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Home » News » News » Sunny Hostin’s American Flag Comments Reveal Just How Divided Patriotism Has Become
News

Sunny Hostin’s American Flag Comments Reveal Just How Divided Patriotism Has Become

Jon FetherstonBy Jon FetherstonJuly 7, 2026Updated:July 7, 202612 Comments3 Mins Read1K Views
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At a time when Americans are marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, one of the country’s most recognizable television personalities has once again found herself at the center of a controversy over the American flag.

During Monday’s broadcast of The View, co-host Sunny Hostin said neighborhoods displaying numerous American flags make her feel “unsafe.”

The View's Sunny Hostin: "I feel unsafe" if a neighborhood has American flags pic.twitter.com/bivOwwVirV

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 6, 2026

“There are times when I walk into a community and I see American flags all over the community and I suddenly feel unsafe,” Hostin said during a discussion about patriotism and extremist groups.

Hostin argued that some white nationalist organizations have “co-opted” the American flag and that, because of those associations, seeing neighborhoods filled with flags triggers feelings of unease. While she agreed with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin that the flag belongs to every American, Hostin stood by her description of her personal reaction.

Those comments immediately ignited backlash across social media and conservative media, where critics accused Hostin of unfairly associating ordinary displays of patriotism with extremism.

For millions of Americans, the Stars and Stripes represents something entirely different.

It is draped over the coffins of fallen service members. It flies outside schools, town halls, police stations, fire departments, VFW posts, American Legion halls, churches, and family homes. It represents military service, sacrifice, liberty, and the freedoms protected by generations of Americans who fought under its colors.

In Maine, American flags are a common sight, not just on Independence Day, but throughout the year. From fishing villages along the coast to small towns in Aroostook County, flying the nation’s flag has long been viewed as a simple expression of pride in country rather than a statement of political allegiance.

That is why Hostin’s comments resonated so strongly with many Americans. To them, suggesting that a neighborhood filled with American flags is cause for fear risks casting suspicion on countless veterans, military families, and citizens who display the flag simply because they love their country.

Hostin is entitled to express her personal feelings, and she made clear she was describing her own reaction. But her remarks also underscore how deeply divided the country has become over symbols that once united Americans across political, racial, and ideological lines.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the controversy is not that Hostin feels uncomfortable around neighborhoods displaying American flags. It is that so many Americans now see the nation’s defining symbol through entirely different lenses.

If the American flag, a banner that has flown over battlefields, disaster relief efforts, moon landings, and memorial services, has become a source of fear for some and a source of pride for others, it raises a larger question about the nation’s cultural divide.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, many Americans would argue that the answer is not to retreat from the flag, but to reclaim it as a symbol that belongs equally to every citizen, regardless of race, religion, or political party.

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Jon Fetherston

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Louisewood
Louisewood
14 days ago

And the TV Show she hosts actually has viewers ….Scary Times we live in . Scary times .

8
Islander
Islander
14 days ago

That means she will not be moving to my neighborhood, flags, buntings etc are from one end of the street to the other. Heck the whole town has a flag on each telephone pole.

14
RJN
RJN
14 days ago

She’s an idiot. Please leave if you don’t feel safe and don’t love this country.

As a HS sports official, my proudest moments as an American are standing, facing the flag, with my hand over my heart, as the National Anthem is played before a game. If that ever stops or goes away, so will I.

7
Pem Schaeffer
Pem Schaeffer
14 days ago

Agree with poster below; now we know how to keep us away from us. Think of the flag as a kind of preying insect repellent that is safe for infants, birds, and pets.

The larger the flag, the stronger the “active ingredient.”

Talk about anxiety; and this “woman?” has a law degree from where????

7
Pem Schaeffer
Pem Schaeffer
14 days ago

Agree with poster below; now we know how to keep her away from us. Think of the flag as a kind of preying insect repellent that is safe for infants, birds, and pets.

The larger the flag, the stronger the “active ingredient.”

Talk about anxiety; and this “woman?” has a law degree from where????

0
Kafir2022
Kafir2022
14 days ago

I would say that white people feel far less safe walking in South Chicago than you do, Sunny, walking in a neighborhood with American flags.

8
Handy N Handsome
Handy N Handsome
14 days ago

Division?
Bullshit.
She and those like her are the enemy.

10
Handy N Handsome
Handy N Handsome
14 days ago

Division?
Bullsheet.
She and those like her are the enemy.

2
mainer
mainer
14 days ago

The American flag…commie repellant!

2
Carolyn Tobias
Carolyn Tobias
14 days ago

Well I understand why should would have fear, she is a libtard and speaks crap about anything American.

1
Phil
Phil
13 days ago

This woman is in a different Universe..I did watch the View once…all I’m thinking is,they say I’m crazy!??Put Ricky Gervais on the show..

0
Deport EVERY illegal alien
Deport EVERY illegal alien
13 days ago

She should be shunned and made a pariah by all who love this country and by all who have morals. She should not have even one moment of peace until she leaves this country permanently.

0
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