Sunny Hostin Defends Discriminating Against White People, Whoopi Mocks

ABC’s The View celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by literally laughing at the idea that white people could be discriminated against in any way. While they were laughing at the notion and suggesting it wasn’t real, staunchly racist co-host Sunny Hostin defended the idea of discriminating against whites and claimed that President Trump was trying to “erase” black history. Additionally, moderator Whoopi Goldberg openly mocked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for caring about discrimination against white people.

Hostin defended discriminating against white people, calling them lesser beings: “I think, you know, equality feels much like oppression when you have always had the privilege of being ahead, even if you were mediocre. And I think that’s what we’re talking about here.”

Despite that, she suggested there was no evidence of discrimination based on broad and sweeping numbers and not individual cases:

White men, as of 2023, were 76 percent of the workforce and in all sort of top positions where people of color and women were not. (…) And the NAACP made it very clear after hearing his comments that, in fact, there is absolutely no evidence, no fact-based evidence, that white men have suffered because of this Civil Rights Act.

“Now, we really know that this attack against diversity, equity, and inclusion is based on white male grievance, and the fact that Donald Trump seems to really believe in the concept of reverse discrimination,” Hostin rhetorically scoffed.

Co-host Sara Haines tapped the breaks slightly to suggest Trump might have been misdirecting his comments at the Civil Rights Act, when he might have meant to be directing his criticism at programs like affirmative action:

I think he might be confusing the policies, like affirmative action, with the civil rights movement. Because when you look at the civil rights movement you’re talking about ending segregation, you’re talking about voting rights, you’re talking about owning things.

Later in the show, while speaking with Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn (SC), Hostin claimed – without evidence – that the Trump administration was trying to “erase” black history (Click “expand”):

HOSTIN: Now, they are significant figures in black history, which is American history, something this administration is trying to erase under the guise of eradicating diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is your reaction to these efforts?

CLYBURN: Well, my reaction is very clear, we cannot allow it to be done. And I think that we as activists, I’m elected, but I’m a very much an activist. Those people who are concerned about their future for their children and their grandchildren, we have a role to play that we should not ever set aside.

They also let Clyburn get away with claiming Republicans were trying to bring back slavery.

At the top of the show, Goldberg – a multimillionaire – led the cast in mocking the idea that whites could be discriminated against. She even allowed for their far-left audience to get in some jokes about it (Click “expand”):

GOLDBERG: But in a recent interview with The New York Times, you-know-who claims that there’s a downside to the Civil Rights Act. He says, and I quote, “white people were very badly treated –

[Pauses]

[Laughter]

– where they did extremely well and they were not invited to go into a university or a college.” And under his administration the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says there could be reparations for this discrimination.

[Audience murmurs disapprovingly]

UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: He’s got jokes.

Goldberg then played a month-old video of EEOC chair Andrea Lucas announcing their initiative to investigate anti-white discrimination, allowing the audience to mock her while it played. “So, this is my question, when did it all go downhill for white guys?” Goldberg asked while putting on a mocking voice.

Throughout all of this talk of racial injustice, there was no mention of Hostin’s slave-owning family members.

The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:

ABC’s The View
January 19, 2026
11:02:32 a.m. Eastern

(…)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: But in a recent interview with The New York Times, you-know-who claims that there’s a downside to the Civil Rights Act. He says, and I quote, “white people were very badly treated –

[Pauses]

[Laughter]

– where they did extremely well and they were not invited to go into a university or a college.” And under his administration the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says there could be reparations for this discrimination.

[Audience murmurs disapprovingly]

UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: He’s got jokes.

[Laughter]

GOLDBERG: Take a look at this clip.

[Cuts to video, with audience murmurs of disapproval heard over it]

ANDREA LUCAS (chair, US EEOC): Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws. [Transition] The EEOC is the federal agency charged with enforcing federal anti-discrimination law against businesses and other private sector employers. The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating all forms of race and sex discrimination, including against white male applicants and employees.

[Cuts back to live]

[Laughter]

GOLDBERG: [Putting on a mocking voice] So, this is my question, when did it all go downhill for white guys?

(…)

11:05:19 a.m. Eastern

SUNNY HOSTIN: I think, you know, equality feels much like oppression when you have always had the privilege of being ahead, even if you were mediocre. And I think that’s what we’re talking about here.

White men, as of 2023, were 76 percent of the workforce and in all sort of top positions where people of color and women were not.

Whoopi: Uh-huh.

HOSTIN: And so, what we’re learning, I think, from this interview is that this administration kept on talking about a meritocracy and that things should be merit-based and they felt that it never was.

Now, we really know that this attack against diversity, equity, and inclusion is based on white male grievance, and the fact that Donald Trump seems to really believe in the concept of reverse discrimination.

And the NAACP made it very clear after hearing his comments that, in fact, there is absolutely no evidence, no fact-based evidence, that white men have suffered because of this Civil Rights Act.

SARA HAINES: I think he might be confusing the policies, like affirmative action, with the civil rights movement. Because when you look at the civil rights movement you’re talking about ending segregation, you’re talking about voting rights, you’re talking about owning things.

(…)

11:27:24 a.m. Eastern

HOSTIN: Now, your new book is fabulous called The First Eight. As you mention, it tells the story of the eight black pioneers who preceded you in representing South Carolina in the House in the years after the Civil War and before Jim Crow. Now, they are significant figures in black history, which is American history, something this administration is trying to erase under the guise of eradicating diversity, equity, and inclusion. What is your reaction to these efforts?

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Well, my reaction is very clear, we cannot allow it to be done. And I think that we as activists, I’m elected, but I’m a very much an activist. Those people who are concerned about their future for their children and their grandchildren, we have a role to play that we should not ever set aside.

[Applause]

(…)