Why US Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Ditched Her Guest Spot On The View Last-Minute

Veteran journalist Barbara Walters created "The View" in 1997 as a daytime talk show where women from different generations could discuss the topics of the day. It's been on the air for over 25 years, and it's had nearly as many co-hosts. The co-hosts are chosen, it seems, with a diversity of opinions in mind. That has definitely led to some arguments on "The View" going way too far.

They've also brought on a diverse range of guests, from those in entertainment to politics. Barack Obama went on "The View" in 2010 as president, and had a fairly relaxed conversation about the economy and his family. The next president Donald Trump also had an appearance on "The View," but it was years before he was elected and was a bit more of a volatile interview than Obama's. While there, Trump brought up the conspiracy theory about Obama not being born in the U.S., which some of the co-hosts definitely took issue with, via YouTube. But, not all invited or scheduled guests actually appear. One such political guest who was scheduled to be on "The View" was White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She skipped out on the appearance in solidarity with the ongoing Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike.

Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, was going to be on "The View" on Wednesday, June 28. However, she was a no-show. The White House informed The Hollywood Reporter that, "Out of respect for striking writers, we pulled down our scheduled appearance on 'The View.' President Biden and his entire administration sincerely hope that the writers strike gets resolved — and writers are given the fair deal they deserve — as soon as possible."

Jean-Pierre's non-appearance on "The View" is not the first public declaration of support from the presidential office for the striking writers. At a White House screening of "American Born Chinese," President Joe Biden said, "Nights like these are a reminder of stories and the importance of treating storytellers with the dignity, respect and the value they deserve," as reported by Politico. And he said he hopes the writers get "a fair deal [...] as soon as possible," via Politico.

The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike started in early May 2023 over contract negotiations and working conditions, particularly when it comes to getting paid for working on streaming services. There are a couple of WGA employees working at "The View," and while the strike is ongoing, no one else on the staff is covering for the striking employees, per The Hollywood Reporter. Members of the WGA have also been picketing outside the building where "The View" is filmed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre isn't the only guest who has responded to the writer's strike via "The View." Dermot Mulroney was on the daytime talk show to discuss his role in the Marvel TV series "Secret Invasion." After chatting for a bit, he said, "In support and solidarity with the writers, I'm gonna walk off your show. Thank you; I'll see you on the picket lines." 

The writer's strike has resulted in a number of late-night talk shows completely shutting down along with work on movies and TV shows, including popular programs like "Yellowjackets" and "Stranger Things." Daytime talk shows like "The View" don't generally use WGA writers on staff, so they don't face the impact in quite the same way as other programs.

The last time that writer's went on strike was in 2007, and it had quite the impact on television. There were fewer episodes of "The Office" and "Friday Night Lights," and the critically acclaimed "Pushing Daisies" ended up canceled in the middle of Season 2. Only time will tell how much more will be disrupted with the current strike, which hasn't shown signs of slowing down after over two months.