In a rare moment of actual bipartisanship, The View cast shared their displeasure with how politicians on both sides of the aisle where refusing to do “the absolute bare minimum if you want to be in public service,” and debate each other. The only politician to be named for their refusal to debate their opponent, during their Thursday show, was Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly (FL). None of them were happy about any of it, a position they’ve been more or less consistent with.
Filling in as moderator since Whoopi Goldberg was filming a movie and Joy Behar had dislocated her shoulder, Sunny Hostin noted: “We're just 33 days away from the midterm elections. 33 days, but a lot of candidates running in Senate, Congress, and governor's races are refusing to debate their opponents.” “Do you think debates matter anymore, ladies?” she asked the table.
“Yes, they do. They absolutely matter,” Sara Haines immediately jumped in. She recalled how much of an effect the debate between JFK and Nixon played in 1960 depending if you saw it on TV:
You're watching candidates and how they handle pressure and how they handle pushback on their ideas, how they defend their takes, and there's a gut reaction to it. It's why Kennedy beat Nixon. Like on the radio people thought that Nixon won. On the television because Nixon was sweating half his body weight, people were like, I don't know if that's my guy with big decisions. Let us make decisions as voters.
“I'm really uncomfortable with not having debates,” proclaimed Ana Navarro. “And I just read that 36 governors are up for election and 21 of those races will not see a debate,” she decried.
Giving her home state of Florida as an example, Navarro informed viewers that her district, District 27 (the race in which she electioneered for the Democrat earlier in the week) would not be having a debate despite how tight the race was.
An actual non-partisan political discussion on The View.
The View cast decries politicians on both sides who are refusing to debate their opponents ahead of the midterms, a demand they've repeatedly expressed over the years.
Hostin wonder's if Biden performance has them scared:… pic.twitter.com/hF9COGQxcJ— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 1, 2026
Navarro said it was the same for the governor’s race, for which she had spoken with Democratic nominee David Jolly on her podcast. Jolly apparently told her that he didn’t want to debate Congressman Byron Donalds because he’s a “liar.”
Haines would later circle back to Jolly’s argument with some pushback and argued that that should be the reason to debate someone:
HAINES: Yeah, but also with - in response to what Ana is saying about someone who doesn't want to debate a liar, I think it's more important to debate a liar because people are smart. Viewers are smart. When you're putting it out there they're not dumb.
NAVARRO: That’s what I said to him. I said, ‘well, if your opponent lies, I'd love to see you fact-check him on the spot.’
Legacy co-host Sherri Shepherd was on hand and made the case that debates had been what put a candidate “over the top” by showing the people what they got. “Plus, you also have to see, some people, you got to see what their charisma is like. I got to see how you are. If you can think under pressure because you're going to be leading sir,” she said.
“It just to me seems like the absolute bare minimum if you want to be in public service that you're going to show up and you’re going to answer tough questions,” declared co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin.
For her part, Hostin floated the idea that politicians saw what happened to former President Joe Biden and were scared of a repeat. She proposed that if Biden had declined the debate, he would still be president. Shepherd and Farah Griffin didn’t buy that argument and said Biden would’ve been mocked (Click "expand"):
HOSTIN: You know what? I bet one of the reasons why some people aren't debating is because of Biden's performance during that debate. Had Biden just stayed in the White House and said, ‘I'm not going to debate this man because he's morally bankrupt,’ Biden might be the president today.
SHEPHERD: I don't know. I think some would have felt like, ‘why can't you debate him?’
FARAH GRIFFIN: Or hiding.
SHEPHERD: ‘If you know what you’re talking about, what are you hiding?’
For what it’s worth, The View cast were making the same demands for debates during the 2022 midterms. “If you’re going to be an elected official, this is your job,” Goldberg said at the time.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
October 1, 2026
11:18:27 a.m. EasternSUNNY HOSTIN: Welcome back. We're just 33 days away from the midterm elections. 33 days, but a lot of candidates running in Senate, Congress, and governor's races are refusing to debate their opponents. Hmm. Do you think debates matter anymore, ladies?
SARA HAINES: Yes, they do. They absolutely matter.
SHERRI SHEPHERD: Absolutely.
HAINES: You're watching candidates and how they handle pressure and how they handle pushback on their ideas, how they defend their takes, and there's a gut reaction to it. It's why Kennedy beat Nixon. Like on the radio people thought that Nixon won. On the television because Nixon was sweating half his body weight, people were like, I don't know if that's my guy with big decisions.
SHEPHARD: Yes.
HAINES: Let us make decisions as voters.
ANA NAVARRO: I'm really uncomfortable with not having debates. So, in Florida, there is -- polls are saying there's a tight governor's race and there are no debates. In my congressional district there are no debates again for another very tight race. And I just read that 36 governors are up for election and 21 of those races will not see a debate.
I interviewed David Jolly who is the candidate, the Democratic nominee for governor in Florida yesterday on my podcast, and he is the one that declined the debate and he said - And I asked him. I said, ‘why did you do this? I want to see a debate.’ And he said, ‘because you can't debate a liar and when you debate a liar and they lie and they lie and they lie, you know, then that becomes the truth.’
SHEPHERD: I understand that but then I don't get to hear what he says. And, you know, sometime when it gets this close it's a debate that might take it over the top. Plus, you also have to see, some people, you got to see what their charisma is like. I got to see how you are. If you can think under pressure because you're going to be leading sir.
And also Gavin Newsom, let him do a debate. I could watch Gavin Newsom debate all day, long! Have you seen Gavin Newsom?
NAVARRO: But honey, he's not up for election.
[Crosstalk]
SHEPHERD: I wish he was. I can still vote in California.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: It just to me seems like the absolute bare minimum if you want to be in public service that you're going to show up and you’re going to answer tough questions.
Ads tell us nothing. Ads are message tested, focus grouped and liked catered to a specific audience. A debate reveals character, quickness, actual dealt of like policy and plans. And it's a shame that we're not seeing more of them.
HOSTIN: You know what? I bet one of the reasons why some people aren't debating is because of Biden's performance during that debate. Had Biden just stayed in the White House and said, ‘I'm not going to debate this man because he's morally bankrupt,’ Biden might be the president today.
SHEPHERD: I don't know. I think some would have felt like, ‘why can't you debate him?’
FARAH GRIFFIN: Or hiding.
SHEPHERD: ‘If you know what you’re talking about, what are you hiding?’
[Crosstalk]
HAINES: Yeah, but also with - in response to what Ana is saying about someone who doesn't want to debate a liar, I think it's more important to debate a liar because people are smart. Viewers are smart. When you're putting it out there -
SHEPHERD: We can see it.
HAINES: - they're not dumb.
NAVARRO: That’s what I said to him. I said, ‘well, if your opponent lies, I'd love to see you fact-check him on the spot.’
SHEPHERD: A lot of people don't have time to research all the people who are running. The policy.
HOSTIN: You get information that way. We'll be right back.
