Sunny Hostin Comments On Eclipse
On Monday, August 23, co-hosts on ABC News’ “The View” were forced to correct their colleague, Sunny Hostin, after she made false claims about the relationship between climate change and recent natural events. During a discussion about the recent earthquake on the East Coast, Hostin suggested that it may have been caused by climate change and connected it to the solar eclipse that occurred just days before.
Hostin’s claims were met with immediate pushback from her co-host Joy Behar, who reminded her that earthquakes are not affected by climate change, as they occur underground. Whoopi Goldberg also chimed in, stating that eclipses are a natural occurrence and can be predicted, unlike earthquakes.
The co-hosts were reacting to comments made by Alyssa Farrah Griffin, who joked about the earthquake being centered in Bedminster, New Jersey, where former President Donald Trump has a golf club. In response, Hostin shared a story about a coworker who joked that the recent events could be a signal for the end of the world and the Rapture.
Hostin went on to reference the upcoming return of the cicadas, which she mistakenly claimed had not happened in a century. This sparked further ridicule from her co-hosts and viewers, who pointed out that cicadas appear every 17 years, not 100.
"That's not what I read."
The View spreads end-of-the-world doomsday conspiracy theories about earthquakes, the solar eclipse, and the cicadas.
Sunny Hostin suggests it's all due to "climate change."
This show is an ABC News product. pic.twitter.com/OQan942v9M— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) April 8, 2024
As the conversation continued, Hostin suggested that the combination of these events may be a sign of something more significant, either the existence of climate change or another major event. However, her co-hosts quickly shut down these claims and reminded her that these occurrences, while unusual, are all natural and predictable.
Following the segment, Hostin was widely criticized and mocked on social media for her ignorance and misplaced connections. Commentators across the political spectrum called her out for her false information and lack of understanding of basic scientific principles.
One commentator, Ian Miles Cheong, labeled Hostin as “incredibly stupid,” while Tomi Lahren suggested that perhaps the recent events were a signal for President Joe Biden to retire.
Radio host Gerry Callahan shared his own rule, “The dumber a person is, the louder they scream about climate change,” implying that Hostin’s claims were baseless and illogical.
Similarly, Red State writer Bonchie expressed disbelief and concern that someone like Hostin has a platform on national television, calling her “legitimately insane.”
Despite the backlash, Hostin has not addressed her comments, nor has she issued an apology or retraction. This incident has sparked a larger conversation about the importance of fact-checking and the responsibility of media figures, especially those on major news outlets, to provide accurate information to their audiences.
Not only did Hostin’s false claims spread misinformation, but they also perpetuated harmful stereotypes about Christians, as her jokes about the Rapture and Jesus’ return were met with laughter and mockery from her co-hosts.
This incident serves as a reminder for media consumers to critically evaluate the information presented to them and to hold media figures accountable for their words and actions. It also highlights the importance of scientifically accurate reporting and the detrimental effects of spreading false information.