Ann Coulter faces off with 'The View' hosts over Trump taxes, Berkeley ouster

Conservative author and pundit Ann Coulter appeared on ABC's "The View" Monday and, though the discussion started off well as the hosts were supportive of Coulter after she was barred from speaking at the University of California, Berkeley, things took a turn when the discussion turned to President Donald Trump's elusive tax returns.

"We believe in free speech here," co-host Joy Behar told Coulter, adding that she supported Coulter's right to speak at Berkeley.

Coulter was set to speak at Berkeley on Thursday, but was forced to cancel over security concerns. Coulter was going to speak about illegal immigration and host a Q&A session as follow-up.

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg entered the fray and added, "Berkeley, you made a mistake, man. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. That's the law."

The good-natured support for Coulter slowly evaporated, however, as the conversation turned to Trump's dwindling approval ratings. Coulter admitted that she didn't think much of polls in today's politics and defended the president.

"I think polls, apparently, don't work in the age of Trump," she said, adding that she thinks of the president more as an "emperor god," which she's said in the past on "The Sean Hannity Radio Show" as well as on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

The women of "The View" didn't take this well and began grilling Coulter on Trump's purported lies, to which she responded by stating that Trump is not a liar, but a "BS-er" instead, and that he's only "lied one time," and that she was "not going to tell you when."

Later in the show, co-host Sunny Hostin asked Coulter what she thought about the president's tax plan, which she said is very corporate-friendly and could easily benefit Trump's myriad businesses.

"It's clear, when you try to read it, it could save corporations trillions of dollars, which would directly benefit the Trump family and Trump's businesses," Hostin said. "Does that at all bother you, and does it bother you we haven't seen his tax papers?"

Coulter answered that she isn't troubled by the president's refusal to release his tax returns.

"I think he enjoys driving the press crazy," she said.

Pressing further, Hostin fired back and said, "Does it bother you that his family and himself could stand to benefit? Isn't that unconstitutional? Isn't that the emoluments clause, plain and simple?"

Coulter began to shut Hostin down by disagreeing, but was interrupted by the host who said, "You learned that in law school, Ann!"

"If anything, the people love him too much," Coulter said in an overarching point, "and are not complaining when he doesn't keep his promises."

In response, Goldberg shot back, "Maybe it's all the people who he called rapists and murderers."

"They're not Americans!" Coulter concluded.

See the video below (relevant portion begins at the 17:25 mark):