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By Jared Evan
(TJV) The rhetoric coming from The View on Friday’s pre-recorded episode was not only dark and dangerous but dangerously close to inciting violence. Staunchly racist co-host Sunny Hostin let loose with a tirade against Democrats, accusing them of failing to rise to the “existential crisis” that is President Trump.
Her vitriol was aimed directly at those in the Democratic Party who had dared to disagree with her, particularly the 10 Democrats who joined Republicans in censuring Texas Rep. Al Green for his disruption of Trump’s address to Congress.
Hostin’s anger was palpable, and in a moment that seemed to veer dangerously into a call to violence, she demanded that the Democrats “be willing to fight and die for their rights!” Hostin’s shrill rant implied that only through violent means could the Democratic Party hope to meet the moment, a sentiment straight out of an authoritarian playbook.
“Democrats are not meeting the moment!” she shouted. “It is very clear that Medicaid is on the table. It is very clear that Social Security is on the table. It is very clear that people will die! The baby boomers, the civil rights generation, they knew what they had to do! They were willing to fight and die for their rights!”
These comments were not just reckless; they were dangerously incendiary, coming from a co-host on Disney-owned ABC News. Hostin’s inflammatory remarks were even more concerning when she lashed out at Democrats who sought to maintain decorum. She wanted them to be more like the older generation—”willing to fight and die.” And she made sure to dehumanize those who disagreed with her, calling them “ashamed” for not following her calls for radical action.
Joy Behar, as the moderator, appeared shocked by the names on the list Hostin handed her of Democrats she deemed unworthy of the “opposition party” label. “Jim Himes – Tim Himes [sic], I would never have thought that… Jared Moskowitz – What?!… and Tom Suozzi…” Behar read aloud, visibly perplexed by the dissonance between these Democrats’ actions and Hostin’s revolutionary vision.
Meanwhile, The View’s faux conservative, Alyssa Farah Griffin, attempted to bring a sense of balance to the conversation, questioning whether Democrats’ protests during Trump’s address were truly effective. Hostin, uninterested in hearing a differing opinion, interrupted and insisted on going back to the topic of Green.
But it was Hostin’s refusal to acknowledge Trump’s mandate from voters that took the conversation into even murkier waters. “He doesn’t have a mandate,” Hostin said, ignoring the reality of Trump’s electoral victory and his broad base of support.
This is hardly the first time that Hostin has flirted with dangerous, inflammatory rhetoric. Back in July, she defended the continued use of rhetoric that fueled violence against Trump. In December, she even excused the idea of assassinating healthcare executives. Her repeated incitement of hatred and violence against political figures has raised serious concerns about her judgment and whether ABC and Disney will take action before it’s too late.
At what point will ABC and Disney step in and acknowledge the harmful, reckless rhetoric coming from The View? How much longer will they allow their platform to be used to incite division and violence? The rhetoric may be out of control, but the responsibility for it lies with the network, its executives, and those who refuse to hold Hostin accountable for her dangerously inflammatory statements.
