seeing this pushback in Congress. So Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican House member who represents like Bucks County Pennsylvania, Kamala Harris won his district, Joe Biden won his district, But he's continued to win there because he's a very centrist Republican. He's saying he's going to work to stop it. So he could do that legislatively, trying to pull back the funds because they were congressionally appropriated And then the really interesting thing to me is The Senate the Republican the Senate Republican conference right now is is sort of in Let's call it chaos. Let's call what it is. It's chaos. So John Cornan, the number two Republican in the Senate in the Senate was just endorsed against by Donald Trump. Ken Paxton, a very, very flawed individual, is now going to very likely be the Republican nominee for the Senate there. So John Cornan's career may very likely be over soon Tom Tillis is retiring. He has been much more outspoken against Donald Trump. Bill Cassidy, this member in Louisiana, who he primaried, he's now been outspoken. He's voted against Trump on the War Powers Act. So these are three individuals incentivized to break with Trump Then I would add to that, Susan Collins in a very, very tough reelection campaign in like purple, if not blue Maine, that's another vote who it's actually her in her incentive and best interest to be distancing herself from Trump right now. So I think there's these these roadblocks and these checks on Trump that are going to start to materialize ahead of the midterms, and then the midterms, if Democrats take things back are kind of the ultimate Donald Trump Well, And I have to imagine that it's a hard message to people's constituents that you're having trouble paying for groceries, but your tax money is going to this weaponization bill. And nobody asked for. I mean, exactly, no one voted for this. Nobody turned out to the polls. It was like, I want a billion dollars slush fund for january six rioters. Nobody voted for that. evenven the most die hard Trumpers And I think that Trump might even know that this is super messy because there was there was a clip where he's asked about it and he he kind of says something along the lines of like, well, my people are handling this. Like this wasn't set up. I know much about it. I don't know much about it. That usually to me is one of his tells of like, oh, this is super messy. likeike do I want it? Yes, but I don't want to publicly own it. It's like when people ask him about you. It's so like, I don't really know her. and yeah yeah. Big loser, but she wrote me love letters. like, o my gosh. It was a resignation letter that's very different. I know, I know. sorry to relitigate that again. It's like confusing a love letter in a breakup text anyway. Well, I mean, you called what happened with in Texas Paxson a seismic disaster for Republicans. Explain the best you can because I don't think everyone's following this is. I know. I realize that not everyone because it's only May, is like as knee deep invested in the midterms as I am, but as like a political junkie, I'm watching every race. I'm watching how the map could ship Wh who's up and who's down. And for months, even before the beginning of twenty twenty six, the common wisdom in the polling showed Democrats would very likely take the House. I think that continues to be the case even with the gerrymandering. I think it's very likely, but most political prognosticators did not think that Democrats would likely take back the Senate because there's a big enough majority and just the map wasn't favorable. But that is shifting rapidly. And the big like just shocker in Washington was Donald Trump endorsing against the sitting Republican senator, John Corn and supporting Ken Pxton. And this is a guy who's had thhics allegations, his wife has come out about his multiple affairs. He was impeached in the state House, not convicted in the Senate, but this is a guy who's messy. This is a guy who you want to run against Enter James Talorico, who I've been saying is a super formidable Democrat since before he even got the nomination He's somebody who talks and speaks like an old school southern Democrat, like a Bill Clinton esque Democrat. He talks about his faith. He talks about pocketbook issues. He's got that sort of vibe check where if you're not pressing on what jersey he wears and who he votes for, you don't immediately know if he's a Republican or a Democrat. You just know that he sounds like you and he's talking about the issues you care about. He also used social media in a way that Ver, very well. I mean his Steven Colbert clip was like he raised millions of dollars off of it He's a young, smart and really really formidable candidate. So now that race is in play. There's there's a poll that has has Tal Rico up several points over Ken Paxton. And so here's the thing. path for Dems to take the Senate isn't likely to run through Texas. It could. But what this means is money is going to have to be diverted from other must win races for Republicans to try to prop up this really weak candidate in Ken Paxton. So you know, Susan Collins in Maine, who's going to need help, Mike Watley in North Carolina, who's already like eight points under against the outgoing governor, New Hampshire, you've got like these seats that are really important to invest in. now resources will have to go here. And I think there's now a very reasonable chance that Democrats take the Senate. But what's wild is this is John Corn is with Trump ninety plus percent of the time. he just criticized him after january sixth, as did every elected Republican And the president couldn't let it go. And so he's actually willing to sacrifice the Republican Senate majority just to kind of like hash out his grievance. And we've seen this before and I read the list on air, I've read it on CNN. I can go through a list of people who Donald Trump endorsed, they won their Republican primaries and then they got clobbered in a general election A general election electorate is very, very different than the MGA base Herschel Walker, Tutor Dixon, good old Ce Lake. The list goes on and on.'s there's he's not nearly as good at picking general election candidates You know, today I want to tell you about our friends at Czy Earth Can you remember the best night of sleep you've ever had For me, o, it was last summer and the Amalfi Coast. It was unbelievable. 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What relationship do you have with late night TV and Stephven in particular? wasas that loveve it The Colbert report I grew up on right That was that was Pake. that was like college age for me. I'd watch him and I'd watch the Daily show and he had Some bits that I love that he'd always go back to the like better knowow a district and he'd highlight the most absurd thing that some random back bench member of Congress did or said that week. Like that, even though like I was not ideologically aligned with where he was on that show, nor am I with Johonn Stewart really, they were like my political upbringing. They made politics interesting, they made it accessible And they had what comedi and they still have what comedians have always done so well, which is turn the mirror of absurdity back ono our elected officials and to our leaders and just highlight how ridiculous it is. I believe fundamentally that you do more to marginalize or to push back against bad leaders through comedy and through humor than you willll ever do through like righteous indignation We have had years of people pro clutching and shouting and being offended. and there's a place for that. but I actually think comedy is uniquely powerful in the Trump era of pointing out just absurdity of things. I will miss him, but I don't think he's going away. Like don't you I think he'll go to a streamer. I think he'll do something independent. There's a world in which she emerges more powerful than ever. It's interesting to me because, you know, I mean, I'm someone who This is your world. Yeah. Yes worked for over a decade in the theater that is going to now not have a TV show in it anymore, which is hard feels like the end of such an era. It does. you know, late night TV is very important to me. That being said It's rare that I'm watching it live at eleven thirty anymore when before that was what I did every single night, but I'm watching clips like everybody else I have a hard time imagining world where late night TV is gone or doesn't matter. I think it's something that will survive this. but we will see. I don't know. Well, and honestly, speaking to the economics of it because when we talked about this when it first came up, I did I love Colbert. I did mention that there were aspects of the economics of a show that had to be dealt with. That's a reality. But a macroeconomic observation is the biggest consumers still of linear TV are actually boomers and gen Xers are still watching a lot of linear TV. So I think there's this like this sort of Myth out there that people aren't tuning in and watching live television in the same way. It's actually we have two generations that are still going to be doing that for quite a lot of time. I just think it's infinitely more competitive now because you're up against streamers and independent media. But I think that the cream of the crop always rises to the top. I think late night stays, I think excellent daytime stays. listen, there are more young people watching our show this year than last year Yeah Yeah that's it's a raity hear that by the way. When in airports, the people who come up to me are usually younger than me. They're mostly gay men and I love them. But like we have a there are a lot of really young viewers of our show. Right. And I think there are people that are watching us on clips and on YouTube who are then inspired to come and back and watch on live at eleven because you know, I do think there's a certain part of being live that is so important Be it's not the same. like having done we've both done TV where it's pre taped and it's not the same. It doesn't have the same energy, the same unpredictability, the same like news value honestly. And you're just watching this show, always wondering is something going to happen and I'm on the show and I'm always wondering if something's going to go terribly awry. Oh me too. me too. But not it's not the same thing to watch the clip later. It's different to be watching it as it happens. There's tension and excitement and by the way, Even in like the podcasting world in some of like the creator content, it doesn't have that. I think streamers do. there's an unpredictability to certain streamers who are like live. but I think there's a big difference between somebody, even if they're the most interesting person out there at their you know, their microphone doing something that, it feels kind of safe in a way that live TV is unsafe and unpredictable Well, I'll be tuning into to Colbert tonight. I think had an incredible run. The late show means all the world to me. So I'm very sad to see that. Well I also I think it was wild to like let him know that like the show would be ending, but then keep him on air because he's just He is not holding back. likeike he is saying what he thinks. he is doing it big and making the most of the platform he has. And it's just that's the takeaway for me is if anything, I think he proved that he's more powerful than people even realized. and that's why I think he won't go away. Absolutely. And you know, you saw the same thing with Jimmy Kimmel. I mean, he's as honestly as more powerful than he's ever been impmactful as ever, absolutely All right, so I also want to go back a little bit to a conversation we had this week about Trump RX and Mark Cubin because there's been a lot of attention to that Um, Sonny and Joy didn't feel like Mark should be supporting Trum's initiative into discount pharmaceuticals You disagree. You made your points as to why. You said, you know you were finding incredible bargains here for people Yeah Tell me your thoughts. And then the interternet went crazy. Of course. I don't think I've ever, like haven't gotten that many headlines in a long time So a couple of things Trump gives you limitless content to be genuinely upset about, angry about and want to organize against I believe very strongly in picking your battles and in saving your fire for the things that truly matter I also believe that when like blind squirrel finds a nut, you know, every now and then. like when somebody you strongly disagree with does something that objectively on its face doesn't it you you have to look or search or like anticipate there's something wrong with it to find something wrong with it. I think I don't I don't really bother deciding to use my energy on being mad about that. And one thing I'll say is this I come from the school of thought that There are problems in this country that are deep and systemic and they preree existed. they existed before Donald Trump and they're going to exist after Donald Trump One of them is the affordability of healthca insert all the caveats about Republicans have blocked change to it. Aute People have lost Obamacare subsidies, but The cost of prescription drugs is unattainable. I know people in my personal life who have had to make decisions about bills they're going to pay if they want a certain medication. So when I see something that's a marketplace where you are simply it's simply a facilitator. You go to it and it shows you the best price basically on the internet from like a trusted source that you can get your medication I support it. I'm all for it. I'm not going to call it Trump RX. nor am I going to call my son's Trump account, a Trump account. It's good policy that makes sense. And it by way, wasn't Trump's idea. Mark Cubin's been doing this for about like at least five years, if not a decade. That's my personal conviction. The Trump account, you brought that up again, That was another thing that got headlines everywhere that you opened a Trump account ust J. I don't why people are surprised. It's literally like a five twenty nine account. It's just the government will match one thousand dollars and I can put in tax deferred money for it for my son in the future. And by the way, this is where I get a little a little snippy with the libs on it because I got I got I think gasps potentially booze when I defended a proposal that didn't end up happening where Trump was talking about giving potentially five thousand dollars baby bonuses out. Europe does this. We always complain about there aren't enough that we're doing to help moms once families born children once the kids are born in America. And look at these Scandinavian nations and whatever. So France, Germany, like all over Europe, you get bonuses to cover the cost of childbirth, to invest how you want to for their future, to help deal with day to day costs like daycare and all that This is money that would go directly to parents that we didn't Trump didn't end up doing it at this point, but that could be used in any number of ways to help parents. I'm not going to hate something that's good sound policy that will help Americans just because Trump is the person who mentioned it. And by the way, it's often very rare that he was the first person to come up with the idea. like chase it back to whoever said it first that you like if that makes you more comfortable. I don't want Americans to like keep hurting if there's a solution for them now. just to stick it to dog. go back to Operation, Wp spepeed Exact I mean that was something that was necessary for the country to survive and fight COVID. Exactly. The world. The world. And by the way, the entire world is trying to replicate the model of it for future pandemics. You don't need to like pat Trump on the back because of it, but like don't knock good policy that might emerge in the erir of Trump just because he's associated with. But it was a conversation we had. I remember on this show before you were here. Yeah. but being nervous about it a little bit because it was coming from a Trump presidident. Well, and I remember Kamala Harris famously said in the VP debate, which at least I watched it because Mike Pence was that. I don't know how many people watched the VP debate. The infamous fly one, but she was, I think asked, you know, will you trust the COVID vaccine? She's like, I'll trust it if Dr. Fuci says it's safe, I won't trust it if Donald Trump does. And I remember thinking at the time, there is so much vaccine hesitancy in this country It made me like cringe a little bit just because get that sentiment, but we need to also is like leaders with platforms be be willing to like do the math. It's not manufactured by Trump in a Trump factory with Don Junr pouring it into a vial and injecting it. Like that's not how vaccines work. I would not take that. Yeah ex this is Pfizer, this is Moderna. Th are these are institutions that are global that are doing it in coordination with the federal government and with the finest doctors in the world But I think that's one of the things when people see these business leaders now spending so much time with the president, it puts doubt in people in institutions we trust it a little bit. I know. And with the Mark Cubin I love Mark Cubin. he's one of my favorite likes great guess. And just a good person, like because we complain a lot about billionaires and I understand it, like I see some of them and I just am like give yourself a bad name. L don't try to be Lex Luthher. like you're playing into the stereotype. but he's one of those who's so philanthropic. he's always looking to help people around him But I could have told him before like If you stand up there, you are going to be in the background of a shot where Trump' saying something wild. and unless you grab the mic from him and say, I disagree, people are going to want to lump you in with what's being said. And I'm sure he knew that on a certain level and made a calculation that it was worth it. Yeah, you know, it is what it is All right, but I don't knock him for wanting to do whatever he can to get cheaper drugs to Americans who need them. No I said today, I'd love to have him on to talk about it actuallyually and if he feels like theres clarifications to make the Sonny enjoy He sure might because people were coming for him and not even just on our show. L on Twitter, he was responding. and I was like, we we got to give people a little bit of grace. likeike this is this is a man who's been committed to this cause for a decade. likeike that this is not about him suddenly switching sides or normalizing or whatever. like I hate the phrase normalizing, like The American public elected him. He's done been normalized. He' been platformed. He's been platformed. We will not deplatform him. We cannot. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at progressive dot comot Progressive Casualty inssurance compompany and affiliates Potential savings will vary not available in all states This show is sponsored by Progressive Insurance. Insurance isn't one size fits all. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressives' name your price tool for years now. With the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they'll show you options that fit your budget. So whether you're picking out your first policy or just looking for something that works better for you and your family, they make it easy to see your options V progressive. com to find a rate that works for you with the name Your price tool, Progressive Casualty Insurance compomany and affiliates, Price and coverage match limited by state law All right, so yesterday we have Kiki Palmer ono to H happiyday. She was open about motherhood and saying that you're going have bad days and it's okay to let your kids see that and show them that you're human. That something that that resonated with you? Is this something you thought about? I swear, I was like looking at Kiki and I was like, my soul needed this.ike and I talked her briefly afterward. One of those gems of a person who's just so wise, and she's younger than me, she's like thirty two years old. She's a baby I'm struggling right now with beinging at work in my young son's home with a nanny. and we are so lucky to have Maria this amazing woman, amazing caretaker who's a member of our family. L we absolutely love her. But I find myself competing with two different ideas. On the one hand, I literally feel like jealous of my beloved nanny because she's getting time that I'm not getting with my son. extraordinary guilt that I'm away from him as long as I am because I'm at work during the day and I do CNN in the nights and sometimes in the morning And then this rational part of my brain that's like, you are working for the life you want to give your child. And you are working because it is showing him an example of what moms and what dads do. And like no one can take away that you're his mom in every f minute you have when you're home, you' spending with him and trying to give him your whole attention. I feel like I am wrestling with like turmoil in my soul of this mom guilt that we project on ourselves of like It' It is so hard to be away from them. And it is so hard to let the voices enter your mind of like, I'm not good enough because I'm missing this moment and I didn't catch this and someone else was there for this. And like I don't know, I've really like I've pray I'm praying about it. I've talked to friends about it. All my girlfriends can relate and have gone through some version of it, but that's the thing I'm probably struggling with the most is this, I want every second with him, but like that's not reality. L I have a job. I am a working mom. My husband is a working dad and like making peace with that and reminding yourself you're doing it for the kid No, absolutely. And for one thing, once he can talk, it'll be easier to get away from him, He a father of teenagers now. Exactly. then you flee Exactly. No, but dad guilt too, I got to be honest with you, I feel it because you know, my wife is home a lot more than I am. She's with them. and I come home sometimes and I'm not in an inside joke. I know And I'm not and they're great and they're happy to see me and everything's But I definitely feel like I missed out on a lot of stuff sometimes. and it's hard. It's it's so hard and there's not a good answer to it. I just remind myself like so many women have gone through this before me and that like this is I need to take a little bit of the pressure off myself, but I also am trying to be as deliberate as possible with the time with him because then it's like you're home from work. L today I'm gonna go home, see him, I'm like commuting extra hours to be able to see him midday and the end of the day. And it's worth it to me. But when I'm there, be present. donon't look at your phone. E can wait justust pour your soul into him for those two hours I'm going to get before I go back to work. And then when I get back We always try to protect the nighttime routine, giving him his bath, giving him his bottle, putting him to bed because it's just this precious time that we get. And I'm not always going to be washing him and rocking him to bed and giving him a bottle. Like he's going to grow up before I know it. Yeah. And I want every second of that. And enjoy it all and try to give yourself a break because he's also gonna to be very proud of you and all the stuff you're doing. And hopefully, you can watch you fight We're embarrassed. We're embarrassed. Probably think I'm cringe, but that's okay Yeah, you know, but then you can bring them in to meet people on the show and toally That's what gets, Yes. All right. last thing, we can't do a podcast with that mentioning suummer house. A few months ago when the current season started very anti Kyle in the breakup with Amanda. This season finale has aired this week and I'm now hearing you've had a massive shift in your opinion. Oh yeah, this is happening like across like the Bravo universe is Kyle was sort of, we assumed he'd kind of be the villain this season. He and Amanda, their relationship has been toxic for a while. We knew going into the season that it actually ends with them separating because that came out right as the season aired. And everyone was expecting it for be like the summer of Amanda, like finally put Kyle in his place I left and I'm like, am I like the biggest Kyle Cook fan? So listen, he's a little problematic. He drinks and will say things he shouldn't and get too angry, but he's it' there's a rationality to what he's doing. He's incredibly stressed over finances. He's a small business owner. He's got this this company lover boy. They do like hard selzers and stuff and they're actually pretty good bought some last summer but he's like of course it did, But he's like on the line for a lot of money that he owes back to vendors and stuff. And you see that stress materializing. and we now found out that the wife, who he's now separated from, had been contributing virtually nothing to the relationship. She wasn't paying any rent. He was like working himself to the bone trying to provide for them. and she was like pretty absent in the relationship And then the whole scandal unfolds where basically we find out that she's been dating, sleeping with one of his friends in the house. in betrayal of her best friend on the show, Sierra. So you just leave with this different understanding of his perspective, but he's also emerged as like the kindest person in all of it, that like he's still kind of defending his wife who did him so dirty because you could see that he has enough like love for what the relationship was that he really won't bash her. He's like, hey, I care about her mental health. I care about like don't come for her too much on the internet. She's going through a lot and I'm just like Men do mature, even if they're in their mid forties and DJing I don't watch, but my question is this just because I'm a TV producer.. Is it possible you're being manipulated by the edit or that he knows how he might look and he's making an effort. I actually genuinely asked myself that. I don't think so. Okay. I really don't because they still show him unvarnished. There's still plenty of Kyle content where you're like, why did you do that? Why did you say that But he takes accountability for it, which that to me is a big thing in Bravo world. Like you want people who are chaotic, but you get tired of people who are chaotic, have like crashouts and then don't own it and apologize. Kyle's very good at like he brings drama, but then he kind of self reflects and' like, I overreacted. I'm sorry I shouldn't have spoken to you that way Like that's all I expect of my bravo celebrity. So on a good Bravo show for you It's not just the train wreck. You want to care about these people. I want to That's a very important distinction. Yes, There are some shows where it's too chaotic. I have a hard time getting into it. Like that's how I feel about realal Housewives of Beverly Hills. I'm not convinced they even like each other anymore. I used that used to be my favorite franchise. It's just drama. It's just meanness. I want the like I want their backstories. I want to get invested in them I want to believe in them and root for them. Like I love Carl on Summer House who's sober and his sobriety journey has been like a huge part of the storyline. And like some like internet commentators are like, oh, it's boring. he doesn't bring drama. I'm like I don't just need drama. I also want like someone to root for and champion and believe in. Right. I mean, there's you know, in the thirty years of the view, there's been ten years where it became Nothing but train wreck. you know, and people like that. No, it's really similar. It's relatable to our show is like you want moments where we're debating. You want to see some of that tension and a little bit of chaos and unpredictability sporty from time Let let it get sporty. But then you also want to see like a depth of relationship. You want to know about our backstories and why we are the way we are and general er Correct. I have found more than anything, the audience loves to see that we genuinely care about each other and genuinely have friendships. Yeah. It's sort of like a caricature notion of the show that they just want to see us fight. No, absolutely. I agree. All right. well, on that note, thank you for joining me, Alyssa. So things are next week. toorrow is the beginning of Memorial Day weekend. Monday, we are not here. Tuesday.