Alyssa Farah Griffin , Donald Trump’s former White House communications director, and presently co-host on The View , made waves on Monday by vowing to don a MAGA hat on-air if the President-elect successfully negotiates the release of Israeli hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. Griffin, a vocal critic of Trump since her resignation in December 2020, clarified her stance during a heated segment on the show.
“If he does well…if he gets the Israeli hostages out, I promise I will wear a MAGA hat for one day on the show and say, ‘Thank you for doing it!’” Griffin announced, to the dismay of her co-host Sunny Hostin , who quickly retorted, “Please don’t do that.” Griffin quipped in response, “She’ll knock it off my head,” before emphasizing the importance of acknowledging positive actions regardless of political leanings. “You have to be able to cheer for wins when they happen and call out, relentlessly, the wrongdoing,” she stressed.
Throwback to a few weeks ago. @realDonaldTrump taking questions from press on AF1. pic.twitter.com/dluTXxLTXf
— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) July 27, 2020
According to HuffPost , the discussion arose during a broader debate about Trump’s upcoming inauguration on January 20, 2025, following his recent election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris . Trump’s tough rhetoric toward Hamas included a stern warning of ‘HELL TO PAY’ if the hostages were not released soon. So far, 117 hostages have returned home, but at least 60 remain in captivity, as reported by Entertainment Weekly .
🚨 NEW: Trump says there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East” if the hostages aren’t released by Inauguration Day. 👀 pic.twitter.com/8fHejidlUa
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 2, 2024
Griffin, who resigned from her White House role weeks before the January 6 Capitol attack , has often cautioned against Trump’s return to power. Despite her critiques, she argued on Monday for a balanced approach to evaluating Trump’s actions. “I’m not going to attack him or not say that that’s a good position…just because I don’t personally like the man. I care about the country, and I care about outcomes for the country,” she said.
Griffin’s comments also addressed the polarized responses to Trump’s recent high-profile appearance at the recent reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The event, which marked the cathedral’s restoration after the devastating 2019 fire, saw Trump alongside First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William , and other global leaders. Viral images of Trump and Biden exchanging pleasantries sparked debate among The View panel. Co-host Sara Haines suggested the photos might not tell the full story, noting, “There are two pictures I pulled of the same thing where you look– it’s not quite as cordial looking; there might be more going on.”
Trump just used this photo of Jill Biden glazing him to promote his cologne I’m dying pic.twitter.com/TqDa9FeYiP
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) December 8, 2024
Griffin countered, arguing the importance of optics on the world stage. “It’s important…not just America’s allies are watching, but America’s adversaries are watching that moment…America is going to move forward, and the First Lady is going to be cordial to him on the world stage.” Griffin’s comments came amid Trump’s promotion of a new fragrance line on his social media platform , Truth Social. In a post showcasing his attendance at the cathedral’s reopening, Trump advertised his line, calling it “a fragrance your enemies can’t resist” and dubbing it ‘Fight, Fight, Fight.’