The View Cranks Decry ‘Conspiracy Theories’ for Talarico’s Whereabouts

Nicholas Fondacaro
October 12th, 2026 3:13 PM

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In yet another of example of it’s (D)ifferent when the left and the elitist media does it, ABC’s The View denounced what they described as “conspiracy theories” regarding the whereabouts of their preferred candidate in the race for the Texas Senate seat, James Talarico (D), who had disappeared from the trail for several days. Meanwhile, the hypocritical harpies had been a prime source of anti-Republican conspiracy theories for many years.

“Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is responding to conspiracy theories being pushed about why he was off the campaign trail for nine days. Now, some conservative commentators claim that he secretly checked into a mental institution in Ohio,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg declared, before rhetorically scoffing, “Now, come on. It's flu season, folks fall down, folks get sick, stuff happens and, you know. Is this really the last desperate effort of the Republicans trying to - a mental institution?!”

 

 

Pretend independent Sara Haines argued that it was okay to ask questions but said people were inventing their own answer with the mental institution theory:

But I think that asking the questions when someone is sitting out on the campaign trail this close to an election, those are fair, but asking the questions is different than making up answers. And just because you - if you by chance have evidence something else happened, come forward, let everyone know, but until that point going with a conspiracy theory is not the option.

Despite The View repeatedly pushing the conspiracy theory about President Trump’s mental health being at the point of the 25th Amendment needing to be invoked, Haines huffed about the focus on Talarico’s:

I also think using mental health treatment as an insult was really the one -- the kicker for me. Someone seeking help does not mean or disqualify them from running office. In fact, it only further stigmatizes other people when we say go get help and they're punished for seemingly doing so. Although, that is also not what happened here.

 

 

“So, I would say, asking the questions is totally fine, it's the running straight to a conspiracy theory that's problematic for me,” Haines added.

Goldberg went on to assert that Republicans were attempting to ‘blackmail’ Talarico with his mental health like in the movie Advise and Consent: “[T]hey're trying to get this guy to drop out of the race, and they're blackmailing him. And that's what they went to. That's what they used. So it's a page out of a movie.”

 

 

If Haines actually though dealing with conspiracy theories to win an election was problematic, she needed call out her own show.

Just so far this season, in the run up to the midterm elections, they’ve told their viewers:

ABC via SnapStream

Last season, they suggested Trump was being bribed they the Saudis to let them nuke America. On October 28, just days before the 2024 presidential election, Goldberg uncorked a conspiracy theory on the show that claimed Trump was going to break up interracial marriages and redistribute the white spouses: "He's going to deport and you put the white guy with someone else.”

Click here to check out some of The View’s wildest conspiracy theories of 2025, included multiple claims Trump stole the 2024 presidential election.

The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

ABC’s The View
October 11, 2026
11:02:22 a.m. Eastern

(…)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Let's tell you what's been going on. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is responding to conspiracy theories being pushed about why he was off the campaign trail for nine days.

Now, some conservative commentators claim that he secretly checked into a mental institution in Ohio. The facility released a statement saying, ‘no, he did not.’ Talarico says the reason he took time off was because he had the flu.

Now, come on. It's flu season, folks fall down, folks get sick, stuff happens and, you know. Is this really the last desperate effort of the Republicans trying to - a mental institution?! This was the best they could come up with? And the question is: do you think after all this time that will sway voters?

SARA HAINES: I think they're throwing it all at the wall, because they also came for him for being a vegan, which he is not and there's nothing wrong with being a vegan.

But I think that asking the questions when someone is sitting out on the campaign trail this close to an election, those are fair, but asking the questions is different than making up answers. And just because you - if you by chance have evidence something else happened, come forward, let everyone know, but until that point going with a conspiracy theory is not the option.

I also think using mental health treatment as an insult was really the one -- the kicker for me. Someone seeking help does not mean or disqualify them from running office. In fact, it only further stigmatizes other people when we say go get help and they're punished for seemingly doing so. Although, that is also not what happened here.

So, I would say, asking the questions is totally fine, it's the running straight to a conspiracy theory that's problematic for me.

(…)

11:08:58 a.m. Eastern

GOLDBERG: There’s a movie called Advise and Consent.

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Great movie.

SUNNY HOSTIN: Oh yeah.

GOLDBERG: And it sort of talks about what happens with a candidate's mental health because, remember, that's what they are blackmailing the candidate over, they're trying to get this guy to drop out of the race, and they're blackmailing him. And that's what they went to. That's what they used. So it's a page out of a movie.

(…)

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