'The View's Sunny Hostin alarmed by number of Americans okay with 'use of force' against Trump in poll
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sunny Hostin, co-host of 'The View', expressed dismay over a recent poll showing that a significant portion of Americans condone violence to prevent Donald Trump from regaining the presidency.
Released in July by the University of Chicago's Chicago Project on Security and Threats, the survey revealed that 10% of American adults believe violence against Trump is acceptable.
Hostin labeled these findings as "despicable" following a recent assassination attempt against the former president.
Sunny Hostin alarmed by rising tolerance for political violence against Trump
Sunny Hostin was visibly disturbed by the normalization of political violence in America, stating, "I am so saddened and disturbed by the fact that political violence is so normalized in this country."
She elaborated, "There is more support for violence today against Trump and others, against Trump, 10% of American adults think it’s OK," suggesting that this figure implies tens of millions of Americans might endorse such actions.
The poll indicated that approximately 26 million Americans believe "the use of force" is justified to prevent Trump from regaining the presidency.
Of these, nine million own firearms, and 22 million have access to "Internet organizational tools." Hostin criticized these statistics, saying, "That's despicable," reflecting her strong opposition to such views.
The recent arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh, a suspect in the second assassination attempt against Trump, added to Hostin’s concerns. Authorities arrested Routh after a rifle barrel was spotted protruding from shrubbery on a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.
Ryan Wesley Routh faces federal charges after fleeing the scene of assassination attempt
Ryan Wesley Routh fled the scene after Secret Service agents fired at him when they observed the rifle's muzzle through a chain-link fence about 300 yards away from Trump. Routh is facing federal charges for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for having a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The same poll also revealed that about 7% of respondents believe force is justified to restore Trump to the presidency. Hostin referenced other instances of political violence, including the 2022 attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, emphasizing that such violence is occurring across the political spectrum.
Co-host Sara Haines attributed the increase in political violence to the inflammatory rhetoric from politicians and the role of social media. "The way our politicians are speaking right now, we never would have seen that 20 years ago," Haines said.
She argued that this rhetoric trickles down to broader societal behaviors, exacerbated by the influence of technology and social media platforms.
Ana Navarro advocates for assault weapon regulation as Hostin questions America's gun obsession
During the discussion, co-host Ana Navarro called for a serious conversation among lawmakers about the regulation of assault weapons.
"We need to talk about how people with mental health issues keep getting easy access to assault weapons," Navarro said. She noted that recent assassination attempts involved an AR-15 and an AK-47, underscoring the need for this discussion.
Hostin agreed, suggesting that the issue might be less about mental health and more about America’s deep-seated fascination with guns. "Maybe it's less about mental health and more about America’s fascination with guns," Hostin added.
