Sunny Hostin, a co-host on ABC/Disney’s daytime talk show “The View,” on Tuesday was compelled to read a legal notice on air correcting defamatory statements she’d previously made falsely accusing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) of inappropriate involvement with a minor.
“How could you nominate someone with allegations of child trafficking or trafficking across state lines and having sex with a 17-year-old?” Hostin attempted to claim amid Tuesday’s episode, referring to the Florida congressman nominated as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general.
“My understanding, further on in the interview, they discuss the fact that once he finds out that she’s 17, he stops having sex with her,” Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, continued.
NEW: The View host Sunny Hostin fumes as she is forced to read a legal note just minutes after presenting the Matt Gaetz allegations as a “fact.”
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 20, 2024
Hostin: They discussed the fact that once [Gaetz] finds out that she's 17, he stops having s*x with her.
Hostin 3 min later: Matt… pic.twitter.com/USvYjnWqKZ
Within moments, the show hosts’ discussion was suddenly halted as co-host Whoopi Goldberg remarked, “Sunny, you have a legal note.”
“I do, Whoopi, thank you,” affirmed a somber Hostin, appearing shaken.
“Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations, calling the claims ‘invented’ and saying in a statement to ABC News that, ‘This false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism,'” Hostin stated, blankly staring into the camera as she read off a teleprompter.
The show then abruptly went to break.
“You just know ABC told her she had to do it or they would fire her to prevent the network from getting sued,” one X user theorized.
You just know ABC told her she had to do it or they would fire her to prevent the network from getting sued.
— Anonymous (@4N0NYM0U5_5H311) November 20, 2024
Gaetz later Tuesday posted the Hostin clip to X, along with the eyes emoji.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 20, 2024
Hostin’s hostage-style message was also the subject of a few hilarious memes.
https://t.co/9HJUo8mww3 pic.twitter.com/J0X4PoLuUJ
— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) November 20, 2024
https://t.co/w8mA9aqnTa pic.twitter.com/jRrILEiaV6
— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) November 20, 2024
Sunny Hostin Forced To Read Legal Notice Acknowledging Nothing Said On ‘The View’ In Its Entire History Has Ever Been Remotely True https://t.co/iyyWtPXnn4 pic.twitter.com/3C8nL3kv8Y
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) November 20, 2024
Following Trump’s victory earlier this month, Hostin announced she was deleting her X account due to owner Elon Musk’s association with President-elect Donald Trump.
With Trump’s staffing picks shaking up Washington and rankling the media, buckle in, because the freak-outs over his nominations are just getting started.