Sunny Hostin Isn't Interested in Alyssa Farah Griffin's Pence Defense

Is Mike Pence changing his tune on LGBTQ+ marriage, or is he just running for president in 2024? That was the debate of the day on The View. While guest co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin went to bat for her former boss, who she insisted is "coming around" on LGBTQ+ rights, Sunny Hostin was quick to remind her that Pence's voting record suggests otherwise, saying, "Words are meaningless when your actions say differently."

On Tuesday, Pence spoke at the University of Virginia, where he told students that Americans must "respect your right to believe [and] my right to believe." Griffin, who served as the vice president's press secretary from 2017-2019, interpreted this remark as a sign that Pence is embracing issues of equality, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. "I advise a number of Republicans, and two issues that I've told them, across the board you will lose the younger generation — 35 and down — is if you do not come around on marriage equality and climate change. The country's mind is made up," she said. "I'm someone who believes you can believe what you want in your church ... but it is the law of the land that you can marry who you love, and that is a good thing. And I see a little bit — I watch that clip and I'm like, Mike Pence might be coming around a little bit."

After guest co-host Julia Haart, star of Netflix's My Unorthodox Life, spoke up about the importance of "having the right to choose who you want to be and not being made to feel shame," Hostin chimed in to address Griffin's point. "I appreciate what you're saying about your former boss Mike Pence. I think he's lying on that tape," she said, before listing off Pence's many anti-LGBTQ+ stances, including co-sponsoring a Constitutional amendment "that would define marriage as solely between one man and one woman" and voting against the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. "This is the real Mike Pence. So I don't care what he's saying because he wants to run for president. That's not true. It's a lie. And I like my politicians not lying to me."

PENCE TARGETS CANCEL CULTURE IN SPEECH: Former Vice Pres. Mike Pence made a speech at the University of Virginia discussing “how to save America from the woke left” saying cancel culture is freedom – #TheView co-hosts and guest co-hosts @Alyssafarah Griffin and @JuliaHaart react. pic.twitter.com/cVwPlnFwMU

— The View (@TheView) April 13, 2022

"But let me say this," interjected Griffin. "What I think is wonderful about America is how far we've come on equality so quickly. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton supported DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act which barred marriage between same-sex couples, only a matter of 15 or 20 years ago. We have come around and realized you love who you love and you have that right, and that is a damn good thing."

"That's not what he said!" fired back Hostin. "I'm not here to defend Mike Pence! I'm here to have a conversation about where I think the future of the country and the party is," replied Griffin. "I teach at Georgetown University, and my students — whether they're left, right or center — they all believe in equality. This is a notion of the past."

When Hostin asked if Pence really believes that "a man and a man should be married, and a woman and a woman should be married," Griffin shied away from answering. "It's a question for him," she said. "It was not clear to me from that answer."

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.