Fox News called The View out a couple of years ago for prioritizing liberal guests and not booking any conservatives or Republicans. That’s changed this season, with the FCC keeping a close eye. Senator Ted Cruz joined the “Hot Topics” table last month. Now, another Republican senator took the hot seat. The hosts went to battle with the senator in a shocking show. Keep reading for all the details on the explosive discussion.
The View Hosts Battle Republican Senator In Shocking Showdown
The View has welcomed more Republican guests in 2026 than in prior years. Former House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared on the show several times. Even Vice President J.D. Vance joined the “Hot Topics” table earlier this year. Hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin are Republicans. However, they loudly aren’t supporters of President Trump or many of his policies.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis was a guest on the talk show earlier this week to promote his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents. The senator has represented North Carolina since 2015. However, he announced in 2025 that he wouldn’t seek reelection for a third term.
Whoopi Goldberg kicked the discussion off immediately. “The book certainly lives up to its title,” she said. “I have to say, you kind of voted for a lot of these folks. You also call [Trump] out for being a snowflake. So have we. And yet, you still say you support him and call him an amazing political talent. What am I missing?”
“Uh, the fact that he’s won two national elections,” Senator Thom Tillis said. He went on to call President Trump a “political force” but predicted that the Republicans will face shocking losses at the polls in November.
“He’s got people that voted for him in North Carolina that wouldn’t have voted for me under any circumstances, so he creates these coalitions, he resonates with people, and I think he’s a great political force,” Senator Tillis said about President Trump.
Sunny Hostin didn’t agree with the senator’s claims of former President Obama’s “overreach” during his administration. “I don’t think you can compare the overreach in the Obama administration than the overreach of this president,” The View host said. “Let’s just move on, because what Trump has done is unprecedented and I think it’s unfair to compare the two. I think it’s terribly disingenuous to make that kind of comparison.
The hosts did move on to Senator Tillis’ remarks in his book about Pete Hegseth.
Senator Thom Tillis Regrets Supporting Pete Hegseth
Senator Thom Tillis was among those who voted to approve Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, as the Secretary of Defense for Trump’s second term. His approval tied the vote at 50-50, leaving J.D. Vance to break the tie and secure the confirmation. Senator Tillis described his vote as the “biggest regret of my career” in his book. He also expressed regret at confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary.
The senator told The View hosts that he hopes Pete Hegseth is fired. Ana Navarro called him out for his perceived hypocrisy. “You know you’re voting for people who are rubber-stamped and unqualified, but you keep doing it, Thom!”
“In politics, you’ve got to play the hand that’s dealt you,” he responded. He defended voting for Todd Blanche as United States Attorney General, calling the former federal prosecutor the “most qualified” person for AG.
While the hosts kept Senator Thom Tillis’ feet to the fire, the discussion remained calm and respectful. Viewers should expect to see more Republican guests in the coming weeks and months.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger