Whoopi Tears into Kanye: ‘You Can’t Pretend’ Slavery Was a ‘Choice’ for Black People

RUSH TRANSCRIPT GOLDBERG Kanye ░░░░░░░░ managed to do that ░░░░░░░░ he said something that ░░░░░░░░ such an uproar yesterday ░░░░░░░░ a TMZ employee had ░░░░░░░░ call him out on ░░░░░░░░ and say whoa Well ░░░░░░░░ a minute Take a ░░░░░░░░ clip starts WEST You ░░░░░░░░ about slavery for 400 ░░░░░░░░ 400 years That sounds ░░░░░░░░ a choice like you ░░░░░░░░ there for 400 years ░░░░░░░░ it s all of ░░░░░░░░ all UNKNOWN MALE While ░░░░░░░░ are making music and ░░░░░░░░ an artist and living ░░░░░░░░ life that you have ░░░░░░░░ by being a genius ░░░░░░░░ rest of us in ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ threats to our lives ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ marginalization that has come ░░░░░░░░ the 400 years of ░░░░░░░░ that you said for ░░░░░░░░ people was a choice ░░░░░░░░ ends GOLDBERG Kanye followed ░░░░░░░░ by tweeting to make ░░░░░░░░ clear of course I ░░░░░░░░ slooifs did not get ░░░░░░░░ and put on a ░░░░░░░░ by free will but ░░░░░░░░ point is we stayed ░░░░░░░░ that position Even though ░░░░░░░░ numbers were on our ░░░░░░░░ that means we were ░░░░░░░░ enslaved Kanye look There ░░░░░░░░ there were laws that ░░░░░░░░ put in place that ░░░░░░░░ we were less than ░░░░░░░░ So when you have ░░░░░░░░ that say you are ░░░░░░░░ than human they don ░░░░░░░░ let you in the ░░░░░░░░ They don t let ░░░░░░░░ in the door You ░░░░░░░░ meant to live in ░░░░░░░░ different way Like an ░░░░░░░░ oftentimes So you have ░░░░░░░░ keep in mind that ░░░░░░░░ we come around and ░░░░░░░░ these laws and say ░░░░░░░░ It s not okay ░░░░░░░░ you to tell me ░░░░░░░░ can t vote I ░░░░░░░░ going to fight and ░░░░░░░░ folks got on board ░░░░░░░░ everybody got on board ░░░░░░░░ said we re all ░░░░░░░░ citizens and should be ░░░░░░░░ to vote That should ░░░░░░░░ able to change You ░░░░░░░░ the laws and you ░░░░░░░░ the mentality You can ░░░░░░░░ pretend people were like ░░░░░░░░ m going to say ░░░░░░░░ because this feels really ░░░░░░░░ for me No HAINES ░░░░░░░░ are systematic problems in ░░░░░░░░ that came from slavery ░░░░░░░░ people are fighting every ░░░░░░░░ and the idea that ░░░░░░░░ was speaking to the ░░░░░░░░ class or Kanye could ░░░░░░░░ an average person of ░░░░░░░░ s experience in a ░░░░░░░░ is not lost on ░░░░░░░░ but I think the ░░░░░░░░ is you have to ░░░░░░░░ history to make sure ░░░░░░░░ doesn t repeat itself ░░░░░░░░ Yes HAINES And you ░░░░░░░░ debate the why something ░░░░░░░░ but you can t ░░░░░░░░ the what happened BEHAR ░░░░░░░░ year when I was ░░░░░░░░ Charleston I went to ░░░░░░░░ plantation And it was ░░░░░░░░ the middle of nowhere ░░░░░░░░ know So it really ░░░░░░░░ like it would be ░░░░░░░░ difficult to escape and ░░░░░░░░ you did try to ░░░░░░░░ he talks about 400 ░░░░░░░░ and nobody escaped I ░░░░░░░░ People tried to escape ░░░░░░░░ the time They were ░░░░░░░░ They would get caught ░░░░░░░░ shackled beaten up and ░░░░░░░░ back So for 400 ░░░░░░░░ it was impossible to ░░░░░░░░ out of the system ░░░░░░░░ few escaped and probably ░░░░░░░░ the help of some ░░░░░░░░ Samaritans here and there ░░░░░░░░ And like Harriet Tubman ░░░░░░░░ The railroad HOSTIN For ░░░░░░░░ what is so dangerous ░░░░░░░░ he is one ignoring ░░░░░░░░ history but more importantly ░░░░░░░░ the fact that there ░░░░░░░░ this institutionalized racism that ░░░░░░░░ today I ll never ░░░░░░░░ what my father told ░░░░░░░░ I was born in ░░░░░░░░ and he said you ░░░░░░░░ the first person in ░░░░░░░░ family that has full ░░░░░░░░ rights and he told ░░░░░░░░ that 10 years ago ░░░░░░░░ thought my God I ░░░░░░░░ 40 years old and ░░░░░░░░ m the only person ░░░░░░░░ our family that enjoys ░░░░░░░░ GOLDBERG The first HOSTIN ░░░░░░░░ first that enjoys the ░░░░░░░░ promise of our constitution ░░░░░░░░ our flag Are you ░░░░░░░░ me So the fact ░░░░░░░░ Kanye West is being ░░░░░░░░ literally by people you ░░░░░░░░ that he is a ░░░░░░░░ for African Americans I ░░░░░░░░ is really disturbing Really ░░░░░░░░ disturbing McCain Yeah But ░░░░░░░░ when I was watching ░░░░░░░░ I was actually at ░░░░░░░░ with a friend and ░░░░░░░░ actually stopped what we ░░░░░░░░ doing to watch it ░░░░░░░░ it was trending on ░░░░░░░░ and it looked to ░░░░░░░░ like someone having some ░░░░░░░░ of breakdown on reality ░░░░░░░░ talked about being addicted ░░░░░░░░ opioids and having liposuction ░░░░░░░░ being compared to his ░░░░░░░░ and it was hard ░░░░░░░░ watch Reminded me of ░░░░░░░░ spears when she was ░░░░░░░░ her head and with ░░░░░░░░ umbrella I think from ░░░░░░░░ compassionate standpoint this doesn ░░░░░░░░ look like someone who ░░░░░░░░ well to me On ░░░░░░░░ different note for the ░░░░░░░░ of this I appreciate ░░░░░░░░ people involved in their ░░░░░░░░ if he has come ░░░░░░░░ a place where he ░░░░░░░░ don t know Believes ░░░░░░░░ strong national government and ░░░░░░░░ that s fine Have ░░░░░░░░ sitdown calm conversation about ░░░░░░░░ ideology that is easily ░░░░░░░░ for us to understand ░░░░░░░░ m a political analyst ░░░░░░░░ I did not understand ░░░░░░░░ he was saying Candace ░░░░░░░░ came on and said ░░░░░░░░ platforms I believe in ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ you are saying whatsoever ░░░░░░░░ I m an expert ░░░░░░░░ Kellyanne Conway talks and ░░░░░░░░ don t understand what ░░░░░░░░ is saying either It ░░░░░░░░ not just GOLDBERG In ░░░░░░░░ case I mean the ░░░░░░░░ the interesting thing about ░░░░░░░░ of this is it ░░░░░░░░ you know when you ░░░░░░░░ that that is like ░░░░░░░░ meat for some folks ░░░░░░░░ Yes it is GOLDBERG ░░░░░░░░ you say you know ░░░░░░░░ get out of that ░░░░░░░░ but you know it ░░░░░░░░ not just a mentality ░░░░░░░░ are things that went ░░░░░░░░ this that got us ░░░░░░░░ Now if you want ░░░░░░░░ talk about ways we ░░░░░░░░ get out of it ░░░░░░░░ how we as a ░░░░░░░░ can fix this or ░░░░░░░░ to fix it because ░░░░░░░░ one point I think ░░░░░░░░ all thought well we ░░░░░░░░ that kind of down ░░░░░░░░ didn t totally get ░░░░░░░░ of racism and all ░░░░░░░░ stuff but we you ░░░░░░░░ there is stuff you ░░░░░░░░ you can t say ░░░░░░░░ me There is stuff ░░░░░░░░ know I can t ░░░░░░░░ to you and now ░░░░░░░░ re back at step ░░░░░░░░ I will explain all ░░░░░░░░ again McCain It completely ░░░░░░░░ all the progress GOLDBERG ░░░░░░░░ a whole for the ░░░░░░░░ we re back to ░░░░░░░░ one because these are ░░░░░░░░ McCain Can I ask ░░░░░░░░ question GOLDBERG Yeah McCain ░░░░░░░░ thought what if he ░░░░░░░░ been on here and ░░░░░░░░ that BEHAR What McCain ░░░░░░░░ he came on this ░░░░░░░░ I m surprised TMZ ░░░░░░░░ t try to stop ░░░░░░░░ or at least say ░░░░░░░░ just said something really ░░░░░░░░ about slavery HOSTIN What ░░░░░░░░ his name Van He ░░░░░░░░ push back and certainly ░░░░░░░░ he sat here and ░░░░░░░░ that he would get ░░░░░░░░ pushback I was talking ░░░░░░░░ my son about it ░░░░░░░░ night and he said ░░░░░░░░ I think he is ░░░░░░░░ stunting because he has ░░░░░░░░ album coming out That ░░░░░░░░ it more dangerous because ░░░░░░░░ is using slavery and ░░░░░░░░ presentation the oppression of ░░░░░░░░ Americans to profit Is ░░░░░░░░ a stunt GOLDBERG What ░░░░░░░░ me was when you ░░░░░░░░ you know your dad ░░░░░░░░ you you were the ░░░░░░░░ HOSTIN I cried GOLDBERG ░░░░░░░░ grew up in it ░░░░░░░░ did not I wasn ░░░░░░░░ born into it I ░░░░░░░░ not born into civil ░░░░░░░░ and I always think ░░░░░░░░ know this has been ░░░░░░░░ since no I watched ░░░░░░░░ my mother and I ░░░░░░░░ with the nation when ░░░░░░░░ saw what was happening ░░░░░░░░ south you know when ░░░░░░░░ were turning on fire ░░░░░░░░ on little kids who ░░░░░░░░ with their parents because ░░░░░░░░ wanted to vote as ░░░░░░░░ This is the stuff ░░░░░░░░ re trying to fight ░░░░░░░░ You can finish You ░░░░░░░░ right GOLDBERG Did you ░░░░░░░░ to talk more about ░░░░░░░░ BEHAR I was basically ░░░░░░░░ to speak to the ░░░░░░░░ that there is always ░░░░░░░░ setback to African Americans ░░░░░░░░ has been and like ░░░░░░░░ after slavery became illegal ░░░░░░░░ on there were Jim ░░░░░░░░ laws where you had ░░░░░░░░ use a certain fountain ░░░░░░░░ couldn t vote You ░░░░░░░░ to go to certain ░░░░░░░░ HOSTIN And the prison ░░░░░░░░ right now BEHAR We ░░░░░░░░ to fix that now ░░░░░░░░ this nation and we ░░░░░░░░ be vigilant GOLDBERG Well ░░░░░░░░ We ll be right ░░░░░░░░