The hosts of “The View” believe California Sen. Diane Feinstein should resign.
The Democratic senator returned to Washington last week after a three-month absence due to complications from shingles. Feinstein, 89, suffered from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, or the spreading of the skin rash to her head and neck, as well as encephalitis, or brain swelling.
Joy Behar related to the “brutal” experience of contracting shingles, “especially if you’re over the age of 50.”
Friday’s “The View” discussed whether or not Feinstein should step down from her job with these health complications that could affect her performance. The senator has said she won’t seek re-election in 2024. Sunny Hostin balanced the context of Feinstein’s incomplete recovery with her steady career in the Senate, suggesting that it is time for the politician to step down.
“It’s terrible because she’s been such an effective senator for over what, six decades. Or six terms, rather. I think that it’s very difficult for someone to step away from work that they love,” Hostin said. “She’s 89 years old. She says that she is not going to resign and she did ask the Republican Party, or the Democrats asked the Republican Party, to allow her a temporary replacement while she heals. They refused to do that. And so she’s back at work, and I think she’s not fully healed. … I still think maybe it’s time that she put the country before herself.”
Sara Haines quoted singer Kenny Rogers, who said, “You’ve gotta know when to fold ‘em. You gotta know when to walk away,” adding that she doesn’t think it’s a question of age, though age is an important factor in presidential elections. Haines brought up Sen. John Fetterman, who took time away from his position to address his depression and how it was affecting his performance and health.
“And she’s had a bunch of missteps. She’s actually, they said ‘Rarely does your spokesperson have to have a direct contradiction from what the person you’re representing says,’” Haines added. “She didn’t know she was sick. She thought she’d been in a place for three months when she’d been out. This is not about ageism or sexism. It’s about competence to do your job, and some people eventually have to retire. Pilots have to retire. There are consequential jobs, and I would argue this is one of them.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin also brought up Republican Senator Thad Cochran, whose mental decline started to show when he couldn’t find his way to the Senate floor. She credited former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with passing the baton of leadership to the next generation, saying Pelosi is still fully functioning. Griffin attributed the lag in Feinstein’s stepping down to the Democrats “playing politics.”
“I think Democrats are playing politics here. Some aligned with Dianne Feinstein want to see Adam Schiff be the person who’s appointed to succeed her. Others want to see Barbara Lee, and so they’re kind of letting that competition play out, but who’s suffering is the voters they represent,” Griffin said.
“Gavin Newsom, as the governor, if she steps down early, he’ll get to appoint someone, and he’s committed to appointing a Black woman,” Griffin continued. “So Barbara Lee is who they think it should be. Senator Feinstein’s team wants it to be Adam Schiff. So there’s more of a political battle and what’s happening is, I think, it’s hurting Dianne Feinstein’s legacy.”
