The View Praises Obama, Labels Attacks on El-Sayed as ‘Islamophobic’

Nicholas Spinnato
October 26th, 2026 4:30 PM

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On Monday, The View continued its one-sided praise of the Democratic election candidate with just eight days to go until the midterm elections, as the show praised former President Obama and defended Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. 

With focus on El-Sayed, the ensemble hosts talked about “Islamophobic attacks” against the far-left Senate candidate, as Sunny Hostin worried some Americans may be too Islamophobic to vote for a Muslim, before she declared, “I hope that he wins.” Ana Navarro also defended El-Sayed and said “no one cares about the Muslim Brotherhood,” which El-Sayed has alleged ties to through his family and a letter he himself signed in 2012.

So-called “conservative” host Alaysaa Farah Griffin started with documentation of Republican campaign tactics against El-Sayed and said, “I just want to outright denounce that some Republicans are leaning into Islamophobic attacks on El-Sayed. I think it's gross. I think it's beneath the dignity of the office that he's running for because there are very legitimate critiques you can have of him.”

 

 

After noting El-Sayed’s possible struggles with Black and Jewish voters, Hostin joined in to compare Trump campaigning versus Obama and said, “I think we saw the tale of two presidents, right?

“You have President Trump calling El-Sayed a jihadist who is on the side of the terrorists who would have to go through a metal detector before he is allowed to go into the Senate. He then said that he would invite hordes of jihadis to our shores. That is just dangerous, reckless Islamophobia,” she added.

Hostin then complained about Trump calling Mike Rogers “apple pie”:

On the other hand, he says about Mike Rogers, who is his opponent, I call him apple pie. That is demonizing faith, mocking Arab names, and it is beneath the dignity of the Office of President of the United States.

She continued and echoed Obama’s speech, claiming the radical tag for El-Sayed was just about his healthcare and economy policies: “And he said wanting everybody to have healthcare, how is that radical? Wanting everybody to have a place to live that they can afford, how is that radical?”

 

 

Hostin later seemed to worry voters might be too Islamophobic to vote for El-Sayed:

I'm concerned about that because Pew Research came out with a poll that said 4 percent of Americans believe that muslims are less patriotic. That, to me, is sad. That, to me, is really disappointing that 43 percent of Americans would think because someone prays differently, they are less patriotic. There are 5.5 million muslims in the United States and they vote, too. 

Unfortunately for El-Sayed, this is a fact of American politics and our country right now. But he would be the first Muslim senator in the United States Senate, and I hope that he wins. I do.

 

 

Navarro later joined in with more praise for Obama, before she began her Le-Sayed defense and said, “Listen, people don't care about the Muslim Brotherhood, which is practically defunct. They care about what's happening in our neighborhoods. They don't care about who you pray to, they care about how much we are all having to pay.”

She then called the mention of the Muslim Brotherhood by Trump and Republicans “The ultimate hypocrisy.”

 

 

To close the segment, Whoopi Goldberg finally chimed in to praise Obama and, said, “Well, you know, I never forget what a president is supposed to sound like. That stays with me. That's how I was raised.”

Goldberg then implored viewers to vote for who they vote for based on “how you feel,” before she wished for a Democrat “sweeping”:

So I'm very -- I don't know what's going to happen. I hope that there is a sweeping -- Thank you -- A sweeping that happens. But I hope that it is a better sweep than the last sweep was. I hope the Democrats now recognize where they fell short and do better. That's what I'm hoping for. That’s what I want.

With the music playing her out, she added, “So, fingers crossed that we all get where we need to get with the country we want to get there with."

Not much “bona fide” news and more of wanting Democrats to win elections from the ladies of The View.

The transcript is below. Click "expand":

ABC’s The View

October 26, 2026

11:04:56 AM Eastern

(...)

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: And listen, I just want to outright denounce that some Republicans are leaning into this Islamophobic attacks on El-Sayed. I think it's gross. I think it's beneath the big knit of the office that he's running for because there are very legitimate critiques you can have of him. I don't agree with his economic policies. I don't agree with his foreign policy. Those are debates we should have, but going into tropes that I thought we did away with 20 years ago is just gross and shows how much backward we're going. 

The whole game is going to come down to Michigan. El-Sayed has some tough numbers he has to make up. He's struggling with the black community, struggling with Jewish voters and struggling with low-income voters. He has time, one week to make his case but it could all be decided by Michigan.

SUNNY HOSTIN: I think we saw the tale of two presidents, right? And it's such a stark contrast. You have President Trump calling El-Sayed a jihadist who is on the side of the terrorists who would have to go through a metal detector before he is allowed to go into the Senate. He then said that he would invite hordes of jihadis to our shores. That is just dangerous, reckless Islamophobia. 

On the other hand, he says about Mike Rogers, who is his opponent, I call him apple pie. That is demonizing faith, mocking Arab names, and it is beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States. Now you think about – you look at President Obama. He knows something about his name being made fun of. His birthplace, you know, being weaponized. His race, his nationality, all being weaponized. And he said wanting everybody to have healthcare, how is that radical? Wanting everybody to have a place to live that they can afford, how is that radical? And then he says I've got a long-form birth certificate to prove the movie that I starred in. This stuff didn't work on me, not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul. 

I'm concerned about that because Pew Research came out with a roll that said 4 percent % of Americans believe that muslims are less patriotic. That, to me, is sad. That, to me, is really disappointing that 43 percent of Americans would think because someone prays differently they are less patriotic. There are 5.5 million muslims in the United States, and they vote, too. 

Unfortunately for El-Sayed, this is a fact of American politics and our country right now. But he would be the first Muslim senator in the United States Senate, and I hope that he wins. I do.

ANA NAVARRO: Listen, anybody who thinks that muslims are less patriotic should take a stroll through Arlington Cemetery, where you see so many tombs that are marked with the crescent tomb of Muslim soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending Western values, defending America. 

It was nice to see President Obama on the trail. He is so good. It was nice to remember a time when we had a president who could speak in complete sentences –

[Audience laughs and claps]

HOSTIN: Yeah. Right?

NAVARRO: – pronounce words. He’s got just this amazing comedic timing. I cannot believe that Trump's closing message on an election that is so close in so many places is about asses, is about how much money his buddies in the oil industry are making while people are paying much more in the pump. I can't believe that it's, you know, about the Muslim Brotherhood.

Listen, people don't care about the Muslim Brotherhood, which is practically defunct. They care about what's happening in our neighborhoods. They don't care about who you pray to, they care about how much we are all having to pay. 

And to me, the ultimate hypocrisy is this. You know, he wants to make it all about el-sayed being a jihadist, which is a lie, no evidence. He's bringing out, like, tweets and letters from over a decade ago. 

Let me just tell you, the biggest backers of what is left of the Muslim Brotherhood are Qatar and Turkey, both of whom are great allies and buddies of Donald Trump. They are the ones that have given the Muslim Brotherhood financial backing, exile in their country. So he had no issue taking a $400 million jet from the Qataris, who have been the biggest backers of the Muslim Brotherhood.

If he has an issue with the Muslim Brotherhood, take it up with his besties.

SARA HAINES: Yeah, it’s a bit inconsistent.

But I think, Sunny, your tale of two presidents sums it up because you have Obama talking about the war in Iran, tariffs, substantial things that are happening, and explaining what it's doing for the American people, and you’ve got Trump talking about asses, again, each time starting with I never do this. 

HOSTIN: He’s obsessed with assess.

HAINES: He is. But – I think Obama's Cheesecake Factory line is really funny, but the truth underneath it is really about accountability and about how you have to be able to explain what you're doing to the American people: Congress works for the public. Like, there's lots of stuff like that Trump just kind of says look over here with strange words and crazy sentences, and to have Obama, I forgot what it was like to have a leader that truly led and spoke with such integrity and confidence. Like it's just been a lifetime it feels like since that. 

But Democrats also have to answer the underlying questions of what their plan entails because clearly Trump is full of noise, but the Democrats have to seize the moment and come out and say this is what we will do for all of these things you're dealing with.

WHOPPI GOLDBERG: Well, you know, I never forget what a president is supposed to sound like. That stays with me. That's how I was raised. I was raised of how behavioral -- that behavioral. 

And really, it doesn't really matter who comes out and says what. It's up to us. We're going to go out, we're going to make those decisions, and you’ll decide how you feel about Sayed. You will know how you feel. You're there, you live there. You will make that decision. He's not going to make it, the president is not going to make it for you. You are going to make that decision. And if he is the one to do better for your state, then that's the man you put in place. 

If y'all decide that you want to mess around with what was, then you will continue to have what you've had. No one can really do very much. Now, we're eight days out. We're eight days out. If it is that easy to sway you, I'm not sure that now would be the time to figure it out. We've had enough time to really work this through. 

So I'm very -- I don't know what's going to happen. I hope that there is a sweeping -- thank you -- A sweeping that happens. But I hope that it is a better sweep than the last sweep was. I hope the Democrats now recognize where they fell short and do better. That's what I'm hoping for.

That’s what I want.

So, fingers crossed that we all get where we need to get with the country we want to get there with.

We’ll be right back.

(...)

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