Whoopi Goldberg's theory on Trump is the most bizarre one can imagine

The View's Whoopi Goldberg just added another gem to her long list of head-scratching hot takes, this time floating the idea that President Donald Trump kicked off military action against Iran purely as a shiny object to distract everyone from the heartbreaking disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's mom, and those lingering Epstein files.

How the heck does that make any sense? I mean, what does the President have to do with a kidnapping and why would he want to distract from it?

During a recent episode, Goldberg [whose real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson] went bizarre conspiracy mode, insisting the public was being deliberately steered away from these other stories. "Well, I mean, it's just nutty as hell. It's nutty as hell," Caryn said.

She continued: “…Every day is something new. I was thinking about it yesterday because I thought, Well, okay, why haven't we been talking about Savannah Guthrie and what's going on there? Why haven't we not been talking about the Epstein files? Because that's still there. This is meant to get us so worked up that we are unable to see anything else.”

Co-host [Not-so] Sunny Hostin piled on with the classic line, saying, "It's a very 'wag the dog' feeling." 

Look, feelings about the ongoing conflict with Iran can run hot, fair enough, but the suggestion that Trump launched airstrikes and a broader military campaign just to bury coverage of an 84-year-old woman's abduction from her  Tucson home (now in its sixth week with massive media attention, a $1 million reward, and Savannah herself stepping away from the Today show to focus on the search) or the Epstein documents is the kind of logic that only makes sense if you're viewing the world through a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

This isn't Goldberg's first swing-and-miss on Iran, either. Last year she famously equated the lived experience of Black Americans in the U.S. to the brutal oppression faced by women under the Iranian regime, another take that aged like Blockbuster stock.

Sure, when the U.S. military unleashes over 5,000 strikes on enemy targets, it dominates headlines. That's just how it works. But the Guthrie case hasn't vanished; it's still getting wall-to-wall coverage, with daily updates, family pleas, investigations into damaged utility boxes and doorbell footage, and even international attention. 

The Epstein files are still bubbling in the background, as they have for years.

Goldberg knows, or at least should know, that wars don't erase other news; they just compete for oxygen. Yet TDS has a funny way of short-circuiting rational thought. When Trump is involved, suddenly the most basic cause-and-effect reasoning goes out the window, replaced by elaborate distraction theories that collapse under the slightest scrutiny.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the conflict is ramping up even as Trump signals it could wrap soon.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday that Israel is "not seeking an endless war" and will coordinate with the United States on when to end the bombardment of the Iranian regime’s military and nuclear capabilities.

The airstrikes have hammered over 5,000 targets, gutting the regime's ability to sustain a fight. Whether you support the operation or not, spinning it as a ploy to hide a missing-person case or old scandal files is peak absurdity—and Goldberg served it up with a straight face. Classic View moment: lots of heat, zero light.

Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie is still missing.

Thanks for following Brain Flushings, guys. Please consider subscribing, and if you would like to support my work, visit the sponsors on this page, or you can Buy Me A Coffee. 

Tweet

IDF basically blows away Syrian navy in Latakia

The Israeli Navy executed a significant operation on Monday night, effectively targeting and obliterating much of the Syrian regime's naval fleet. Israeli missile ships attacked numerous vessels equipped with anti-ship missiles at the ports of Al-Baida and Latakia. The operation's objective was to prevent these weapons from falling into the hands of hostile entities, such as the Salafist rebels who have recently taken control in Syria.

Concurrently, reports from both Reuters and the Hezbollah-associated Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen suggested that IDF units had moved beyond the buffer zone and deep into Syrian territory, a claim the IDF vehemently denied. According to regional and Syrian security sources, Israeli forces are now located approximately 15.5 miles from Damascus, with some units having reached Qatana, about 6.2 miles inside Syrian borders, east of the buffer zone.

Al-Mayadeen also claimed that IDF troops had taken control of at least nine villages and towns in the southern rural areas of Damascus, roughly 12 miles from the capital. However, a Syrian opposition-affiliated channel refuted this, stating that Israel does not control any villages in the Syrian Hermon region.

"Israeli warplanes launched over 100 strikes... including on the Barzeh scientific research centre," reported the UK-based Observatory for Human Rights. Western nations, including the United States, had previously attacked the same facility in 2018, alleging it was part of Syria's "chemical weapons infrastructure."

In response to these reports, IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee dismissed them as “completely false,” clarifying that IDF units are confined to the buffer zone, maintaining defensive positions near the border to protect Israel's security.

AFP confirmed that a “scientific research center” in Damascus, linked to Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons program, was completely obliterated by Israeli airstrikes. Additionally, the pro-Iranian Iraqi-affiliated Sabrin news agency reported the assassination of a chemist at his home in Damascus.

During a UN Security Council meeting, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon defended the military actions, stating they were "limited and temporary measures." He said, "Israel is not interfering in the ongoing conflict between armed groups within Syria. Our actions are solely focused on ensuring our security, and we remain committed to the 1974 disengagement agreement."

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a briefing to foreign media on Monday, explained that the IDF operations near the border were intended to prevent a scenario akin to the events of October 7 from unfolding in Syria. "What guides us is safeguarding the security of Israel and its citizens,” Sa’ar emphasized.

The reported advancement of IDF armored forces has sparked international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “destroying Syria’s chance to restore security,” while Egypt described the operations as an “occupation of Syrian lands.” Conversely, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller characterized the Israeli actions as a "temporary measure" in response to Syrian military movements, stating, "Ultimately, we want to see full adherence to the disengagement agreement, and we will ensure Israel follows through."

The IDF continues its forward defense operations in the buffer zone, deploying forces across strategic locations to counter potential threats. This follows proactive measures initiated to secure Israeli communities in the Golan Heights amid the collapse of Assad’s regime. Engineering, infantry, and armored units from the 474th and 810th Brigades are stationed along the Israel-Syria border to defend the area.

In a historic move, Israeli forces crossed into Syrian territory two days ago, seizing control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon for the first time in over 50 years. Air Force commando units captured the summit, which provides crucial observation and fire control over the Hermon range, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Israel’s position in the region.

Moreover, residents in five Syrian villages near the border were advised to stay indoors due to ongoing IDF operations. The Israeli Air Force has conducted over 300 airstrikes on military targets across Syria, with a focus on Syrian Air Force infrastructure. Western intelligence sources suggest these strikes are aimed at destroying Assad’s military assets to prevent them from being captured by rebel forces who might use them against Israel.

Tweet

IDF assisting UN forces in "repelling attack" in Syria

On Saturday, the Israeli army announced that its troops were helping UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights to fend off an attack "by armed individuals," making the notion that war creates strange bedfellows very meaningful.

 Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Minister stated that "armed forces" had entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone.

The UN force, UNDOF, reported that its personnel had seen "unidentified armed individuals in the area of separation, including approximately 20 who went into one of the mission's positions in the northern part of the area of separation," according to a UN Peacekeeping spokesperson who spoke to AFP.

"The inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times," the spokesperson said.

In its statement, the IDF described the incident, saying, "an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria," which is near the buffer zone.

"The (Israeli Army) is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack."

Late on Saturday, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X: "During the last day, armed forces entered the buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border with Israel. Among other things, attacks were carried out on the (peacekeepers) in the area."

Saar expressed concern about the violations of the 1974 armistice agreement with Syria, stating, "Israel does not intervene in the internal conflict in Syria."

Earlier that day, Syrian rebels had captured the provincial capital of Quneitra, which is about 8 miles (12 kilometers) south of Hader, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in Britain.

The Syrian civil war, which had been at a standstill, saw significant rebel advances late last month, with numerous major cities being taken over.

The Israeli military also noted that its army chief, Herzi Halevi, visited the Syrian border that day. He reiterated Israel's non-intervention policy in Syria, saying, "Israel's primary focus is on observing Iran's movements and interests" while also focusing on Syrian factions to "ensure they do not mistakenly direct their actions towards us."

The military did not provide Brain Flushings nor the legacy media with any updates regarding whether the attack was still happening later in the evening.

Israel took control of most of the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War in 1967 and later annexed it, a move which has not been recognized by the international community.

UNDOF has been overseeing the buffer zone between the territories controlled by Israel and Syria since 1974.

In a notable past incident in August 2014, Islamist rebels attacked UNDOF, capturing over 40 Fijian peacekeepers and holding them hostage for nearly two weeks.

Tweet