Sunny Hostin, one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken defenders on ABC’s The View, made a stunning confession Monday, admitting that her unwavering faith in her party may have blinded her to the needs of the American working class.
In a rare moment of self-reflection, Hostin, who had long resisted criticizing Democrats, said she is now “rethinking my thinking” as Donald Trump’s dominant support among the working class becomes impossible to ignore.
“Maybe it’s time for Democrats to do a little bit of this post-mortem,” Hostin declared, acknowledging the party’s failure to connect with the people it claims to represent.
“The Democratic Party has always been the party of the working class. If you look at all policies, they are for the people.” But despite their promises and intentions, she admitted, “the message didn’t resonate.”
Trump’s ability to capture the popular vote among working-class voters shattered assumptions about political loyalty, forcing even staunch Democrats like Hostin to reckon with reality.
As her co-hosts debated the causes of 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 over the American working class, exposed the gulf between Democrats’ policy ambitions and their outreach.
“My mistake,” Hostin admitted, “was realizing that there are so many Americans who still have the experience I grew up with.”
Sunny Hostin admitted that her unwavering faith in the Democratic party may have blinded her to the needs of the American working class.
Hostin said she is 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 from paycheck to paycheck and was often forced to make impossible choices.
“My parents had to decide whether to feed me and whether or not we would go into heat,” Hostin revealed.
The deeply personal admission reinforced her argument that the Democratic Party must expand its reach beyond the “highly educated” and “college professors,” as her co-hosts described.
“I think we have to make room in this tent for the people who really need it,” Hostin emphasized.
The panel then examined Trump’s appeal to working-class voters, with Republican co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin attributing his success to immigration positions that resonate with voters concerned about the economy.
“It’s not that they think immigrants are going to take their jobs,” Griffin explained. “It’s (that) they know big companies are taking advantage of cheap labor while they’re struggling to make ends meet.”
While Hostin staunchly pushed back against the idea that Republicans have become the party of the working class, she conceded that Democrats have missed crucial opportunities to listen to the 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 was one of the most outspoken defenders of the Democratic Party on ABC The View
Monday’s The View looked at the reckoning the Democratic Party faced after their defeat
Despite Trump winning over the majority of the working class, the policies he plans to introduce could very likely raise the cost of living for those with the lowest incomes.
His policy of imposing tariffs would increase the cost of most goods. Earlier this month, Trump admitted that the cost of groceries could rise, noting that it would be “difficult” to bring prices down.
“It’s hard to take things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very difficult,” he said in an interview with Time, but 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, which would take effect on his first day in office.
Both neighboring countries are two of the country’s largest importers.
Half of U.S. vegetable imports come from Mexico, while Canadian imports account for nearly half of U.S. livestock feed and grain and 40 percent of meat products.
Back on The View, co-host Sara Haines wondered 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 admitted that Democrats have missed crucial opportunities to listen to the people they claim to represent. She is pictured with Kamala Harris in July this year
Hostin’s call for Democrats to reflect on their loss and make change could 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 and reiterated 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 that she is reserving judgment: “I’m going to wait and see.”
But Hostin’s unflinching self-criticism marks an important shift in the political conversation, both within 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 could signal a broader push to reconnect with voters who feel left behind .
“We missed the target,” Hostin admitted, “and I missed it too.”