New York, New York - The View co-host Sunny Hostin is facing MAGA rage after sharing how she feels about the US flag as a Black American.
During Monday's episode of the hit talk show, the panel discussed a viral photo that was taken in Washington, DC, by Cheney Orr.
The picture shows a lone Black woman riding the metro, surrounded by masked members of Patriot Front – a white supremacist group that marched on the nation's capital on July 4.
Hostin described it as "a defining image of modern America for Black Americans," and said that she felt it "embodied" the "type of fear I have to experience."
"There are times when I walk into a community, and I see American flags all over the community, and I suddenly feel unsafe," Hostin explained.
"There's a section of this country that has co-opted the American flag, and they equate being an American or an American flag with White supremacy, and that should never be the symbol of White supremacy," she added.
Hostin pointed out that many of the Patriot Front members – who all wore matching uniforms – had flags emblazoned on their hats.
"You might as well have a hood on, because that's what it looks like, that's what it feels like," she said, referencing the white hoods worn by the Ku Klux Klan.
Sunny Hostin faces MAGA backlash after her comments go viral
While Hostin did not mention him by name, critics have argued that President Donald Trump's MAGA brand of politics has raised racial tensions in the country and has invited and enboldened what were once fringe extremist groups, figures, and ideals to become more mainstream.
A number of prominent MAGA figures were quick to condemn Hostin's comments, with most parroting one of Trump's favorite mantras: "If you don't like it, leave the country."
MAGA influencer Benny Johnson wrote in an X post, "I’m so tired of hearing these screeching anti-American women on The View that just sit and b*tch, complain, and lie about our beautiful country."
He continued, saying, "If the Stars and Stripes make you feel so unsafe, you can LEAVE. Nobody is keeping you here... Maybe you'd feel safer living in Iran or Cuba?"
MAGA commentator April Silverman also called for Hostin to "GTFO + move to Cuba," and chided her for living in the wealthy, predominantly white city of Purchase, New York.
Some MAGA loyalists notably shared clips that did not include Hostin discussing the photo of white supremacists and ignored that context altogether.
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville shared a brief clip of Hostin discussing how she feels "unsafe," to which he responded by writing, "Mental illness."
Hostin has received support from those on the left, many of whom noted that the march is a clear indication that racism is still a factor Black Americans are regularly forced to encounter.
Actor Michelle Buteau, who was the guest host on Monday's episode, agreed with Hostin about the photo, saying, "That picture is how we feel, and nobody will believe us. So look at that picture and understand how it feels."