'The View' hosts react to Donald Trump's victory: 'The system worked'

The hosts of The view discussed Donald Trump's return to the White House after months of criticism and emphasized that despite Kamala Harris' defeat, it remains crucial that everyone continues to get involved and fight for their rights.

“He’s the president now. I still won’t say his name,” Whoopi Goldberg said.

Co-host Joy Behar said her biggest takeaway from Tuesday's election was the strength of the democratic system.

“We live in a democracy. The people have spoken. That’s what people wanted,” Behar said. “I vehemently disagree with the decision that the Americans have made, but I am very, very confident that we have a democratic system in this country. We should value it. We should love it.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin said she was “deeply disturbed” by the outcome and praised Harris for running an impressive campaign despite only having three months to prepare.

In July, President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election in the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris.

“I had great hope that a mixed-race woman married to a Jew could be elected president of this country, and I think that had nothing to do with politics,” Hostin said. “I think this was a referendum on cultural resentment in this country.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said this was a moment to listen to voters and understand what they wanted.

“I think there are some lessons to be learned from this. I think we forget about rural America,” Farah Griffin said. “I think the working class feels left behind. And he spoke to them. We may not have liked his words, but they stood up for him. They saw him, they thought he would fight harder for them, the economy was going to be better.

Farah Griffin, former White House communications director under Trump, also mentioned that she had heard from people today who believe that “decent people will work for him” and that those who believe in public service hope to be part of his to become teams.

Hostin said individuals need to continue to show up and stressed that if they are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, they need to get involved and vote in the midterm elections in two years.

“I think now is the time to stay vigilant. We must speak truth to power and speak out. I plan on continuing to do that,” Hostin said. “I think we have to take action against bullying. We must ensure that our institutions endure. I think we need to watch the Supreme Court and federal judicial appointments very closely.”

Co-host Sara Haines echoed Hostin's sentiments and stressed the importance of continuing the fight.

“Let’s see how we continue to fight for the people we care about and take it one step at a time,” Haines said. “And here we are today, and I still feel that optimism because I feel arm in arm with so many people who agree with me, and I won't stop marching.”

Goldberg acknowledged Trump's victory as the 47th president but expressed concern about the resurgence of divisive rhetoric and the return of harmful language that people had previously avoided.

“When things get bright enough for us to see, we have to alert them,” Goldberg said.

Trump pulled off the biggest political comeback in modern US history in the early hours of Wednesday morning, securing enough votes to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris and return to the White House for a second term.

Not since Grover Cleveland in 1892 has a U.S. president been elected to two non-consecutive terms.

Harris will preside over Congress' certification of Trump's victory on January 6 next year – four years to the day after the Capitol insurrection, which at the time seemed destined to push her opponent into political oblivion.

Do you have a story that Newsweek should cover? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected]