During a discussion on "The View" Friday, co-host Joy Behar expressed skepticism about a potential 2028 presidential candidacy for Vice President Kamala Harris. Behar suggested that Harris had not proven electable and proposed a list of potential Democratic nominees who were all White men, sparking a debate among the show's co-hosts.
Behar's remarks came as the co-hosts discussed the future of the Democratic Party. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin stated that based on polls and name recognition, Kamala Harris remained a likely Democratic nominee. "But my hot take of the moment is the most likely person to be the Democratic nominee is Kamala Harris. In every poll, she is still — it's usually her and Gavin Newsom neck and neck," Griffin said.
Behar interrupted, stating, "I have a better list. I love her, she was great, but she didn't win one time. What makes you think she's going to win again?" Behar appeared to be referencing Harris's performance in the 2024 election where she lost swing states to Donald Trump.
When pressed by Griffin, who argued that the party would not overlook Harris for a generic White man given her name recognition and fundraising capabilities, Behar countered with her preferred candidates: Jon Ossoff, Josh Shapiro, Gavin Newsom, and JB Pritzker. "I like Jon Ossoff, he's 39 years old. I like Josh Shapiro, 53 years old. Gavin Newsom, 58, and JB Pritzker, 61," Behar stated.
Co-host Sara Haines suggested Wes Moore and Pete Buttigieg as potential candidates. Behar responded to the mention of Buttigieg by questioning whether voters would support a gay candidate, asking, "Are they going to vote for a gay guy?"
Haines challenged Behar's perspective, arguing that focusing on identity characteristics diminished a candidate's charisma and that voters respond to the person. Behar dismissed this, asserting, "You're not in reality. I don't think that's reality."
Haines countered that voters were not explicitly seeking a Black president when Barack Obama ran, but rather were won over by his campaign. She added, "You show them what they're ready for."
Co-host Sunny Hostin sided with Behar, arguing that the country experienced a "whitelash" against President Obama, leading to Trump's election. "And in this country, I wish this country after 250 years were beyond identity, but we are not, and we need to be realistic, and as a Democratic Party, we need to win. We need to get this country back on track," Hostin said.
Behar emphasized the urgency of the political climate, stating, "These past few years that Trump has been in office, he's practically destroying democracy. This is an emergency we're in! We can't play around."
Co-host Ana Navarro rejected Behar's premise that the nominee needed to be a White man, expressing concern about discouraging minority and female candidates. "What I'm saying is I'm not going to tell little Black children or little Latino children or little girls that they can't run and become president," Navarro stated. Behar clarified that her concern was solely about Democratic victory.
In April, Hostin had suggested that a presidential bid might not be the optimal path for Harris, noting her loss to Trump in the 2024 election after stepping in for President Joe Biden.