Tuesday’s edition of The View gave us yet another example of how liberals are allowed to get away with making nakedly racist statements as long as the target of their hatred is a Republican. This latest instance came from so-called co-host “Sunny Hostin,” who accused former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley of not using her “real name” despite that being the name her parents gave her. But in the blowup that followed, co-host Sara Haines surprised all by calling out Hostin for using a fake name herself.
During a conversation about potential 2024 candidates for both sides, “conservative” Alyssa Farah Griffin finally decided to promote conservative women (which she refused to do in the past) and noted Haley as a prospective candidate.
“Nikki Haley the chameleon?” Hostin snidely asked. “What is her real name again?” she tagged on.
With backup from co-host Joy Behar, Hostin’s racist sniping put Farah Griffin on the back foot. Hostin continued to assert that Haley was essentially a race traitor because she supposedly wasn’t acting like a “person of color”:
FARAH GRIFFIN: I believe it’s – I don’t want to mispronounce it. It's Indian. Her background is Indian.
HOSTIN: But she doesn’t necessarily – I think if she leaned into being someone of color it would be different.
She’s used these overtly racist whistles before when she said black and Latino Republicans were “oxymoron[s]” she doesn’t understand, and when she said Justice Clarence Thomas wasn’t really black.
After a commercial break, Farah Griffin grew something of a spine and tried to confront Hostin on her vile comments. “Nikki Haley’s gone by Nikki since she was a child. It’s documented in high school. I wouldn't be shocked that as someone, an Indian woman growing up in South Carolina at that she actually did to avoid prejudice,” she argued.
Adding: “So, I just want to be careful about critiquing her for going by the name she’s always gone by.”
Hostin responded by cranking up the racism and apparently targeting Haley's lighter skin tone. “Yeah, there were some of us that can be chameleons and decide not to embrace our ethnicity so that we can pass [as white],” she chided.
While Farah Griffin floundered in her retort, Haines stepped up and shot back: “Sunny! You go by a different name!”
That’s right! Sunny’s real name is Asunción Cummings Hostin. And according to her, she doesn’t use that name because Americans are too stupid to pronounce it correctly. “Because most Americans can't pronounce Asunción because of the under-education in our country,” she sneered.
This conversation didn’t sit well with Whoopi Goldberg, whose real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson, and she put an end to it.
“I'm just going to kill this conversation! I am authentically myself! I am Whoopi Goldberg and we'll be right back,” she shouted, seemingly irked by Sunny’s nonsense about name authenticity.
In an exclusive reaction given to Townhall’s Spencer Brown, Haley hit back hard by flatly calling Hosting a “racist.”
“Thanks for your concern, Sunny. It's racist of you to judge my name. Nikki is an Indian name and is on my birth certificate—and I'm proud of that. What's sad is the left's hypocrisy towards conservative minorities,” she declared. “By the way, last I checked Sunny isn't your birth name.”
Thanks for your concern @Sunny. It's racist of you to judge my name.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) September 20, 2022
Nikki is an Indian name and is on my birth certificate—and I'm proud of that.
What's sad is the left's hypocrisy towards conservative minorities.
By the way, last I checked Sunny isn't your birth name… pic.twitter.com/NI3KZXjD6F
Asunción “Sunny” Hostin’s racism was sponsored by Crest and Downy. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
September 20, 2022
11:06:58 a.m. Eastern(…)
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: I think it's time for new blood. For me I would love to see Republicans --
SUNNY HOSTIN (interrupting): Who on your side is credible enough –
JOY BEHAR (interrupting): And can pass –
HOSTIN: -- and can pass the primary and be in the general.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I think we've got some if they're willing to challenge Trump. I'd love to see Nikki Haley. I’d love to see Liz Cheney.
HOSTIN: And Nikki Haley the chameleon. And Liz Cheney who’s not the savior.
BEHAR: Flip-flop.
FARAH GRIFFIN: I think Nikki Haley was an incredibly effective governor of South Carolina.
HOSTIN: What is her real name again?
SARA HAINES: Alyssa, I have a question. Asides from Ron DeSantis--
FARAH GRIFFIN: A lot – a lot of people don’t go by their actual, real name.
BEHAR: What is her name?
FARAH GRIFFIN: I believe it’s – I don’t want to mispronounce it. It's Indian. Her background is Indian.
HOSTIN: But she doesn’t necessarily – I think if she leaned into being someone of color it be different.
(…)
11:18:35 a.m. Eastern
FARAH GRIFFIN: Just real quick, cause the Nikki Haley conversation came up. So, Nikki Haley’s gone by Nikki since she was a child. It’s documented in high school. I wouldn't be shocked that as someone, an Indian woman growing up in South Carolina at that she actually did to avoid prejudice. So, I just want to be careful about critiquing her for going by the name she’s always gone by.
HOSTIN: Yeah, there were some of us that can be chameleons and decide not to embrace our ethnicity so that we can pass – so that we don’t have to be –
FARAH GRIFFIN (interrupting Hostin): I don’t think that’s fair!
SARA HAINES (interrupting Hostin): Sunny! You go by a different name!
[Laughter]
FARAH GRIFFIN: I didn’t want to be the one to say it.
HOSTIN: Because most Americans can't pronounce Asunción because of the undereducation in our country.
[Crosstalk]
HAINES: But sometimes I would say what Alyssa is saying is that people gravitate to names for different reasons.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I'm just going to kill this conversation! I am authentically myself! I am Whoopi Goldberg and we'll be right back!
