Sunny Hostin says that her question to Vice President Kamala Harris on “The View” was a turning point in the election. She talks with Brian Teta, host of “The View” podcast, about whether she thinks it helped the Democrats lose.
“There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris famously answered when asked what she would do differently in a Harris administration than a Biden administration.
During an interview on the podcast, Hostin told Teta: “Look, I think it wasn’t so much about the question, but it was really more about the answer.”
“Not a thing comes to mind and that’s I followed up with,” Hostin continued. “Is there anything that you would do differently? And the reason I followed up is because that wasn’t a gotcha question. That was a layup really. It was an important question and I think one she should have expected.”
“I thought she would then say, I would build on the wins that we’ve had. And I had a laundry list of wins in my head. And she didn’t answer it that way. She said not a thing comes to mind,” Hostin added.
Below is a transcript of the exchange on the podcast about the viral moment:
BRIAN TETA, HOST: One of the things that keeps coming up is, did Sonny Hostin personally cost Kamala Harris the election with her question?
SUNNY HOSTIN: Oh wow, I wish I had that much power because I would have flipped it in the other way.
TETA: Yeah, sure. I mean, you see this like James Carville and all these pundits are saying it.
HOSTIN: Look, I think it goes to show how important this show is, you know, in this country and actually internationally.
TETA: I have to laugh because normally whenever we have a big politician on and they do well, I get all these trolls on Twitter and other places saying they gave him the questions beforehand, the questions are impromptu. I’m like, well, now we have proof. They are not. We do not do that.
HOSTIN: I will say this, it’s interesting to me. I do think it’s just clickbait and I think any headline that has the view mentioned or my name mentioned seems to go viral.
TETA: Let’s remind people what the question was. It was, what would you have done differently?
HOSTIN: I would have asked the president what she would do differently in a Biden and in Harris administration as opposed to a Biden administration.
TETA: And what if she, if anything, she wishes she could have done differently in the past four years?
HOSTIN: It’s something like that. Yeah. I followed up because I was surprised at the answer.
Look, I think it wasn’t so much about the question, but it was really more about the answer.
TETA: Not a thing comes to mind.
HOSTIN: Not a thing comes to mind and that’s I followed up with. Is there anything that you would do differently? And the reason I followed up is because that wasn’t a gotcha question. That was a layup really. It was an important question and I think one she should have expected.
That’s what I thought. I actually thought it was a chance for her to explain to all the people who are saying, I want a change agent, for her to explain that of course she has a different lived experience from President Biden. But they did have one of the most successful administrations in our country.
TETA: That’s the tricky part.
Advertisement
HOSTIN: And I thought she would then say, I would build on the wins that we’ve had. And I had a laundry list of wins in my head. And she didn’t answer it that way. She said not a thing comes to mind. And listen, I think it goes to show you how loyal she was to the President, who gave her the opportunity to run for President, who chose her as his Vice President.
TETA: And who basically named her as his successor when he endorsed her.
HOSTIN: Yes, it says a lot about her character, her values. I love a ride or die person. So I’m not going to opine as to whether or not it was the right answer or the wrong answer. I will just say I was surprised at the answer because it was a question that really could have inured to her benefit. It was a question that could have been a change maker.
