For more than a year leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, ABC’s The View repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that former President Donald Trump would orchestrate a plot to steal the election โ allegations that never came to pass, according to a review by the Daily Wire.
The daytime talk show, which ABC bills as a “bona fide news program,” featured hosts and guests warning of scenarios ranging from military takeovers of polling places to voter data manipulation and even insinuating ties to alleged murders. Despite the gravity of these claims, the show has not addressed their inaccuracy following the uneventful election.
Escalating Conspiracy Theories
Starting in mid-2025, The View hosts began drawing parallels between Trump-era immigration enforcement and Nazi Germany. Co-host Sunny Hostin claimed in July 2025 that deploying the National Guard during ICE operations signaled fascism, stating, “When you use the military against your own citizens, that is a sign of fascism.”
By October, co-host Joy Behar framed the same enforcement actions as a “pretext to stop the next election,” while Hostin later suggested a $230 million White House renovation proved Trump “never intends to leave.”
Prominent Democrats Amplify Claims
The show amplified California Governor Gavin Newsom’s election-related warnings in late 2025, with Hostin arguing, “We donโt want to challenge authoritarianism!” In December, moderator Whoopi Goldberg implied Trump’s veteran benefit program was a bribe to secure military loyalty for election interference.
By January 2026, Hostin tied the deaths of two individuals during ICE operations to a supposed “coordinated effort to steal the 2026 election,” citing unverified claims about voter data requests to states.
Calls for Rebellion and Post-Election Silence
As the election neared, rhetoric intensified โ Hostin openly referenced a “rebellion” akin to Disney’s Andor series, which depicts violent uprising. Days before voting, Hillary Clinton and Kara Swisher appeared, vaguely warning of potential “intimidation” and “hacking” without specifics.
Despite The View‘s yearlong focus on these theories, the midterms concluded without incident. The show has not revisited its claims since, nor acknowledged their inaccuracy.
Media critics warn such baseless speculation risks inciting real-world instability. “If a particularly unstable individual took them at their word,” wrote Nicholas Fondacaro of the Media Research Center, “they could be spurred on to do something heinous.”
Source: www.dailywire.com โ https://www.dailywire.com/news/bona-fide-news-is-a-bona-fide-farce-the-view-repeatedly-claimed-trump-would-steal-the-midterms