Rumors have been swirling on social media that Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, called Elon Musk a “b*****d” during a recent episode following the 2024 presidential election results. But is there any truth to this claim? Let’s set the record straight.
After Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election and the surprising announcement that Elon Musk would join the U.S. government as the new head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Hostin made it clear she was “profoundly disturbed” by the outcome.
“I think that in 2016, we didn’t know what we would get from a Trump administration, but we know now,” Hostin said on-air. “And we know now that we will have almost unfettered power.”
She also reaffirmed her commitment to avoid anything Musk-related, saying she had deleted her X (formerly Twitter) account and would no longer support Tesla products or stock. “Twitter was a hellscape before Elon Musk, then he changed the name to X, which was stupid,” she added, as reported by Decider.
But did she really call Elon Musk a vulgar name during the show? The answer is no.
No credible news outlet reported that Sunny Hostin insulted Musk in that way. No video evidence supports the claim, and Joy Behar, her co-host, has not issued an apology on behalf of Hostin or the show.
It appears this claim was simply a social media rumor that spiraled out of context. Hostin did criticize Musk’s involvement in government and his management of X, but the supposed insult never happened live on-air.
This incident serves as a reminder to check the facts before sharing viral claims. While it’s true that tensions have run high on political talk shows, it’s always best to separate confirmed statements from online speculation.