Report: Obama Cause of Off-Air Spat At Revamped 'View'

While the first day of the newly recast "The View" started off civilly, it was only a matter of time before outspoken liberal Rosie O'Donnell faced off against the panel's lone Republican, Nicolle Wallace, a former George W. Bush spokeswoman.

Their exchange over Wallace's suggestion that President Barack Obama "doesn't love people," began publicly but continued off-air, according to the New York Post's Page Six column, which said the show's stars couldn't put the issue down after cameras stopped rolling.

According to the Post, O'Donnell took issue with Wallace's characterization of the president's standoffishness, a discussion spurred by conservative Charles Krauthammer's column where the president was described as a "narcissist."

According to the Huffington Post, the on-air exchange between O'Donnell and Wallace went like this:

"Are you implying that Obama doesn't [love people]?" O'Donnell asked.

"Yeah. I don't think so," Wallace replied.

"Oh, that's bull crap!" Rosie Perez responded. "You are so wrong."

Then O'Donnell weighed in. "Let me just ask you something, when Kanye West says 'I don't think President Bush cares about black people,' it's like an international insult," she said. "But you can say that you don't think Obama likes people?"

A source told Page Six of their rancor: "Executive producer Bill Wolff had to call them both in and order them to calm down."

But ABC, the network that produces the show, quickly shot down the fight story between Wallace and O'Donnell as pure gossip, with a rep telling the Post it was "an absurd story, just trying to stir up controversy."

Whatever fireworks transpire in the future, the show's new configuration has shown an early popularity with viewers, according to Entertainment Weekly, which noted its 18th season had the highest ratings in eight years for a debut, with 3.9 million viewers. That marked a three-year high for the coveted 18-49 female demographic group, EW added.

The new show kicked off Monday with a revamped team that included former panelist O'Donnell, making her return to the series created by the now-retired Barbara Walters, actress Perez, holdover host Whoopi Goldberg, and Republican newcomer Wallace, the Associated Press reported.

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