Veteran Democratic political strategist Julie Roginsky sharply criticized ABC's "The View" over its decision to invite former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to appear on the show.

In a Saturday Substack article, Roginsky addressed "The View's" announcement that Karoline Leavitt had been invited as a guest for its new season this fall. Much of her criticism was aimed at the show's network, ABC, which also produces "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and is owned by Disney. Roginsky, a longtime Democratic commentator who has herself appeared frequently as a cable news analyst, framed the booking as part of a broader pattern of the network accommodating the Trump administration.

"Has ABC completely lost its mind?" Roginsky wrote. "This booking is a disgrace and ABC should cancel it before it beclowns itself any further."

Roginsky argued that inviting Leavitt onto "The View," a program that has also hosted Vice President JD Vance, overlooks her tenure as Trump's White House Press Secretary, a role Roginsky said was largely marked by lies. Leavitt served as the youngest White House press secretary in history before departing the role, and "The View," a daytime talk show known for its politically mixed panel, has long been a high-visibility venue for national political figures.

"This is not evidence of balanced journalism," Roginsky wrote. "It is an editorial decision to give a national platform to a political operative whose public record is chock-full of lies."

Roginsky also noted that Leavitt has said she plans to "serve the president on the outside" now that her time as press secretary has ended.

"In other words, we can expect more of the same from her when ABC platforms her in the coming months," Roginsky wrote. "More lying, more obfuscation, more gaslighting, all in service of the president."

Among the specific statements Roginsky took issue with were Leavitt's claims that Trump's tax-and-spending bill "does not add to the deficit," that Trump's tariffs "are a tax cut for the American people," and that a Maryland father deported to El Salvador was a "foreign terrorist."

Roginsky further criticized "The View" for booking Leavitt despite being "a show by and for women," pointing out that "Leavitt's excuse for Trump snapping 'Quiet, Piggy!' at a female journalist was that he was being 'respectful' of the press corps."

The controversy comes as Disney is suing the FCC after the regulator ordered the media giant's eight television stations to file their broadcast license renewals ahead of schedule. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who was installed by President Donald Trump, has been accused of bullying Disney and ABC, particularly after "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and its guest hosts came under fire from the administration for mocking the president. The dispute has drawn attention from press-freedom groups and media observers, who have pointed to it as an example of escalating tension between the administration and major media companies over broadcast licensing and editorial content. How "The View" handles the booking when the new season begins remains to be seen.

Source: Raw Story