‘This is was a referendum of cultural resentment in this country:’ Sunny Hostin thinks Harris’ loss was never about policy

Sunny Hostin, one of the hosts from The View, eloquently summarized why Kamala Harris lost. It has nothing to do with policy. America was simply not ready for a woman in the highest seat of power.

Hostin claimed she was “profoundly disturbed” by Donald Trump’s victory. She isn’t worried about herself, but about the working-class people who will have to live through another Trump presidency. Hostin fears for her mother, a retired teacher. Social security may become insolvent earlier than expected with another Trump term, which poses a threat to retirees. Hostin includes her children in her worries, particularly her daughter, who she says has fewer civil rights than herself. Women may lose their right to make decisions about their bodies nationwide under the second Trump term.

Fears aside, Hostin listed her disappointments. She was frustrated that the 14th Amendment wasn’t able to hold Trump accountable. The third section of the 14th Amendment disqualifies figures who’ve participated in rebellions or insurrections from holding public office. Donald Trump incited a coup d’etat among his followers and told them to march to the Capitol. This led to the grim January 6 Capitol Attack.

Trump managed to return to the White House, so none of that matters. Hostin also argued that if a convicted felon can be the president of the United States, then the same should apply for other job applications. It would be laughable if the most important position in the country is run by a criminal, and yet 9-to-5 desk jobs require rigorous clearances and, ideally, no criminal record.

A resentment for people of color

Nevertheless, Hostin was not surprised at the results—but she was hopeful that a black biracial woman would win the presidency. “As a woman of color, I was so hopeful that a mixed-race woman married to a Jewish guy could be elected president of this country. I think it had nothing to do with policy; I think this was a referendum of cultural resentment in this country.”

Donald Trump’s campaign blamed America’s problems on immigrants. Trump’s narrative essentially reinforces that deporting immigrants, regardless of status, will solve problems related to crime and inflation. More than half of America voted for Trump’s way. Particularly, 53% of white women and 59% of white men voted for Donald Trump. Meanwhile, other racial demographics leaned in favor of Kamala Harris.

Hostin’s conclusion seems to ring true. The majority of white Americans who voted for Trump couldn’t fathom having a black, biracial female president. Harris’ policies, deemed superior by economists, don’t matter.