Whoopi Goldberg has once again proven that Hollywood elites are tragically disconnected from reality. Her recent attempt to equate the lives of Black Americans today with the brutal oppression of those living under Iran’s tyrannical regime is not only absurd—it’s offensive. It diminishes the very real suffering endured by millions brave enough to resist the Ayatollah’s barbaric rule, and it insults the progress our nation has tirelessly achieved in confronting and overcoming racial injustice.
During a segment on ABC’s typically tone-deaf show, “The View,” Goldberg brazenly claimed that being Black in America today is no different from living under Iran’s oppressive theocracy. Her co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin, had just courageously highlighted the stark contrast between Iran’s draconian human rights abuses and the freedoms we enjoy in the United States today. Griffin rightly pushed back, stating clearly: “I think it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is in Iran.” Goldberg’s shocking reply? “Not if you’re black!”
NEW: Whoopi Goldberg says black people living in America have it just as bad as people living in Iran.
Alyssa Farah: "I think it's very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran."
Goldberg: "Not if you're black." pic.twitter.com/RiXBN1MK14
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 18, 2025
The backlash was swift—and justified. Iranian dissidents, who’ve lived the horrors Goldberg so lightly dismisses, quickly condemned her ignorant remarks. Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a prominent Iranian-American who fled the Ayatollah’s regime in 1985, delivered a much-needed reality check. Speaking to Fox News, she stated unequivocally: “Comparing racism in the U.S. to life under a totalitarian theocracy like Iran is not only inaccurate—it’s offensive to those who suffer daily under that regime.” Nazarian pointedly added, “While racism is a serious and ongoing challenge in the U.S., comparing this to life under a regime in Iran dismisses the brutal realities faced by millions of Iranians.”
Lisa Daftari, a renowned Iranian-American journalist, echoed Nazarian’s outrage, highlighting the absurdity of Goldberg’s claim. Daftari rightly noted, “It’s astonishing that Whoopi Goldberg would even suggest that life for Black Americans is somehow equivalent to living under the rule of the Ayatollah in Iran.” She underscored the irony of Goldberg’s position: “Her ability to speak freely as a woman of color on national television is a testament to the freedoms she enjoys.”
Let’s be clear about what’s happening in Iran today—the realities Goldberg casually ignores. Under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s iron-fisted rule, Iranians endure forced dress codes for women, barbaric punishments for homosexuality, mass arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Iran’s morality police stalk the streets, viciously enforcing archaic laws that strip citizens—especially women—of their basic human dignity. To trivialize these atrocities by comparing them to the experiences of Americans today is not only historically illiterate but morally reprehensible.
Goldberg’s remarks exemplify the growing trend among left-wing media personalities to conflate legitimate grievances within America with situations overseas that are genuinely oppressive. Such comparisons trivialize real suffering abroad and undermine the unique greatness and exceptionalism of America—a nation that, despite its imperfections, continually strives to uphold freedom, equality, and dignity for all.
Make no mistake: America is not without flaws. We have battled—and continue to address—historic wrongs and racial inequities. But we do so openly and bravely, within a democratic system that values free speech and debate. Unlike the Ayatollah’s Iran, our nation does not silence dissent with bullets or imprison those who speak their minds. American citizens are not forced to conform to oppressive religious codes under threat of beatings or death.
In President Trump’s renewed America First agenda, we’ve prioritized securing our borders, revitalizing American manufacturing, reforming unfair trade practices, and ending foreign entanglements that drain our resources. We recognize America’s exceptionalism, its promise, and its potential—something Goldberg and her fellow Hollywood liberals seem determined to ignore or distort.
Whoopi Goldberg owes an apology—not just to the Iranian dissidents she insulted, but to every American working tirelessly to make our nation stronger, freer, and more just. Her reckless rhetoric does nothing but fan the flames of division and ignorance. America deserves better—our national conversation deserves truth, courage, and respect.