Whoopi defends new Star Trek show from Musk, Miller criticism, says franchise was 'woke' from the start
"The View" host Whoopi Goldberg defended the widely criticized "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" series on Wednesday by arguing that the Star Trek franchise has always been progressive.
The latest installment in the "Star Trek" franchise is facing mounting backlash from fans who say it’s gone "woke," even as many critics praise the new show and studio executives have already approved a second season. Goldberg, who was in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," mocked how conservatives are complaining about the new show in 2026, noting, like other actors associated with the show, that the franchise has always been socially liberal.
"These people are b----ing about a TV show," Goldberg said of American conservatives, recapping that figures like Stephen Miler and Elon Musk are "complaining that the show has gone ‘woke.’".
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Goldberg then played a clip of one of the show’s stars, Gina Yashere, who defended the franchise during a CNN appearance, agreeing with the claim that creator Gene Roddenberry was focused on the ideas of inclusion and diversity, arguing that "Star Trek" has been "woke from day one, and woke is a good word."
"As a Starfleet Academy member, please also allow me to respond," Goldberg said, referring to her own time as part of the franchise. "If you’ve never been asleep, you can’t be woke. See? This was a show that was created with the idea that people from other planets would come, and we would all find a way to exist together. This was Gene’s idea, this was his dream, and when you watch ‘Star Trek,’ that’s what it shows you."
"Here’s the point," Goldberg said. "Why are you concentrating on a television show when people are being shot and killed, when people are going hungry, when farmers are losing their farms, kids can’t get meals at school. Why are you paying attention to this?"
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The star went on to suggest that politicians should focus on doing their jobs while entertainers do theirs.
"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" premiered last week on Paramount+ to relatively high reviews from critics, including an 87% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes. But audience scores suggest a far more divided response, although the show could be a victim of its poorer score due to coordinated "review bombing."
Star Trek has indeed been known for its emphasis on liberal diversity and pluralism. As culture website Polygon summarized, "When the original series launched in 1967, in the midst of the Cold War and the American civil rights movement, the idea of a crew that included a Black woman and a Russian man represented a radical vision of the future. Beyond breaking barriers with the first interracial kiss on television, Star Trek regularly mocked intolerance with episodes like ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield,’ in which depicted a war between people who divide themselves based on which side of their face is black and which side is white."