A predictable pattern emerges on daytime television whenever Washington announces benefits for American service members—the men and women who volunteer to stand between our nation and those who wish it harm. Certain corners of the entertainment industry rush to cast suspicion on such gestures, regardless of their actual impact. A Christmas bonus for troops would seem like a rare moment of bipartisan goodwill—but that’s not what happened this week.
The hosts of ABC’s The View weighed in on President Trump’s announcement that nearly 1.5 million military service members would receive a special Christmas bonus. Rather than acknowledging that troops and their families might appreciate extra cash during the holidays, the discussion quickly turned into conspiracy territory. One host offered a theory so detached from reality it raises questions about whether she has ever spoken to someone who wears the uniform.
During Thursday’s broadcast, Goldberg questioned whether troops would even receive the money—and then immediately suggested that if they did, it was solely because Trump was using it to buy their loyalty. “What he’s doing is, he’s thinking, ‘If I make sure that soldiers have what they need, they’ll back me in what I want,’” she said.
Goldberg transformed a straightforward Christmas bonus into an elaborate bribery scheme. In her view, the $1,776 “warrior dividend”—a one-time payment designed to honor America’s founding year—is not appreciation but a down payment on military loyalty. She argued that nothing says “I’ve been compromised” more clearly than a check that won’t cover a month’s rent in most cities.
This accusation insults everyone who serves. American troops swear an oath to the Constitution, not any individual president. They undergo rigorous training emphasizing lawful orders and ethical conduct. Suggesting a holiday bonus could flip their moral compass reveals how little Goldberg understands military service.
President Trump announced during his Wednesday evening address that checks were already processing—funded through tariff revenue and the recently passed GOP spending bill—and declared: “Nobody deserves it more than our military.” Yet Goldberg refused to accept the facts. First, she questioned whether troops would ever see the money at all. “I want to see them get it first,” she said. When that skepticism proved baseless—payments were already underway—she pivoted immediately to a bribery narrative.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump administration official, initially acknowledged the bonus as one of Trump’s strengths but was quickly interrupted by Goldberg. Griffin later described the payment as a “handout” rather than “smart policy,” arguing all Americans need help—not just military members.
Marine Dakota Meyer, who earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism in Afghanistan, responded to Goldberg’s criticism with blunt clarity. When Fox News asked him about her remarks, he said: “The great thing is that my daughters and this next generation will grow up and not even know who Whoopi Goldberg is.”
For military families living on modest salaries—often stationed thousands of miles from extended family—the $1,776 bonus means real relief. It might cover plane tickets home for holidays or gifts for children whose parents are deployed. The “warrior dividend” reaches over 1.45 million service members this Christmas.
Goldberg’s comments do not reveal hidden presidential motives but instead expose the gulf between certain media figures and those they claim to represent. The idea that troops would abandon their constitutional oaths for a Christmas bonus is factually wrong—and deeply insulting to the very people who safeguard the freedoms that keep The View on air every morning.
