For the second time in two different weeks, The View’s Sunny Hostin made comments that were at best indifferent and at worst permissive of extremists assassinating insurance company executives. This time, she opined about how many Americans didn’t trusting the healthcare system, how America was “built on violence,” and how many believe “violence is justified right now” against corporations.
Following the rest of the cast who condemned the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and said violence wasn’t the way to change the healthcare industry, Hostin wasn’t as committed to the nonviolence.
Without a full throated condemnation of what happened, she then proceeded to lay out a reasoning for why so many thought knocking off executives was the way to bring about reform. She even argued that violence was ingrained in the American system and many people were calling for it:
Um. I mean, I agree with mostly everything that’s been said. I mean, we know that, you know, only about 31 percent of Americans trust our healthcare system. We have a terrible healthcare system…So, there are a lot of problems with it.
But the notion that we aren’t a violent country, this country was built on violence. We're a very violent country. And it's just undeniable that that's the case. So, I'm not unfortunately, surprised that people are celebrating the use of violence. I'm not surprised that this young man thought that change could be accomplished through violence. One in four Americans say violence against government sometimes is justified, and today in 2024 one in ten Americans say violence is justified right now against corporations and the government.
Hostin also made curious comments about her husband’s interactions with insurance companies. She said her husband, who’s a surgeon, “operates on someone even though they don't have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work that he's been trained his whole life to do.”
Judging by what she said, it appeared as though her husband was trying to bill insurance companies for people who were not their customers.
Previously, Hostin touted the ghoulish takes cheering on the assassination.
As for the rest of the cast, as mentioned above, they collectively condemned the killing. “Now, the vast majority of Americans want the healthcare industry fixed. But I got to tell you, murdering someone is not the way to do it,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg proclaimed.
“I don't know if it's a lack of empathy or people are outraged by the healthcare system in this country. Doesn't justify killing anybody to me anyway. I think it's a very stupid idea, bad idea,” Joy Behar responded. “Voting good, murder bad. Let's get that straight.”
Although, Behar later suggested it was part of the “American idea that only rich people can afford to get sick.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin ripped the shooter by noting, “He’s not offering a solution. He had a two-page manifesto; there wasn't a single line as I read it that examined, ‘so what would you like to do? What would be better than the system that we live in?’”
For her part, Sara Haines tore into the disgusting people who were showing “glee” over the assassination. “My heart is not allowing for this. Check in were your minister, check in with your parents, check in with someone. Because if you in any way feel this was the answer, you need to look at yourself,” she declared.
She also called out the shooter for besmirching his family’s history of employing practical, beneficial solutions to societal problems:
This guy had every privilege in the world. I've said this before. His grandfather was frustrated with things. He didn't like government bureaucracy; he was a bricklayer, and immigrant, and a had ten kids. And guess what he did. He created nursing homes. He didn't like the country club in their area -- he had money and wealth because they didn't treat him right – so he opened his own country club. This guy is riding on the back of that family and all they built. He could have gone in to a system and done something, and he's trying to be a revolutionary. This is a civilized country. We don't do this.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
December 11, 2024
11:03:21 a.m. Eastern(…)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Now, the vast majority of Americans want the healthcare industry fixed. But I got to tell you, murdering someone is not the way to do it. So is this – I guess people are thinking of it as a lack of empathy over this murder. What does it say about where people's heads are at?
JOY BEHAR: I don't know if it's a lack of empathy or people are outraged by the healthcare system in this country. Doesn't justify killing anybody to me anyway. I think it's a very stupid idea, bad idea, but, you know, when you read the -- I mean –
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Murder is bad idea.
SARA HAINES: Murder is bad.
[Crosstalk]
BEHAR: Murder is bad. Voting good, murder bad. Okay. Let's get that straight.
And it doesn't seem like -- a lot of people go bankrupt. 500,000 people go bankrupt in this country every year because of health care issues. It doesn't seem like an American idea that only rich people can afford to get sick. And yet, it is an American idea.
SARA HAINES: Yeah, but some people assign if you don't feel a little bit of glee that you're out of touch or you don't understand. And I'm sorry, but at the lowest low this is not the way I was raised. My heart is not allowing for this. Check in were your minister, check in with your parents, check in with someone. Because if you in any way feel this was the answer, you need to look at yourself and that's –
This guy had every privilege in the world. I've said this before. His grandfather was frustrated with things. He didn't like government bureaucracy; he was a bricklayer, and immigrant, and a had ten kids. And guess what he did. He created nursing homes. He didn't like the country club in their area -- he had money and wealth because they didn't treat him right – so he opened his own country club. This guy is riding on the back of that family and all they built. He could have gone in to a system and done something, and he's trying to be a revolutionary. This is a civilized country. We don't do this.
And by the way, this does not change things. For everyone that’s sitting there, they're going to put one more pawn in there. If you want to change it and I understand the outrage. There are people sitting in emergency rooms with one-year-olds, people that can't get beds for kids with disabilities. The list goes on and on. I am not out of touch with the reasons. This is never the answer. Who’s next? What elite is next?
FARAH GRIFFIN: It's a microcosm of what’s wrong with a lot of our society and I think a lot of it is driven by the internet and the digital space which is this is a person, ‘he’s good-looking. Oh, no, we're so surprised. Good-looking people commit crimes.’
HAINES: Yeah, Ted Bundy.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yeah, exactly. He’s coming out in favor of a cause that I think, generally agree, the American healthcare system is not great. He’s not offering a solution. He had a two-page manifesto; there wasn't a single line as I read it that examined, ‘so what would you like to do? What would be better than the system that we live in?’
And then there's this desire to cheerlead and kind of create fan lore around this person rather than address – okay, the one takeaway – well, the two – this is wrong and now there are going to be kids who don't have a father on Christmas Day because the CEO was killed. But secondarily, that we all agree there may be a collective problem but what are we doing to try to fix it?
And I'm so frustrated that the discourse seems to be more around celebrating him and excitement or anger over the system but not talking about solutions. And even -- and this is not – I want to be careful in how I say this. Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren put out statements decries the ills of the healthcare system, but they’re part of the system. I think that we need to hold those who are in places of power, who can make changes more accountable than to actually do something about it.
[Crosstalk]
BEHAR (speaking over Farah Griffin): Why go after two liberals?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Cause they put out statements specifically on this.
GOLDBERG (speaking over Behar and Farah Griffin): Well, hold on. Wait. Wait. Sunny. Sunny, answer. Wait. Hold on. Let sunny get in here.
SUNNY HOSTIN: Um. I mean, I agree with mostly everything that’s been said. I mean, we know that, you know, only about 31 percent of Americans trust our healthcare system. We have a terrible healthcare system. And, you know, doctors suffer because of big corporations, as well. Doctors that want to do good like my husband, you know, operates on someone even though they don't have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work that he's been trained his whole life to do.
So, there are a lot of problems with it. But the notion that we aren’t a violent country, this country was built on violence. We're a very violent country. And it's just undeniable that that's the case. So, I'm not unfortunately, surprised that people are celebrating the use of violence. I'm not surprised that this young man thought that change could be accomplished through violence. One in four Americans say violence against government sometimes is justified, and today in 2024 one in ten Americans say violence is justified right now against corporations and the government.
HAINES: It’s scary.
FARAH GRIFFIN: It’s very scary and it’s wrong.
HOSTIN: That’s just the facts.
HAINES: And even though I don't think he might have change something; I think he might have laid out a plan for a copycat. That’s what I see.
(…)
