By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-17 02:21:53 | Updated at 2024-12-17 04:59:39
2 hours ago
Sunny Hostin, one of the Democratic Party's most vocal defenders on ABC's The View delivered a stunning admission on Monday's show, conceding that her unwavering faith in her party may have blinded her to the needs of working-class Americans.
In a rare moment of self-reflection, Hostin, who had long resisted critiquing the Democrats, said she's now 'rethinking my thinking' as Donald Trump's dominant support among the working class becomes impossible to ignore.
'Maybe it's time for the Democrats to do a little bit of this postmortem,' Hostin declared, acknowledging how the party had failed to connect with the very people it claims to represent.
'The Democratic Party has always been the party of the working class. If you look at all the policies, they're for the people.' Yet, despite their promises and intentions, she admitted, 'the messaging didn't resonate.'
Trump's ability to sweep the popular vote among working-class voters shattered assumptions about political loyalty, forcing even staunch Democrats like Hostin to reckon with reality.
While her co-hosts debated what drove Trump's success, Hostin's thoughts stood out as a sobering critique of a party she once defended without hesitation.
The conversation, sparked by Trump's surprising dominance with working-class Americans, laid bare the disconnect between the Democrats' policy ambitions and their outreach.
'My mistake,' Hostin admitted, 'was in terms of realizing that there are so many Americans that still have that experience that I grew up with.'
Sunny Hostin conceded that her unwavering faith in the Democratic party may have blinded her to the needs of working-class Americans
Hostin said she's now 'rethinking my thinking' as Donald Trump's dominant support among the working class becomes impossible to ignore
She described her own upbringing 'in abject poverty, from the Bronx,' where her family struggled paycheck to paycheck, often forced to make impossible choices.
'My parents had to decide whether they were going to feed me or whether or not we were gonna have heat,' Hostin revealed.
The deeply personal admission added weight to her argument that the Democratic Party needs to expand its reach beyond the 'highly educated' and 'college professors,' as her co-hosts described.
'I think we need to make space in this tent for the people that are really gonna need it,' Hostin emphasized.
The panel went on to explore further Trump's appeal to working-class voters, with Republican co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin attributing his success to immigration stances that resonate with voters who are anxious about the economy.
'It's not they think immigrants are going to take their jobs,' Griffin explained. 'It's [that] they know big corporations take advantage of cheap labor while they're struggling to make ends meet.'
While Hostin firmly pushed back against the idea that Republicans have become the party of the working class, she did concede that Democrats have missed critical opportunities to listen to the very people they claim to represent.
'I don't think the Republican Party is the party of the working class,' she insisted, but acknowledged that Trump's narrative, however flawed, has filled a vacuum left by Democratic missteps.
Hostin has been one of the Democratic Party's most vocal defenders on ABC The View
Monday's The View looked at the reckoning facing the Democratic Party following their defeat
Despite Trump bringing in the majority of working class cotes, the policies he plans to introduce could very likely increase the cost of living for those with the least income.
His policy to introduce tariffs would push up the costs on most goods. Earlier this month Trump conceded the cost of groceries may increase noting that bringing prices down would be 'hard'.
'It's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard,' he said in an interview to Time, yet only last month he told voters before the election: 'A vote for Trump means your groceries will be cheaper.'
Trump is proposing a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico, to go into effect on his first day in office.
Both neighboring countries are two of the nation's biggest importers.
Half of U.S. vegetable imports come from Mexico, while Canadian imports make up nearly half of America's feed and grain and 40 percent of its meat products.
Back on The View, co-host Sara Haines questioned whether Trump's ability to 'make people feel heard' was enough to secure their loyalty, but Hostin didn't shy away from her party's responsibility.
Hostin conceded that Democrats have missed critical opportunities to listen to the very people they claim to represent. She is pictured alongside Kamala Harris in July of this year
Hostin's call for Democrats to reflect on their loss and make a change may signal a broader push to reconnect with voters who feel left behind. She is pictured with Joe Biden in September
The emotional disconnect, she suggested, is as much to blame as any policy failure.
Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg, took a more measured approach, reiterating her own political independence.
'I'm not a member of either party,' she said flatly.
On Trump's presidency and re-election bid, Goldberg made it clear she's reserving judgment: 'I'm going to wait and see.'
But Hostin's unflinching self-critique marks a significant shift in the political conversation, both on The View and among Democrats at large.
Her admission - that the party she fiercely defends may have failed working Americans - reflects a growing reckoning within Democratic ranks.
With Trump's working-class coalition stronger than ever, Hostin's call for Democrats to reflect on their loss and then make a change may signal a broader push to reconnect with voters who feel left behind.
'We've missed the mark,' Hostin admitted, 'and I missed it, too.'
