It’s very anti-democratic and hypocritical to demand someone endorse and vote for the candidate you were supporting all in the name “dEmOcRaCy,” which was why it came out of the mouth of The View’s staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host, Sunny Hostin (the descendant of slave owners) during Friday’s show. She was supported by the far-left ABC audience that booed and jeered Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for going on Fox News and informing everyone he would not be endorsing President Biden this cycle.
The audience proved how rabidly partisan and fickle they were throughout the segment, cheering wildly when his name was first mentioned and then pivoting to obnoxious revulsion when he wouldn’t back Biden (Click “expand”):
BEHAR: So, this morning, besides the earthquake going on, on Fox & Friends, Dwayne "The rock" Johnson was asked about –
[Audience hoots and hollers]
BEHAR: He was asked about -- are his relatives here? What?
(…)
JOHNSON: The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time. [Transition] Am I going to do that again this year, that answer is no. I'm not going to do that. Because what I realized what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts. Back then and now which is division.
[Cuts back to live]
BEHAR: So, a couple of questions. First of all—
[Audience booing and jeering]
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Maybe they're not his relatives.
Moderator Joy Behar’s take was that he shouldn’t be listened to because he went on Fox News for an interview. And with absolutely ZERO self-awareness, she rhetorically scoffed at listening to celebrity endorsements period. “So, first of all, should I pay any attention to who gives an interview on Fox where they lie every day? Number one. Number two, should celebrities publicly endorse public figures?” she asked the table.
“Now, is the time if you have a platform, you must be active. You must speak out…if you have a platform, you have an obligation,” she shouted.
Self-proclaimed independent Sara Haines had the sane take. She argued that entertainers were not obligated to take sides and recalled comments from Country artist Reba McEntire on keeping politics out of her performances:
Reba McEntire was the one, I think, who said once, “I don't want to speak about my politics because what I do is music and it's unifying. And when I go to a concert,” she goes, “I want everyone to feel welcome and together. I don’t want to divide anyone.”
She also dismissed the idea that celebrity endorsements were required, arguing: “…it's so vapid to imagine just because someone says ‘I'm going to vote for this,’ that the sheep will fall in line and follow. That minimizes voters everywhere.”
Co-host Ana Navarro also defended Johnson, proclaiming he’s “entitled to do whatever the hell [he] want[s].” She recounted when, during the 2000 election cycle, Johnson made appearances at both the Republican and Democratic conventions with the goal of promoting voting in general.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
April 5, 2024
11:15:10 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: So, this morning, besides the earthquake going on, on Fox & Friends, Dwayne "The rock" Johnson was asked about –
[Audience hoots and hollers]
SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah.
BEHAR: He was asked about -- are his relatives here? What?
[Laughter]
He was asked about putting his weight behind Joe Biden in the last election. So, watch.
[Cuts to video]
DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON: Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer is no. Do I believe we're going to get better? I believe in that. I'm an optimistic guy and I believe we can get better. [Transition] The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time. [Transition] Am I going to do that again this year, that answer is no. I'm not going to do that. Because what I realized what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts. Back then and now which is division.
[Cuts back to live]
BEHAR: So, a couple of questions. First of all—
[Audience booing and jeering]
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Maybe they're not his relatives.
HOSTIN: Yeah.
BEHAR: So, first of all, should I pay any attention to who gives an interview on Fox where they lie every day? Number one. Number two, should celebrities publicly endorse public figures?
[Audience shouting “no”]
Or they should keep their politics to themselves?
ANA NAVARRO: If they want to. I mean, celebrities are U.S. citizens – are American citizens with a -- you don't lose your rights as a citizen because you are a celebrity.
But, you know, I remember -- I'm so old like I was telling Molly today, I said I remember being at a Republican convention where The Rock spoke and I remember him being at the DNC. It was in the year 2000 in Philadelphia and when he spoke, he wasn't there. It was George W. Bush that was getting the nomination. He wasn't there endorsing. He was there raising awareness for voting and getting young people and his followers to be involved.
BEHAR: Like Taylor Swift is --
NAVARRO: Yeah. So look. I think for him the cause of division aspect is a real one. He also went to the DNC that year. And I think everybody is entitled to do whatever the hell they want.
HOSTIN: And I think – You know, he's been quite political. I agree with you and he's been very engaged and very involved. I do think we're living in a time where we have someone running for president that is an existential threat to democracy. Right?
[Audience cheering, shouting “yes”]
That is where we are at, someone who has been -- has 88, you know, criminal charges, four indictment, someone that has vowed to be a dictator on the very first day he takes office. Now, is the time if you have a platform, you must be active. You must speak out. That's how I feel, and I generally don't –
[Applause]
I generally don't think that celebrities should be forced to be politically active.
BEHAR: Not forced. You have a platform. –
HOSTIN: But right now, if you have a platform, you have an obligation.
SARA HAINES: Reba McIntyre was the one, I think, who said once, “I don't want to speak about my politics because what I do is music and it's unifying. And when I go to a concert,” she goes, “I want everyone to feel welcome and together. I don’t want to divide anyone.”
BEHAR: She can do it at the end of the show.
[Laughter]
HAINES: Point is there are activists people who are entertainers, Kerry Washington, is a self-proclaimed “I’m an activist.” You have Jane Fonda, activist.
When you're not an activist and happen to have a big platform I think encouraging people to vote is the most important part, because I think it's so vapid to imagine just because someone says ‘I'm going to vote for this,’ that the sheep will fall in line and follow. That minimizes voters everywhere.
So, I don't think it matters who they're voting for. Its public participation is the important part.
[Applause]
(…)
