'This is a self-inflicted wound': 'The View' co-hosts weigh in on Donald Trump being ordered to pay $83.3M to E Jean Carroll in defamation trial

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The co-hosts of 'The View' discussed Donald Trump being ordered to pay $83.3 million in damages to writer E Jean Carroll by a jury in a defamation case on January 26.

Ready to deliberate on the topic after returning over the weekend, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin walked on to the set on January 29 to The O'Jays song 'For The Love of Money', which also served as the theme for 'The Apprentice'.

"If (Trump) had just shut his mouth, he would have been dealing with $5 million… I feel like we're going to have a little fun with this because this is a self-inflicted wound. He did this to himself," stated Goldberg as she broached the subject.

Sunny Hostin breaks down why Donald Trump was asked to pay $83.3 million to E Jean Carroll 

Hostin stated that the massive settlement that has been laid on Trump is because of his "lack of impulse control."

She explained, "He was already found guilty of libel (costing him) $5 million, which he had to put in escrow. So he's already kind of out of the (money). Then he goes right after (makes random noise) and talks, and defames the woman again."

"Now the jury decided, 'You're going to pay her $18 million, but you're going to pay her $65 million in punitive damages because you can't keep your mouth shut'," elaborated the lawyer. 

Hostin expressed, "What was shocking to me was (that) someone who lacks that kind of impulse control that cost him $83.3 million, should be nowhere near a nuclear code." 

Meanwhile, Navarro pondered on the wonderful work done by the writer and her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, when it comes to speaking on behalf of women and called them "pioneers and heroines." 

She also noted that getting attacked by Trump as POTUS was akin to "opening the floodgates of hell and letting all the demons out." 

Sara Haines feels relieved that Donald Trump was held accountable

'The View' co-host Haines shared, "I love knowing that finally, there is some accountability for a man who spins things into circles and gets more voters as a result - evident most in the post-January 6 (2021 scenario), the number of people believing in his election lie has actually increased, not decreased." 

She continued, "But where that doesn't work is in a court of law. When you see this woman… this was holding someone powerful accountable. Take away the Donald Trump element, this was for victims everywhere who spoke up and continued being victimized by the same man."

Noting how difficult it had been to be up against the former president, Haines added that Carroll continued her good fight because "her integrity mattered more."