As the government shutdown dragged on, and despite Representative Kathrine Clark (D-MA) admitting the shutdown was the Democrats exercising their leverage, ABC’s The View grew more brazen with their inciting rhetoric against Republicans. On Thursday’s episode, the insisted that the Republicans’ plan was to hold millions of Americans “hostage” as their healthcare was hanging in the balance and were against “human rights.”
“Democrats are still demanding a negotiation on Obamacare extensions before they'll reopen. So, the other side has to blink or something,” bloviated moderator Whoopi Goldberg, clearly ignorant of the fact that funding the government required a super majority and the Republicans didn’t have that. “But will the blame game continue?”
Pretend independent Sara Haines put the shutdown showdown in almost good vs evil terms, such as proclaiming that “Democrats are standing for human rights across the board.” “So, they not only believe food should be provided, they happen to break with Republicans. They feel healthcare is also a human right, which is why they're holding on to this shutdown,” she touted, acknowledging that the Democrats were able to end the shutdown.
Haines argued that Democrats should sign onto the continuing resolution to fund the government as a gotcha to Republicans:
I think it would behoove them politically – and I hate talking politically when we're talking about peoples’ meals and healthcare – but arguably, they need to sign the CR bill because when the Republicans either come forward with a plan and we fix healthcare or Democrats call them on their bluff, that will fall solely on the shoulders of Republicans.
Like the shutdown now, it's murky, who's up, who's down. If people don't get their healthcare and it spikes 114 percent, we're looking at about five to seven million people that will lose it all together because they can't afford it in this country. That will be a game-changing moment and it will be clear who's at fault on that.
Using rhetoric to incite assassinations of Republicans, ABC News co-host Joy Behar claims congressional Republican are "trying to hold people hostage against their healthcare healthcare to give more tax breaks to rich people."
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 30, 2025
"This is a choice by the Republican Party," Sunny… pic.twitter.com/zPq1nfbocG
Conspiratorial co-host Joy Behar chimed in to suggest that the Republican “endgame” was to hold Americans “hostage.” “What is the endgame exactly for the Republicans though? To trying to hold people hostage against their healthcare to give more tax breaks to rich people? I mean, what are they trying to do?” she grimly wondered.
“I don’t think it's close as to who's to blame for this,” declared Sunny Hostin. She was either flaunting her ignorance or intentionally obfuscating the fact that Democratic votes were needed to fund the government, when she proceeded to point out how Republicans were in power: “The Republicans run the Senate, the House, they also run the White House, arguably they run the Supreme Court. They are in charge.”
It’s kind of pathetic that a former federal prosecutor like Hostin seemed to think the Supreme Court played a role in passing and enacting legislation.
That didn’t stop her from further using incendiary rhetoric: “This is a choice by the Republican Party. This is a choice. They don't care that much that premiums will go up 114 percent. They do not care that 40 million people will lose their benefits. They just do not care.”
This was the kind of rhetoric that could trigger another liberal extremist to assassinate more conservatives.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
October 30, 2025
11:02:57 a.m. Eastern(…)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Democrats are still demanding a negotiation on Obamacare extensions before they'll reopen. So, the other side has to blink or something. I'm not sure what that says. But will the blame game continue? And that's the question.
(…)
11:04:47 a.m. Eastern
SARA HAINES: My take on this and Democrats are standing for human rights across the board. So, they not only believe food should be provided, they happen to break with Republicans. They feel healthcare is also a human right, which is why they're holding on to this shutdown.
I think it would behoove them politically – and I hate talking politically when we're talking about peoples’ meals and healthcare – but arguably, they need to sign the CR bill because when the Republicans either come forward with a plan and we fix healthcare or Democrats call them on their bluff, that will fall solely on the shoulders of Republicans.
Like the shutdown now, it's murky, who's up, who's down. If people don't get their healthcare and it spikes 114 percent, we're looking at about five to seven million people that will lose it all together because they can't afford it in this country. That will be a game-changing moment and it will be clear who's at fault on that.
JOY BEHAR: What is the endgame exactly for the Republicans though? To trying to hold people hostage against their healthcare to give more tax breaks to rich people? I mean, what are they trying to do?
SUNNY HOSTIN: I don't think they have a plan. I – And I don’t even – I don’t think it's close as to who's to blame for this. The Republicans run the Senate, the House, they also run the White House, arguably they run the Supreme Court. They are in charge.
HAINES: Most Americans agree with you, Sunny.
HOSTIN: This is a choice by the Republican Party. This is a choice. They don't care that much that premiums will go up 114 percent. They do not care that 40 million people will lose their benefits. They just do not care.
(…)
