‘I’m Not Talking About It’

Whoopi Goldberg, who broached the topic Wednesday’s show, said the ruling puts women’s health and their lives in danger.

“You want to make sure you have control over somebody’s body, whether it kills them or not,” Goldberg said, accusing the ruling of “allowing torture to happen.”

View co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin, who said she supports abortion up to 20 to 24 weeks, turned the conversation to a topic of morality, telling the panel, “as a country, at some point we’re going to have to have a conversation — technology changes, medical technology changes — about when a child does have rights outside of the womb.”

She continued, “So, viability now is about 24 weeks. It is very possible, in my lifetime, it’s very possible in 10 years, that could be 15 weeks. And we’re not able to have those good faith conversations that are going to confront us because of science and technology.”

That’s when Goldberg cut Griffin off, “I actually don’t want to have those conversations with you. It’s not your business. It’s none of your business.”

Goldberg effectively shut down the conversation, with the film star and television personality noting that the government is the last group she’d consult if she found herself in a position to have an abortion.

“Listen, if I get pregnant and I can’t have the baby, I’m not talking to you,” she maintained, pausing to clarify that by “you,” she didn’t mean Griffin, rather “the government.”

“I’m not talking about it, and I don’t see why you are forcing me. I am not forcing anyone to have an abortion!” Goldberg exclaimed. “It is up to you and your doctor and your family. No one says you must have an abortion. No one, but I’m being forced to deal with — maybe sometimes it’s your religious views, sometimes it’s your moral views, and that’s all good. I support that. I don’t understand why I can’t get the same respect.”

Griffin tried explain her point, telling the rest of the panel that she was “saying something” different than what Goldberg assumed.

“I just want to clarify that what I’m speaking of is, we will be confronted with an ethical and a moral question at some point when viability is actually shorter than the time that abortion is allowed for,” Griffin added.

That only set Goldberg off again, who vehemently disagreed with Griffin.

“No, it’s my question, it is not your question,” Goldberg shot back.

Elsewhere in the conversation, Goldberg slammed the Republican party and Texas’ new ruling, which states that even under the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, Texas doctors are not obligated to perform emergency abortions.

“So they’re OK with forced childbirth, even if it kills someone. ‘Cause they’re so pro-life!” Goldberg scoffed.

The women largely agreed that the decision was the wrong one, with co-host Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, mildly hopeful that the decision is challenged, and eventually makes its way to higher courts.

Goldberg then cited the recent case of Kate Cox, a Texas woman denied an abortion, despite a fatal diagnosis.

“This woman is sitting here now. She is in danger now. This can wind its way, whatever it needs to do. But someone’s life is in danger now,” she said, stressing the urgency of the matter at hand, before once again coming down on the ruling.

“For me, it feels like this is just a power play,” Goldberg added. “You want to make sure that you have control over somebody’s body, whether it kills ’em or not. And you don’t care whether it kills ’em! You don’t care that you are tearing this woman up.”

The ABC host also noted the particularly difficult circumstances surrounding Cox’s pregnancy, sharing that she didn’t actually want an abortion, but was forced to turn to the procedure when the pregnancy was no longer viable, putting her life at danger.

“And yet you are sitting there, allowing this torture to happen,” Goldberg continued. “That’s what’s wrong, is you are torturing someone, and you know it. Shame. On. You.”