What would Barbara Walters think if she were around to watch “ The View ” this week?

When she was leading the daily roundtable at the venerable panel show she created, Walters leaned into the news, even when it hurt. To wit: When her star hire, Rosie O’Donnell, got into a feud with Walters’ longtime friend, Donald Trump, Walters returned from vacation to excoriate him as “that poor, pathetic man.” It was a way to defend the franchise, and to ensure that “The View” stayed on top of the news cycle — although it was easier to push back against Donald Trump before he had the full force of the federal government at his disposal.

This week, the biggest story in the country has been the defenestration of an ABC star, Jimmy Kimmel, following FCC and affiliate pressure placed on the network.

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