The hosts of The View didn’t waste time poking holes in President Donald Trump’s reported proposal to offer American families a $5,000 “baby bonus” in a bid to combat the country’s declining birth rate. And their reactions? Swift, fiery, and fiercely skeptical.
On Wednesday’s episode, Whoopi Goldberg opened the “Hot Topics” segment with a signature smirk and raised eyebrow, introducing what she dubbed a tone-deaf policy idea.
“The White House is looking into offering $5,000 cash bonuses, expanded access to IVF, and other incentives for women to have more babies,” she said, her sarcasm unmistakable.
Goldberg didn’t hold back. She called the proposal “incredibly insulting,” criticizing it as a shallow attempt to address a complex issue without understanding either the real costs of parenting or how women’s bodies actually work.
She even did some quick math:
“After taxes, that $5,000 becomes about $2,500. What are you going to do with that?”
Her co-hosts didn’t disagree.
Sara Haines chimed in, comparing the plan to “putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.”
“We don’t have paid family leave or subsidized child care in this country,” she pointed out. “And maternal mortality rates are still shockingly high. That’s where the focus should be—not baby bonuses.”
Haines also questioned the underlying motive, suggesting it’s less about families and more about propping up entitlement programs and the labor force.
“Honestly, I think the earth is overpopulated. Instead of incentivizing more births, maybe we should be preparing for the rise of artificial intelligence and how that will reshape our society.”
Sunny Hostin added her voice, urging viewers to look beyond the headlines.
“It’s not just about what’s being offered—it’s about who’s offering it, and why.”
The conversation heated up when Alyssa Farah Griffin posed the question:
“Isn’t something better than nothing?”
Goldberg’s answer was blunt:
“No.”
Farah tried to argue that if President Joe Biden had proposed the same plan, it might’ve been considered “groundbreaking.” But Goldberg wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t like the idea of anyone saying, ‘We’ll pay you to have more kids,’” she said. “If you really want people to start families, don’t terrify them by cutting the programs they’ll need to survive.”
