FCC chair mocks ‘The View’ host Sunny Hostin for blatant partisanship as she pleads for Dems to win Senate
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly mocked ABC's daytime programme "The View" after co-host Sunny Hostin urged Democrats to flip the Senate during an on-air discussion about Maine's embattled Democratic nominee, Graham Platner. Carr's criticism, posted on X, drew attention to what he portrayed as a contradiction: ABC is arguing to the FCC that the show should be treated as a "bona fide news programme" — and therefore exempt from federal political equal-opportunity rules — even as its hosts openly campaign for a particular partisan outcome. The clash matters because it feeds into a wider regulatory dispute over whether the talk show should be held to the same standards as traditional news broadcasts.
Hostin's remarks came as the panel debated whether Platner, who faced mounting pressure from within his own party over allegations he denies, should quit the race against Republican Senator Susan Collins. Hostin said Democrats were in an "existential crisis" and needed to "flip the Senate", arguing that Maine remained a key pickup opportunity and that Collins was "beatable" with the right replacement candidate. She also insisted Platner should have no say in choosing his successor. ABC has separately pushed back against the FCC probe, accusing the agency of creating a "chilling effect on the First Amendment".
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The FCC's classification system exists to ensure fairness in broadcasting. When a programme claims the regulatory exemption of being a 'bona fide news programme' whilst its hosts openly campaign for specific partisan outcomes, it undermines the credibility of that classification. A programme cannot simultaneously argue it deserves news exemptions based on editorial standards whilst abandoning those very standards through explicit partisan advocacy. This inconsistency raises legitimate questions about whether the regulatory classification reflects reality or merely protects a commercial interest.
The case against
Partisan commentary has always been part of news-adjacent programming, from radio hosts to cable news panels. Classifying The View as news doesn't mean every host must be neutral; it reflects the programme's function as daytime discussion of current events. Requiring political neutrality as a condition of news classification would chill free speech and allow the government to weaponise regulatory power against programmes with disfavoured viewpoints. News can include opinion, analysis, and yes, hosts who vote and express preferences.
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