Whoopi Goldberg shared her honest take on Donald Trump’s Baby Bonus Plan which aims to address the U.S.’s declining population on The View.
The government is considering giving cash bonuses to women willing to give birth through IVF. However, the show’s hosts believe that’s an ill-advised plan that could lead to complications.
Whoopi Goldberg Says No to Donald Trump’s Baby Bonus Plan
The View hosts started off their Wednesday episode discussing the U.S. administration’s proposal to address the country’s declining birth rate through the Baby Bonus Plan.
“The White House is looking into offering $5,000 cash bonuses, expanded access to IVF, along with other incentives for women to have more babies,” Whoopi Goldberg said, grinning mockingly.
Goldberg went on to say how “insulted” she felt by the proposal, stressing that the government has no idea “how women’s bodies work” or how much it actually costs to have and raise a child.
She also pointed out that $5,000 isn't nearly enough, adding that taxes could reduce the amount by half, leaving women with just $2,500.
“Does it address the reasons why perhaps people aren't having children these days? But aren't you excited about it!?” she said sarcastically.
Sara Haines also weighed in, comparing Trump’s plan to “putting a band-aid on a deeper problem.”
She then listed several issues related to starting a family in the U.S., including the lack of paid leave and subsidized child care.
Haines also emphasized that the country’s high maternal mortality rate is a serious issue the government should be prioritizing instead.
Contrary to the administration’s concerns, Haines believes the planet is already overpopulated, stating, “They want more babies because it affects not only the workforce, but paying into entitlement programs.”
She added that “they are missing the bigger point,” explaining that the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence could pose major risks to social systems, and that this is where attention should be directed, not on childbirth incentives.
Sunny Hostin, for her part, questioned who proposed the plan and what motivated it. According to her research, the U.S. population only grew by 1%, and that growth was limited to Latina and Asian Americans — a detail she said the government overlooked.
Whoopi Goldberg Disagrees with Co-Host Alyssa Farah’s Views on the Baby Bonus Plan
Goldberg and most of the hosts on The View oppose the Baby Bonus Plan and offered alternative proposals they believe could address the country’s deeper issues.
Meanwhile, Alyssa Farah took a differing stance, expressing support for the policy. She noted that the $5,000 could increase in value if parents put the bonus into a college savings account.
Goldberg brought up the social programs the government has cut, programs she believes have made Americans afraid to have children, including the $1 billion in funding for schools, food banks, and investigations into child sexual abuse and internet crimes.
However, before Goldberg could finish listing these, Farah interrupted.
“Isn’t something better than nothing?” she asked. Goldberg immediately responded, “No!”
“I feel like if Biden proposed this, we would all be saying it’s groundbreaking,” Farah continued.
Goldberg replied, “I don’t like the idea that somebody is saying, ‘I’m going to pay you to have more kids.’”
“If you want people to have children, you have to not scare them by cutting all these programs that they may need,” she added.
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