Co-hosts of ABCs "The View" used their Wednesday broadcast to disparage South Carolina and its Republican leadership over the appointment of Darline Graham to the U.
S. Senate seat left vacant by her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
According to Fox News, Sunny Hostin led the charge, attacking both the state and GOP Gov. Henry McMaster for selecting Graham, South Carolinas first female U.S. senator, to serve as an interim appointee until voters choose a permanent replacement. Hostin framed the move as a betrayal of Republican principles, even as it followed state law and ensured continuity of representation for South Carolinians.
Hostin seized on co-host Joy Behars characterization of the appointment as "the very definition of DEI," quickly escalating the rhetoric. "Correct, correct. Its everything that the Republican Party stands against. Everything!" Hostin said. "Its DEI. Nepotism. All these things thrown in together."
She went on to fault South Carolina not for failing to follow the law, but for not having previously elected a woman to the Senate, dismissing the historic nature of Grahams appointment. "Shell be the first woman to be a U.S. senator in South Carolina in the history of the state, and I think that thats just its just fundamentally wrong that South Carolina just couldnt elect a woman and this is the only way that it was done," Hostin said.
The former federal prosecutor then questioned Grahams rsum, reducing her decades of public service to a single credential and suggesting that professional success outside elective politics is insufficient preparation for high office. "I think the experience does matter," Hostin said. "While she is a certified optician and while she has done great work in that field, I dont think that she should be representing the people of South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. I just dont."
Behar echoed Hostins dismissal of Grahams qualifications, resorting to a fast-food analogy to belittle the appointment. "Its not like taking over your mothers job at McDonalds," Behar said. "Youre in government. You have to know what youre doing."
Not every panelist joined the pile-on. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as White House Director of Strategic Communications under President Donald Trump, reminded the table that Graham is a temporary caretaker and that such appointments are routine in both parties, citing California Gov. Gavin Newsoms selection of Laphonza Butler after Sen. Dianne Feinsteins death. "You guys are putting too much stock in whos currently in Congress," Griffin said.
Even Whoopi Goldberg, typically aligned with the shows liberal consensus, conceded Griffins point. "Yeah, you got a point," Goldberg said, briefly interrupting the narrative that the appointment was uniquely problematic.
Hostin, however, broadened her critique, linking Grahams selection to unrelated reports involving War Secretary Pete Hegseth and alleged blocks on promotions of certain Navy officers, including women and minorities. "I feel like our government is fundamentally broken," Hostin said. "I just I disagree with this."
Outside the daytime talk-show bubble, McMasters office defended the appointment as both lawful and grounded in Grahams long record of service. "Under Section 7-19-20 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the governor is authorized to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate by appointment until a successor is elected," the spokesperson said.
The governors office emphasized that voters, not the governor, will ultimately decide who holds the seat beyond the interim period, underscoring the democratic process that critics on "The View" largely ignored. The spokesperson noted that GOP voters will choose their nominee in a special primary, with filing open from July 21 through July 28, the primary set for Aug. 11 and a runoff, if needed, on Aug. 25.
McMasters team also highlighted Grahams extensive background in state government and public service, which stands in contrast to the caricature presented on the ABC program. "Darline Graham, a native of Central, S.C., has dedicated her career to public service," the spokesperson added. "She has served the people of South Carolina for nearly 30 years, and the governor believes she is the right person to finish her brothers work."
Graham has served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind since 2019, where she has worked to expand employment and independent-living opportunities for residents who are blind or have low vision, according to the governors office. Her prior roles at Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation further reflect a career rooted in helping citizens rather than cultivating television notoriety.
At her appointment ceremony, Graham made clear that she intends to carry forward the conservative agenda championed by her brother and President Trump, a stance that likely fuels much of the left-wing hostility on display from "The View" panel. "It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work," Graham said. "I promise to work hard every day over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States."
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