In yet another bizarre twist from the liberal daytime talk show The View, co-host Sunny Hostin reversed course on her opinion of newly appointed Pope Leo XIV—solely after discovering his Haitian ancestry. Just days after condemning the pope for daring to affirm biblical teachings on sexuality, Hostin gleefully declared Monday that she now “loves” him because, in her words, “we actually have a black pope.”
The conversation, which aired during Monday’s episode, quickly veered into identity politics territory—an all-too-familiar theme for the hosts of the far-left gabfest. Hostin, previously “concerned” about Pope Leo’s 2012 comments defending traditional marriage and critiquing “the homosexual lifestyle,” has suddenly changed her tune.
Why the sudden shift? Not because he reaffirmed left-wing ideology—but because a few genealogy documents allegedly list his maternal grandparents as “people of color,” with a Haitian birthplace listed for his grandfather. That’s all it took.
“So, we actually have a black pope, apparently. It’s a chef’s kiss for me,” Hostin swooned, clearly more impressed with racial identity than theology, doctrine, or leadership.
She also couldn’t help but drag former President Donald Trump into the conversation—because, of course. Referring to Trump’s 2018 comments about immigration and failed states, Hostin added, “President Trump, as you remember, called Haiti a certain type of country.” She went on to suggest that Pope Leo’s Haitian heritage was a kind of poetic rebuke.
This dramatic about-face comes after Hostin initially blasted Pope Leo for his traditional Christian stance on sexuality and family. The then-bishop had rightly noted in 2012 that modern pop culture had created “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel,” including “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.” This was apparently too much for Hostin on Friday—until she discovered his skin tone, that is.
Now, she’s walking back her condemnation, citing more recent remarks from Pope Leo that she claims echo Pope Francis’s call for an “inclusive church.” “I’m liking this guy a lot!” she exclaimed. “I’m loving the pope.”
Other View hosts chimed in to praise the pope for unrelated reasons. Whoopi Goldberg lauded him for supporting imprisoned journalists—though his warning against “ideological or partisan language” is rich coming from a panel that traffics in nothing but. Ana Navarro praised him for standing up for “journalists to uncover the truth,” and for being an “American pope” who can “denounce the things happening against immigrants here.”
Hostin wrapped it all up by again proclaiming, “And it’s good to have a black pope.”
The take-home message from The View is clear: for the left, identity always trumps ideology. It doesn’t matter what Pope Leo believes or teaches as long as he checks the right demographic boxes. Traditional Christian beliefs? Problematic. Haitian ancestry? Suddenly he’s a hero.
For millions of Christians around the world, Pope Leo’s fidelity to Scripture should be the focus—not whether his grandfather was born in Haiti. But once again, The View reminds us that for the progressive elite, racial identity is the ultimate virtue—truth and faith be damned.
