Sunny Hostin Resurfaces Kamala Harris' 'Really Problematic' Answer on 'The View' as Co-Hosts Say She's Not the 'Right Candidate' for Democrats in 2028

During a "Behind the Table" panel event, The View’s co-host Sunny Hostin admitted her 2024 campaign question to then-Vice President Kamala Harris — asking what she would do differently than President Joe Biden — was meant to be a "gift" to distance herself from low approval ratings. Hostin said she knew immediately that Harris' reply ("There is not a thing that comes to mind") was "really problematic.”

The co-hosts of The View also debated Harris' viability as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

Hostin questioned whether the presidency is the right position for Harris, stating she wished Harris had run for California governor instead. She also noted reports that Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, has privately said he doesn't want her to run.

"I actually thought the answer was going to be, you know, 'We had a lot of wins in this administration. I was there for those wins, but as a woman of color, a child of immigrants, with a different lived experience, I intend to bring that lived experience into the White House. I will do this. I will do that. I will do this. I will do that. I will do that,'" she spilled. "That was what I was expecting. I was not expecting, 'Not a single thing comes to mind.' And I knew honestly when she said it that it was really problematic.".

Joy Behar expressed doubt that the U.S. would elect a woman as president, pointing to the losses of Harris and Hillary Clinton, arguing the 2028 Democratic nominee should be a man.

Ana Navarro defended Harris as a longtime friend and noted that many women remain "scarred" by the outcome of past presidential races.

On Friday, October 16, both Navarro and Sara Haines said they wouldn't tell Harris not to run, but questioned whether she would be the best option for the Democratic Party.

"If the Democrats want to win, I don't think she's the right candidate because I think the Democrats have been screaming for new energy. They've been saying we need something new to combat this. This would be her third time on this ballot. From the first time when she didn't ... she was out really early when she ran, and then the time with Biden, this would be the third time. People are clamoring for fresh energy, and there's a lot of candidates," Haines said.

Guest host Raven-Symoné was firm in her answer to Hostin's question of whether a Black woman could be elected president in America, citing a steep rise in online racist and misogynistic content directed at Harris after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race.

“Not in America!” she answered. "We are not as progressive as we think we are, United States… Other countries are doing it much better when it comes to women in office."

A Focaldata/Financial Times poll conducted October 2-5 of 2,553 U.S. adults places Harris at the top of potential 2028 Democratic nominees with 32 percent support. The rest of the field follows, with Gavin Newsom at 13 percent (or 15 percent, depending on the specific sample reporting), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 9 percent, Pete Buttigieg at 9 percent and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff at 8 percent.

In February, Democratic strategist James Carville explicitly named Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as his early pick, stating, "He's bigger than life." On his podcast, Carville expanded on his rationale, saying the nominee "needs to be able to raise significant early money and connect with the Black community in South Carolina. He suggested Pritzker fits that mold while downplaying Harris’ prospects.