Sunny Hostin calls Lindsey Graham’s sister a ‘DEI hire,’ questions her qualifications

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin criticized South Carolina on Wednesday over Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment of Darline Graham to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, arguing the state’s first female senator lacked the political experience needed to represent its residents in Washington.

Hostin branded the appointment an example of diversity-based hiring and nepotism after co-host Joy Behar called Graham’s selection “the very definition of DEI.”

“Correct, correct. It’s everything that the Republican Party stands against. Everything!” Hostin said. “It’s DEI. Nepotism. All these things thrown in together.”

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“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin called Sen. Darline Graham’s appointment “DEI” and “nepotism” while questioning her qualifications for office. (ABC/TheView)

Hostin also attacked South Carolina for reaching the milestone through an appointment rather than the election of a female candidate.

“She’ll be the first woman to be a U.S. senator in South Carolina in the history of the state, and I think that that’s just — it’s just fundamentally wrong that South Carolina just couldn’t elect a woman and this is the only way that it was done,” Hostin said.

The former federal prosecutor questioned Graham’s qualifications, referring to her as a certified optician and arguing that her professional background did not prepare her for the Senate.

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Darline Graham became South Carolina’s first female U.S. senator after she was appointed to complete the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)

“I think the experience does matter,” Hostin said. “While she is a certified optician and while she has done great work in that field, I don’t think that she should be representing the people of South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. I just don’t.”

Behar agreed and argued that public office required specialized knowledge.

“It’s not like taking over your mother’s job at McDonald’s,” Behar said. “You’re in government. You have to know what you’re doing.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as the White House Director of Strategic Communications in President Donald Trump’s first term, pushed back, noting that Graham would serve as a caretaker and comparing the appointment to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of Laphonza Butler after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

“You guys are putting too much stock in who’s currently in Congress,” Griffin said. 

“Yeah, you got a point,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said.

Hostin tied the appointment to reports that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had blocked several proposed promotions of Navy officers, including women and people of color.

“I feel like our government is fundamentally broken,” Hostin said. “I just — I disagree with this.”

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Joy Behar joined Hostin in criticizing the appointment as “the very definition of a DEI,” while Alyssa Farah Griffin defended Graham’s caretaker role. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

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A spokesperson for McMaster’s office defended the appointment in a statement to Fox News Digital, citing the governor’s authority under South Carolina law and Graham’s nearly three decades of public service.

“Under Section 7-19-20 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the governor is authorized to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate by appointment until a successor is elected,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said voters would select the Republican nominee who will seek to replace Lindsey Graham in the Nov. 3 general election. Filing for the special Republican primary will run from July 21 through July 28, with the primary scheduled for Aug. 11 and a runoff, if necessary, on Aug. 25.

“Darline Graham, a native of Central, S.C., has dedicated her career to public service,” the spokesperson added. “She has served the people of South Carolina for nearly 30 years, and the governor believes she is the right person to finish her brother’s work.”

Graham has served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind since 2019, working to expand employment and independent-living opportunities for residents who are blind or have low vision, according to the governor’s office. She previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

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Graham pledged during her appointment ceremony to support President Trump and continue her brother’s work.

“It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work,” Graham said. “I promise to work hard every day over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States.”