The TV networks are in scramble mode as they try to find voices and personalities that match the country's pro-Trump mood. Discussions about bringing a pro-Trump voice onto ABC's daytime moneymaker "The View" are underway, and changes to other programming are also being considered.
ABC execs were apparently so insulated in their own ideological cocoon that the extent of Trump's victory caught them completely by surprise.
Similar discussions are underway at other networks as well. It's not a "revolution" because the new faces will be token conservatives. But the discussions reveal just how deeply the networks were in denial and how terrified they are now that they must face viewers who are angered by the network's anti-Trump slant.
The radical left hosts of "The View" are going to be a problem. They not only supported Kamala Harris for president but have disparaged half their audience since Trump won by lambasting women who voted for Trump as "ignorant."
“I think [Trump’s victory] had nothing to do with policy. I think this was a referendum on cultural resentment in this country,” host Sunny Hostin said.
“Black women tried to save this country again last night… what we do not have is white women, who voted about 52% for Donald Trump — uneducated white women is my understanding. You have Latino men, actually, voting more for him,” Hostin added.
This proved to be too much for former co-host Megan McCain.
Respectfully, please stop sending me clips from The View.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) November 8, 2024
It's a radical progressive insane asylum and that is why I left years ago.
Be that as it may, ABC is desperately trying to change the dynamic of the show to be more Trump-friendly.
“The View is facing pressure from higher-ups,” a source at ABC told the New York Post. “Viewers can expect some major changes including bringing in new panelists that can bring in a pro-Trump perspective.”
The source did not signal whether one of the current panelists would be bounced or if the already crowded desk would add a seventh seat.
“Everyone on ‘The View’ endorsed Kamala Harris. They lost. They are out of touch with America,” the source said.
“For a show about different perspectives, ‘The View’ doesn’t seem to have any when it comes to Trump. ABC bosses don’t want to alienate the pro-Trump demographic.”
A second source with knowledge said the expected network-wide reshuffle comes after execs were caught “flat-footed” about the pro-Trump sentiment of the country.
“We are trying to sort out how we cover the next 4 years when everyone inside ABC News is on one side,” the person said, speaking broadly about the network, which is also home to “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.”
I predict that if ABC brings in a host who may not be MAGA but isn't a flaming left-wing nutcase, half those women will quit rather than share the stage with someone who disagrees with them.
Related: MSNBC Just Lost Half of Its Primetime Audience
Even if they bring on a token mildly MAGA host, the others will gang up on her, making sure her voice is stifled.
“At the end of the day, these changes aren’t about politics. They are about economics,” the person told The Post. “Trump got more than half of the vote. TV networks need to find pro-Trump voices and diversify viewpoints to reflect the various perspectives of Americans.”
That may be so. But the network bosses still have to keep the peace with their younger, radical left staffers who see TV networks as the exclusive purview of liberals. It's a delicate balance that will end up satisfying no one.
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