RuPaul got a longer standing ovation on The View than Barack Obama

RuPaul — the First Lady of Drag — received a longer standing ovation than President Barack Obama did during his appearance on The View.

The Emmy-winning RuPaul's Drag Race host and pop culture icon stopped by the show Tuesday to promote his new memoir The House of Hidden Meanings, and he was greeted with a 48-second standing ovation from the show's in-studio audience — which bested the reception Obama received during his 2010 appearance on season 13 by roughly 14 seconds.

In the video above, RuPaul gets visibly emotional as he looked out toward the crowd and clutched his chest amid their cheers.

The ovation seemingly would've gone on longer, had moderator Whoopi Goldberg not turned to the audience and prompted them to sit so she could conduct the interview.

"That should tell you that, in this country, how revered you are. You're not just a fashion icon, you are the leader — and have been — the leader for lots of young people and older people who maybe didn't know that they also could walk forward in the light. That's what you bring, that's what you have always brought," Goldberg told Ru. "So, there you go."

The subsequent discussion saw RuPaul speaking about overcoming addiction, his early career in drag, and his time at the head of Drag Race, which is currently airing its 16th season on MTV.

RuPaul's 2024 appearance on the show marked a tonal shift from his View debut 27 years ago, when he famously clashed with cohost Joy Behar on season 1 back in 1997 — an exchange that prompted Behar to call Ru a "bitch" for criticizing her on-air fashion.

"I have to say, they did femme her up. I love the haircut, the hair looks great. You're wearing nice colors and stuff, but the slacks?" Ru said at the time, to which Behar replied, "Do you think I'm going to take fashion advice from a drag queen?" Ru wasted no time clapping back, telling her, "Listen, Joy, you better take it from somebody."

Other than Ru, the queens competing on his All Stars 7 edition of Drag Race — which welcomed back eight former winners of the show for a new contest — also appeared on The View back in 2022.

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC. Watch RuPaul's standing ovation in the video above.

Subscribe to EW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions from the cast, special guests, and more.

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