Sunny Hostin, cohost of The View, recently shared an unexpected moment on the show’s Behind the Table podcast about an exchange with Vice President Kamala Harris. Hostin, who intended to set Harris up with a simple question about her political stance, ended up sparking a significant backlash.
The question seemed innocent enough: Hostin asked Harris if there was anything she would have done differently from President Joe Biden during the administration’s term. Harris’s response? “There is not a thing that comes to mind.”
That answer quickly became fodder for the Trump campaign, featured in ads as an example of Harris’s lack of “change” potential, which Trump’s team effectively capitalized on.
Reflecting on the incident, Hostin described her reaction to Harris’s answer as surprised. She saw the question as an easy opportunity for Harris to define herself as a “change agent,” something many voters hoped to see.
Hostin’s question was designed as a chance for Harris to distinguish her approach, with Hostin expecting a response about building on wins and amplifying positive outcomes, especially given Harris’s unique “lived experience.” When Harris opted for unwavering loyalty instead, Hostin was thrown off. “That wasn’t a gotcha question,” Hostin said, admitting she’d expected Harris to paint herself as a leader ready to make progress. “That was a layup, really.”
Sunny Hostin admits that she tried giving Kamala a softball question… but then it backfired and might be why she lost pic.twitter.com/WNGimcmdAn
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 13, 2024
Hostin’s surprise reflects a broader disillusionment among some supporters who felt that Harris could have used the question to drive home her vision. As Harris leaned into supporting the Biden administration without critique, Trump’s campaign ran with it, highlighting the VP’s response as a refusal to offer change—an image Hostin had hoped to avoid.
During the election, Hostin consistently championed Harris, disregarding polls that showed Harris losing ground, even as other political analysts pointed out her weaknesses. Hostin brushed off criticism, declaring Harris’s campaign “flawless,” emphasizing that her $1 billion fundraising success showed the campaign’s momentum.
She laid partial blame on the press for a narrative that put Harris in a difficult position. “Whoopi, you always say that you don’t believe in polls. I’m with you now, because I’m reading the press,” Hostin stated, expressing frustration with headlines that ranged from accusing Harris of avoiding press to suggesting she wasn’t resonating with voters.