MRC Study Finds View Guest List Skewed Liberal Before Midterms

The View featured 21 guests classified as liberal and one conservative during the weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, according to a study by the conservative Media Research Center. The count covers the show’s 30th season, which began September 8, and includes 56 guests overall.

The study counted guests who expressed liberal or conservative views during their appearances. It classified guests as liberal if they criticized President Donald Trump or members of the Republican Party; guests who did not discuss politics were left out, regardless of their past political comments.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared with podcast host Kara Swisher on November 2. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona were also among those counted as liberal. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was the sole conservative guest. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina was included in the liberal tally because the study said he appeared to discuss his anti-Trump book.

The show also featured actors and other public figures, including Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Stephen A. Smith. Last year, the MRC said the program had hosted 128 liberal guests and two conservatives.

The findings come as the FCC examines whether The View is covered by an exemption to equal-time requirements for political candidates. ABC has defended the program’s status as a news program meeting exemption criteria. MRC President David Bozell called on the FCC to hold the network accountable. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is set to make an appearance on the show next week.

FCC Scrutiny Looms as Study Counts View’s Political Guests

A guest-count study from the conservative Media Research Center is being used to argue that The View’s political coverage is one-sided, as the FCC scrutinizes the ABC program’s status under equal-time rules. The study counted 21 liberal guests and one conservative between September 8 and November 3.

The tally reflects the group’s own categories: guests were counted when they expressed liberal or conservative views, and those who did not discuss politics were excluded. The study classified guests as liberal if they criticized President Donald Trump or Republicans. It also placed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in that category because he discussed his anti-Trump book.

The findings alone do not settle whether the program violates equal-time requirements. ABC has argued that The View qualifies as a bona fide news broadcast covered by an exemption, and the network has challenged the FCC’s scrutiny. The rules concern equal on-air time for political candidates, while the MRC is urging the agency to hold ABC accountable based on its guest tally.

The program hosted 56 guests during the period, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is scheduled to appear next week.

View’s 21-to-1 Guest Imbalance Raises Equal-Time Questions

The View’s guest roster tilted sharply toward voices opposed to President Donald Trump or the Republican Party in the weeks before the midterms, according to a Media Research Center study: 21 guests classified as liberal, compared with one conservative. The figures cover September 8 through November 3.

The imbalance gives fresh force to the question of whether ABC should continue to treat the program as a bona fide news show exempt from equal-time requirements. The FCC is examining the issue, and MRC President David Bozell has called for the agency to hold ABC accountable. ABC, for its part, maintains that the program qualifies for the exemption.

The study counted political views expressed on the show, not every guest’s past record. It included Hillary Clinton, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly among the liberal guests; Republican Sen. Ted Cruz was the only conservative. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis was counted as liberal because the group said he appeared to promote his anti-Trump book.

The study counted 56 guests in all, excluding those who did not discuss politics. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is slated to appear next week, but that upcoming booking does not change the tally for the period examined.