Whoopi Goldberg defended her pre-election interview with Ann Romney, in which she incorrectly asserted that Mormons don’t serve in the military and questioned the GOP candidate’s wife on her sons’ lack of military service.
"I was really incensed that people thought I was just messing with her,” Goldberg said Wednesday on Current TV’s Joy Behar: Say Anything! "I didn't feel that way, and I don't think she felt that way. I think she understood what I was asking because it's a big deal. We've got two wars, and if you're potentially the first lady, you're going to have to deal with this."
Commentators decried Goldberg’s questioning of Romney on The View last month as “gotcha journalism” -- a charge she denied Wednesday.
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"If I was doing gotcha, I would have made it really clear,” she told her The View colleague, Joy Behar.
Goldberg said it was imperative for her to learn about a presidential candidate’s views on war and that she had questioned Barack Obama on the issue during his 2008 White House bid.
“Whenever we have chicken-hawk president potential, we always want to know, ‘What are you going to do? … How do we know you’re not going to start another one?’ As the last guy who didn’t fight anyone [President George W. Bush], started two wars.”
During Romney’s The View appearance, Goldberg questioned her on how she would comfort military families as first lady
“I believe that your religion doesn’t allow you to go fight,” Goldberg said at the time.
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Romney corrected her, noting that “many members” of the Mormon faith served in the military, to which Goldberg responded she had read Mitt Romney didn’t serve in Vietnam because of his religion.
“No, that's not correct,” Romney responded. "He was serving his mission, and you know my five sons have also served missions."
Wednesday n Current, Goldberg said she appreciated Romney’s answer.
“She basically said, ‘We all serve in our own way,’ which I thought was a reasonable response,” Goldberg said.
Watch the interview below.
