After initially bristling at the election of Pope Leo XIV because of his support for traditional marriage, purported “devout Catholic” and staunch racist Sunny Hostin announced that she changed her mind about the pope. She made it clear during the Monday edition of ABC’s The View that her sudden change in position was driven by the pope’s black ancestry, which she repeatedly praised: “we actually have a black pope!”
“I'm digging him. And the question I guess people are asking is do you think people will take his message to heart?” moderator Whoopi Goldberg wondered.
Hostin spoke up first with the intent to walk back her stern comments from Friday. “And I will say on Friday, I read some things about his sort of lack of inclusion with the LGBTQ+ community…He was interviewed in 2023 and he had completely changed that position as Ana mentioned,” she proclaimed.
She followed up with her real reason for her abrupt 180-flip-flop on Pope Leo: his race. Calling it “a chef’s kiss,” Hostin was over the moon for Leo once she knew he was black:
There’s one other thing that's very interesting to me because President Trump, as you remember, called Haiti a certain type of country. As it turns out, our new American pope has Haitian and black roots! So, we actually have a black pope!
Apparently – It's a chef's kiss for me.
So, apparently both of his maternal grandparents are described as black, Haitian, or mulatto in several census documents. And on their marriage license, the grandfather's birth place is Haiti, listed as Haiti. Her birth place is listed as born in New Orleans. They were identified as people of color. But in 1920, when they migrated to Chicago, the census reflected their race as white.
“So, I’m loving it. I’m really enjoying it,” she proclaimed.
It’s worth the reminder that while Hostin was a race baiter who showed a lot of animosity toward white people (particularly white women and particularly who date/marry black men) and who demanded reparations, her family were prolific slave owners. Her mother’s side of the family fled Spain with their slaves and hopped between Caribbean nations trying to out run the abolition of slavery, and then tried to pretend to be Puerto Rican.
Hostin made it clear that race was her primary reason for changing her opinion on Leo because she kept interjecting to note his race while other shared their praise; like fake Republican Ana Navarro who touted how Leo was an American leader who could oppose President Trump:
NAVARRO: It's good to have an American that can he denounce the things happening against immigrants here.
HOSTIN: And it’s good to have a black pope!
(…)
NAVARRO: The things that are happening in this country are horrible and I love that there’s going to be somebody who can call it out in English.
HAINES: So, one thing –
HOSTIN: And a black pope!
Even anti-Catholic co-host Sara Haines had a bit of a change of heart. After attempting to smear him on Friday, she found humor in Leo supposedly sparing with his conservative brother. “So, one thing I laughed about is I saw this article in ‘Slate’ and it said the most relatable and maybe American thing about this pope is that he has wacky brother in Florida,” she quipped.
“So, I guess this guy – the brother does speak in partisan and divisive tones on Facebook about Democrats,” she added, of course, omitting the fact that Leo had a Republican voting record.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
May 12, 2025
11:15:53 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV is letting the world know where he stands on some key issues in his first Sunday address at the Vatican this weekend, as well as a speech this morning where he called for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. He said he stands in solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for reporting THE TRUTH and urged them to avoid ideological or partisan language. I like that. I'm digging him.
SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah.
[Applause]
GOLDBERG: I'm digging him. And the question I guess people are asking is do you think people will take his message to heart?
HOSTIN: I think so, especially because he was so close to Pope Francis who was beloved. And I will say on Friday, I read some things about his sort of lack of inclusion with the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023 -- that was in 2012. He was interviewed in 2023 and he had completely changed that position as Ana mentioned. A he said, you know, he believes what Pope Francis believed is that a church is a church for everyone. The church is very inclusive. So, I'm liking this guy a lot! I'm loving the pope.
There’s one other thing that's very interesting to me because President Trump, as you remember, called Haiti a certain type of country. As it turns out, our new American pope has Haitian and black roots! So, we actually have a black pope!
[Applause]
Apparently – It's a chef's kiss for me.
So, apparently both of his maternal grandparents are described as black, Haitian, or mulatto in several census documents. And on their marriage license, the grandfather's birth place is Haiti, listed as Haiti. Her birth place is listed as born in New Orleans. They were identified as people of color. But in 1920, when they migrated to Chicago, the census reflected their race as white.
So, I’m loving it. I’m really enjoying it.
(…)
ANA NAVARRO: I love that one of his first acts was to meet with journalists and defend the right of journalists to be journalists and uncover the truth. And I think it's so timely that we have an American pope because we are going through things in this country and it is good to show the world that not all American leaders are the same. It's good to have an American that can he denounce the things happening against immigrants here.
HOSTIN: And it’s good to have a black pope!
(…)
NAVARRO: The things that are happening in this country are horrible and I love that there’s going to be somebody who can call it out in English.
SARA HAINES: So, one thing –
HOSTIN: And a black pope!
[Laughter]
HAINES: So, one thing I laughed about is I saw this article in "Slate" and it said the most relatable and maybe American thing about this pope is that he has wacky brother in Florida.
[Laughter]
So, I guess this guy – the brother does speak in partisan and divisive tones on Facebook about Democrats. And we were laughing because it says Bill Clinton had Roger and pope Leo XIV has Lou.
[Laughter]
(…)
