Sunny Hostin Insists Slaves ‘Emancipated Themselves,’ Without Lincoln

Nicholas Fondacaro
November 12th, 2026 3:20 PM

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ABC News co-host Sunny Hostin celebrated Veteran's Day on Wednesday with a massive dose of racism and some serious revisionist history. Despite speaking on a purported “bona fide news program,” The View co-host claimed President Abraham Lincoln didn't emancipate anyone and the Union didn't free the slaves. She insisted the slaves did it all "themselves.” Further proving her ignorance, she would later falsely suggest the Electoral College played a role in Senate elections.

While the cast was having a Veteran’s Day conversation about how black troops sacrificed for an America that often didn’t treat them as equals back home, Hostin looked back to the Civil War and completely wrote off the efforts of Lincoln, efforts that resulted in him being assassinated.

“The Civil War the enslaved left and joined the Union Army because they wanted to fight for this country and for their freedom. People often say that Abraham Lincoln emancipated the slaves. The slaves basically emancipated themselves because they wanted freedom and they fought for their freedom,” she proclaimed.

Surprisingly, moderator Whoopi Goldberg pushed back and defended Lincoln. “You have to give it to Abe, because he busted his butt to get this done,” she said.

But Hostin wasn’t having it. Misrepresenting the Union’s offer to newly freed slaves to return them to Africa, Hostin continued to attack Lincoln, with more pushback from Goldberg:

HOSTIN: He wanted the enslaved to go back to Africa. That's just a little known fact of history.

GOLDBERG: Initially. It is a well-known fact of history. No.

 

 

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It’s absolutely ridiculous, nasty, and racist for Hostin to claim the slaves freed themselves when 360,000 Union soldiers (of mixed races) died fighting the Confederacy and ultimately freed the slaves and began the process of giving them rights.

Furthermore, it’s worth the reminder that Hostin was descended from a long line of prolific slave owners. Lincoln emancipated the people her family owned and she has made no apparent attempt to locate or pay reparations to those her family owned, despite being a major proponent for reparations (for herself).

ABC and The View did not respond to NewsBusters’ request for comment regarding her lies about emancipation (asking for her sources) nor our questions about reparations, which included:

  • Has Hostin made any effort to find out whom her family enslaved?
  • Does she know whom her family enslaved?
  • If they have any, has she attempted to reach out to any of their living descendants?
  • Has she offered to pay them reparations or set up any sort of fund for those descendants?
  • How much is she willing to pay them in reparations?
  • If she hasn't done any of these things, why not?

On Thursday, Hostin had more ignorant comments to make.

After agreeing to the dumb suggestion that “the whole world” was waiting in anticipation of the results of the Mississippi Senate election, Hostin declared that it was good the vote happened during the midterms or else the Electoral College would have somehow changed the result:

HOSTIN: To see Mississippi have a black senator, a Democratic black senator was just so amazing for someone like --

GOLDBERG: That they chose. That they chose.

HOSTIN: That they chose. That the people chose. And Whoopi, you always say, your vote counts, your vote counts. Especially during a midterm year where there is no Electoral College, every single vote counts! He won by .5, by .5.

 

 

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Of course, the former federal prosecutor seems to have failed her civic classes. While the Electoral College came into play every four years, it only applies to the presidential race and had no influence on Senate elections.

ABC and The View did not respond to NewsBusters’ request for comment regarding why Hostin thought the Electoral College affects Senate races.

For as much as The View had claimed Republicans were trying to “erase” black history, the show was more interested in trying to rewrite it.

The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

ABC’s The View
November 11, 2026
11:07:27 a.m. Eastern

(…)

SARA HAINES: It's interesting because like you think of the military puts their life on the line to protect a country and all those rights when so many people- of-color fought those wars to come back to not having those rights.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Yes.

HAINES: Which is the greatest sacrifice.

SUNNY HOSTIN: Even the Civil War. The Civil War the enslaved left and joined the Union Army because they wanted to fight for this country and for their freedom. People often say that Abraham Lincoln emancipated the slaves. The slaves basically emancipated themselves because they wanted freedom and they fought for their freedom.

WHOOPI: Yes, but you have to give it to Abe. You have to give it to Abe, because he busted his butt to get this done.

[Crosstalk]

HAINES: And for whatever reason --

JOY BEHAR: Abe?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Your old boyfriend.

GOLDBERG: You know, your boyfriend.

BEHAR: Abe Lincoln. [Laughter]

HOSTIN: He wanted the enslaved to go back to Africa. That's just a little known fact of history.

GOLDBERG: Initially. It is a well-known fact of history. No.

(…)

November 12, 2026
11:07:28 a.m. Eastern

HOSTIN: You know, I was speaking to my father and we were waiting for this count. We were waiting for the count.

BEHAR: Yeah, the whole world, I think.

HOSTIN: The whole world, was, I think waiting for it. To see Mississippi have a black senator, a Democratic black senator was just so amazing for someone like --

GOLDBERG: That they chose. That they chose.

HOSTIN: That they chose. That the people chose. And Whoopi, you always say, your vote counts, your vote counts. Especially during a midterm year where there is no Electoral College, every single vote counts! He won by .5, by .5.

(…)

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