'The View' Hosts Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Bet $100 on Trump's Conviction Before Election

Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin on The View made a bet on whether former President Donald Trump would be convicted for the various criminal indictments he faces. They discussed the possibility of Trump facing charges before the 2024 election while debating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis being overshadowed by Trump's potential indictment. During the discussion, Griffin warned the panel, particularly addressing Hostin, that they disagreed on the matter. She said, "Sunny and I disagree on this. We can take a bet now: I am worried, talking to legal experts, not a lawyer, you are. I am not convinced that any of these Trump cases are going to be tried, convicted, and sentenced without — and have him go through an appeal process — before the election."

Hostin eagerly accepted the bet, asking about the stakes, to which Griffin confidently replied, "I'll put 100 bucks on it!" The two women firmly shook hands, solidifying their wager. Griffin expressed her hope that Hostin was right while emphasizing the need for Republican candidates to step up and challenge Trump instead of relying on the possibility of his legal troubles as a chance to lead the country in a different direction. Whoopi Goldberg chimed in, highlighting the significance of the nation's attention to the matter. She questioned the logic of allowing individuals with felony convictions to run the country while simultaneously restricting their right to vote. In strong agreement, Hostin passionately declared, "If he gets convicted, every single convicted felon in this country should be able to vote. Every single one."

Trump received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith with details about his investigations in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. This development has heightened the likelihood that Trump, who has pleaded not guilty in two previous criminal indictments, will have to spend considerable time in court during his campaign and incur substantial legal expenses. The target letter lists three statutes that could be charged against Trump: deprivation of rights, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and tampering with a witness. Multiple news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, cited someone familiar with the matter. The Justice Department, as part of the investigation, is examining potential violations of conspiracy and obstruction of the congressional proceeding on January 6, which is connected to the witness tampering law, as previously reported by CNN after the department searched a Trump administration adviser's home.

Trump has faced indictments in Manhattan, one related to a hush money payment to an adult film actress and another regarding the retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. His defense against all charges involves claiming victimization in a politically motivated attempt to prevent him from holding office again. This defense can potentially undermine crucial institutions of legal accountability that form the foundation of American society. 

References: 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/19/politics/trump-indictments-analysis/index.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-jack-smith-jan-6-letter-classified-documents-hearing-e679b87