Sunny Hostin, a co-host on ABC’s “The View,” ignited a controversy by voicing her disapproval of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, for meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The comments made by Hostin on the November 18, 2024 episode have led to wider discussions on the topics of media independence, journalistic integrity, and the involvement of media figures with political personalities.
During the episode, Hostin expressed her disagreement by saying, “You don’t need to sit down for 90 minutes at Mar-a-Lago and kiss his ring.” She further suggested that Scarborough and Brzezinski might see themselves not as traditional journalists, but as opinion journalists. She reminded the audience of the significant part Trump played in the rise of fake news.
Hostin’s critique was based on Trump’s past actions of antagonizing the media, which includes revoking the credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta and public confrontations with several African-American female journalists. She cautioned about the risk of Trump creating a “state media” atmosphere by favoring certain news outlets and discrediting others.
Co-host Ana Navarro voiced her support for Hostin’s viewpoints, stating that she would never meet with Trump and doesn’t anticipate being faced with such a decision, as she doesn’t foresee receiving an invitation. She highlighted the difficulties of opposing and decrying Trump’s misuse of power during his presidency, which led to threats, reprisals against family members, unexpected events at residences, lawsuits, and other types of retribution. She expressed readiness to face these challenges again if required, based on her past experiences.
Navarro also implied that the actions of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski could be seen as opportunistic, suggesting that some individuals might change their behavior or alliances based on who is in power and what is beneficial to them. She concluded by saying that everyone has to live with their choices and be comfortable with their reflection in the mirror, stating that she has no regrets about her position.
However, the discussion on “The View” exposed discord within the panel. Sara Haines defended Scarborough and Brzezinski, arguing that journalists should engage with the President-elect, irrespective of the controversy surrounding him. Alyssa Farah Griffin added that complaining about Trump while isolating oneself in “safe bubbles” was less productive than directly interacting with him.
This debate on media ethics occurs as Hostin is facing criticism for her recent statements on voter demographics in the 2024 presidential election. She linked Trump’s victory to “uneducated white women” and Latino men, stating on air, “Black women tried to save this country again… what we do not have is white women, who voted about 52 percent for Donald Trump—uneducated white women is my understanding. You have Latino men actually voting more for him.”
The term “uneducated white women” elicited strong criticism, leading Hostin to modify her language to “non-college-educated white women.” However, the critique continued. Accusations of divisive language were leveled at her, with Devon Mostert, wife of Miami Dolphins player Raheem Mostert, describing the comments as both “racist and hypocritical.”
Hostin’s remarks about Latino men also triggered discussion, with Griffin arguing that voters were likely driven by economic issues and family well-being rather than by racism or misogyny. Despite Griffin’s counterargument, Hostin maintained her position, questioning why certain demographic groups would back a president whose policies seemed to oppose their interests.
Hostin’s comments were met with swift and severe backlash on social media. Consequently, she deactivated her X account, citing Elon Musk’s backing of Trump and her belief that the platform had become a center for “misogyny and racism.” She described the decision as a “patriotic” act: “Black Twitter was a thing that I loved, and it was sort of replaced with something much darker.”