The View Scolds Katie Porter for Early Bid to Replace Dianne Feinstein: ‘She Needs to Know Who Paved the Way’

The View had decidedly mixed feelings about Congresswoman Katie Porter’s (D-CA) announcement that she will run next year for the Senate seat currently held by Dianne Feinstein (D).

Porter announced her future Senate bid on Tuesday in a video declaring “California needs a warrior in the Senate to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy.” Feinstein, the oldest sitting member of the Senate, holds the seat Porter is seeking. While it is widely expected that the senator will retire at the end of this term, as of now, she has made no announcement of her plans for 2024.

The View co-hosts gave Porter credit for her history as one of the sharpest, most effective questioners in the House’s congressional committees. However, Sunny Hostin said she was “surprised” Porter didn’t wait until Feinstein confirmed her retirement before making her announcement.

What we saw when we saw the Democrats during that House chaotic moment when we were trying to pick speakers was this unity, and I think that unity came from the fact that Hakeem Jeffries waited his turn, and waited for Nancy Pelosi to sort of bless him and say ‘Yes. I’m going to step down. You may step up.’ And I think she kind of earned that right.

And so Dianne Feinstein, I mean, she has been a lion of the Senate, and for her, even at 90, I don’t know. She’s put in her papers for 2024 basically saying I’m going to run again. So there’s some tension there, and I’m surprised Katie Porter wouldn’t get her blessing first.

Sara Haines suggested Porter and Feinstein might have discussed the matter privately, even as she cheered Porter’s “Machiavellian” move toward the Senate. Alyssa Farah Griffin added that she too was bothered by the fact that Feinstein hasn’t announced her retirement.

“You always stand on the shoulders of the people before you,” Griffin said. “[Porter] needs to know who paved the way for her. California is also facing deadly floods, 17 lives have been lost. I noticed Dianne Feinstein put out a statement saying she hasn’t made a decision yet whether she’s running or retiring, but her focus is on the floods. I actually interpreted a little bit of shade in there.”

Griffin concluded by noting Porter was just sworn into office again for the newest session of Congress, and “I don’t love when people run for one office, only to run for the next thing.” The conversation went on with Whoopi Goldberg eventually making the argument that whether Feinstein retires or not, “it’s not a bad thing” to let her constituents know they have other choices for the seat.

Watch above via ABC.