Sunny Hostin Reflects on Viral Kamala Harris Moment, Says She ‘Felt Terrible’ Over Its Impact
“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin is speaking out about the now-infamous interview moment with Kamala Harris that many political observers say damaged the former vice president’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Appearing on The View‘s companion podcast Behind the Table, Hostin defended her question to Harris during an October 2024 appearance on the show, where she asked if there was anything the then-presidential candidate would have done differently than former President Joe Biden. Harris’ response — “not a thing comes to mind” — was widely criticized as a missed opportunity to distinguish herself from an unpopular incumbent. The moment quickly went viral and, according to some strategists, marked a turning point in Harris’ campaign.
“I knew it instantly when she answered it,” Hostin told podcast producer Brian Teta. “Which is why I asked the follow-up question, ‘Is there one thing?’ Because I knew, I could see the soundbite and I knew what was going to happen. But I thought it was a really fair question and I thought it was a question that she would expect.”
Despite the fallout, Hostin emphasized she had no intention of undermining Harris, whom she supported throughout the race.
“I feel terrible,” she admitted during the podcast, especially after learning the exchange was mentioned in CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s book on the 2024 election.
The question’s consequences have been the subject of debate, with Teta asking if Hostin’s query truly cost Harris the presidency. While some co-hosts, including Sara Haines, brushed off the idea, conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said the moment played a role.
“The Trump campaign put so much ad money behind that specific clip,” Griffin noted, adding that Republicans used it to reinforce the message that Harris represented no real change from Biden.
Democratic strategist James Carville echoed that assessment in a post-election analysis last year. “
That’s the one question you exist to answer,” Carville said, calling the moment “the money question.” He criticized Harris’ lack of a clear response, saying, “You literally freeze and say, ‘Well, I can’t think of anything.’”
Hostin, reflecting on the episode months later, said she believed the question was necessary for voters to understand Harris’ vision. “She needed to express what her administration would look like in contrast with Biden’s,” Hostin said.
At the start of the podcast, longtime co-host Joy Behar jokingly summed up the conversation:
“It’s Sunny’s fault she didn’t win.”
With input from Fox News
