Last week, ABC co-host Sunny Hostin made some controversial comments during her report on the hush money trial of former President Donald Trump, criticizing his skin color and questioning his courtroom behavior. Hostin also made false statements about the jury and baselessly accused one of the witnesses of being part of the so-called “Trump cult”.
Hostin’s account of the trial, given on the talk show “The View”, featured disrespectful and unprofessional jabs at President Trump. She expressed shock at seeing Trump in person, referring to his face color as “radioactive orange”. This superficial, appearance-related commentary adds nothing of substance to the reporting of a legal event, emphasizing Hostin’s biased, non-objective reporting.
She further lied about the composition of the jury, indicating it was ‘female-skewed and featuring several lawyers’, with an evident excitement that suggested this situation would be unfavorable for Trump. However, according to Spectrum News NY1, this claim was not accurate. The jury for Trump’s trial consisted of seven men and five women, with only two having careers in the legal field.
In addition, Hostin seemed to impugn Trump’s behavior during the trial, describing him as acting like a child and lacking humility. She chastised him for gesturing and stretching, implying such actions were inappropriate. Her criticisms lacked proper relevance and demonstrated her determination to smear Trump’s character with unsavory imagery.
Adding to these unfounded comments, she slandered Madeline Westerhout, Trump’s former executive assistant, as part of the “Trump cult”. Westerhout’s positive accounts of her former boss were dismissed as cult-like behavior, demonstrating Hostin’s eagerness to invalidate any positive portrayals of Trump.
The discourse during this report showcased Hostin’s biased perspective and marked a disappointment in objective journalism. Her chosen talking points, such as Trump’s skin color, are irrelevant to the legal proceedings and show a clear bent towards sensationalism. The false representation of the jury’s constitution damages her credibility further.
To conclude, Sunny Hostin’s inaccurate and unprofessional portrayal of Trump’s hush money trial leaves much to be desired in terms of fair and balanced reporting. A critique of an individual’s skin tone, misleading information about the jury, and slanderous accusations demonstrate a lack of integrity in her journalistic approach. It’s pivotal to recognize and call out such biased reporting for preserving the principles of objective journalism.
