In a stunning change of pace, Whoopi Goldberg left — and didn’t collapse to, as she often does — The View‘s Hot Topics table during an impassioned criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The EGOT-winning actress introduced a talking point Tuesday stemming from ongoing reports surrounding Sec. Hegseth’s actions related to ongoing deadly strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

Goldberg noted that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed prior speculation that the Donald Trump appointee “authorized Admiral Bradley” to conduct a controversial Sept. 2 strike, killing all aboard a vessel — including two people who reportedly survived the initial strike, which panelist Sara Haines compared Monday morning to “flat-out murder.”

The 70-year-old Sister Act star speculated that government officials continued to “blame the folks who worked in that plane, because they knew that Pete, he’s going to get a pardon, so he’s not going to be held accountable” for actions that many have alleged are war crimes.

Then, Goldberg paused the discussion and left her seat at the Hot Topics table to demonstrate a point.

“This is what they did, look, watch this,” Goldberg said, standing up from her chair. “See this? See the bus over there?” Goldberg then pointed and swung her arm.

“That’s the admiral,” Sunny Hostin observed, while Goldberg quipped, “They threw that admiral right under the bus.”

Hostin elaborated on the point, observing, “What’s so sad is, when you’re really a leader, you take responsibility and accountability for the wins and the losses, for all the decisions that are made. That’s true leadership.”

On Monday’s episode, Hostin laid out her feelings on why the maneuver constituted punishment as a war crime.

“I’m not a geopolitical expert, but in terms of the law of it, you’re right, Sara. That’s why those army vets explained you do not have to follow illegal orders,” Hostin observed, referencing. “What you’re supposed to do under international law, you are supposed to take those fighters as war criminals, prisoners of war, and you’re supposed to give them refuge, you’re supposed to take care of them, and then you’re supposed to put them into a court of law. Instead, they killed them.”

Hostin additionally speculated that, “That means the person who gave the order can be held accountable and put in prison, and that means the people that conducted the orders, that pulled the trigger, are also responsible and can be held accountable. Now, you have people that are serving their country, serving this country, as patriots, perhaps following an illegal order, and then themselves can be court-martialled. Imagine that.”

In a response to the controversy on X, Sec. Hegseth wrote that, “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.”

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When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Sec. Hegseth tells Entertainment Weekly via email, “We have nothing for you beyond Secretary Hegseth’s statement on X.”

The View airs weekdays on ABC.