Sunny Hostin, co-host of ABC’s The View, lost it Tuesday, as she lashed out at President Biden, moderate Democratic senators, and for not ensuring passage of a federal voter law that would, according to her, ensure Americans’ access to the ballot box.
In a segment about Biden’s Tuesday visit to Georgia to give a speech on voting rights, Hostin complained that he wasn’t actually there and was “putting pressure” on Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Sen. Kyrsten Silena (D-Ariz.), and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). All three have expressed doubts about ending the Senate filibuster rule, which would make it easier for federal legislation to be passed.
“It seems, Whoopi that this is very performative. The president and vice president are in Georgia. Georgia did its job. Georgia delivered,” Hostin said to co-host Whoopi Goldenberg. He was referring to Biden’s win in Georgia for the 2020 presidential election and Democrats winning both Senate seats last January.
She said that Georgia, despite claims of voter suppression, and ongoing coronavirus pandemics, produced historic numbers of Black voters and that they had “done their job.”
“It’s unconscionable that it’s one year later and we don’t have voting rights legislation to protect the ballot. It’s one year after January 6, as you mentioned, Whoopi. It’s one year after Republicans’ continued attacks on our democracy,” Hostin stated.
She stated that there was a disconnect between the fact that Biden is often excused as “just the president” and that he doesn’t have control over the Senate or House. The “limits of his presidency” are also mentioned when he’s not able to accomplish something. When he wins, like with the infrastructure bill passed last fall, the “power of the presidency” is fully displayed.
“I believe the president and vice president should be in West Virginia. Hostin stated that the vice president and president should be in Arizona, putting pressure on Sinema and Manchin to deliver and get it done.
“And, by the way, Mark Kelly, who is up to re-election November? He is not there, Mr. Centrist. He now claims that he isn’t sure what he wants about the filibuster. He doesn’t know how he wants voter legislation to be handled,” she said, adding that Kelly’s position on this issue reminded Kelly of the White moderates Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his early 1960s letter from Birmingham prison. He believes we should wait to get justice. Hostin stated that he doesn’t believe we should wait for justice.
Hostin’s anger towards Biden and moderate Democrats is occurring amid a renewed push from the party to repeal the Senate filibuster rules and pass a federal voting law. This law will combat several state-level laws that have been recently passed by Republican-led legislatures. Democrats claim that the laws amount to voter suppression, but Republicans insist they protect election integrity.
The Senate filibuster rule could be repealed and Democrats would have the power to pass legislation by a simple majority vote. However, Kelly, Sinema, Manchin, and Sinema, along with other moderates, expressed concern about the elimination of the rule.
