The Truth About Meghan McCain Leaving The View
Meghan McCain has been a staple on "The View" ever since she first joined the panel back in 2017. As of July, she's appeared on four seasons of the long-running ABC talk show and has repeatedly hit the headlines for voicing her outspoken views, which McCain certainly hasn't been afraid to express.
McCain most recently hit the headlines on June 30 for some controversial comments she made about First Lady Dr. Jill Biden when she criticized her clothing choice on the cover of Vogue. "I don't love the dress she's in. I would've loved to see her really fashioned up in an elegant gown or something more akin to what they did with Hillary Clinton on the cover when she was first lady. So, all of this is a miss for me," she said, per Primetimer.
McCain went on to claim that the president's family is the U.S.'s version of royalty, continuing, "She's a symbol of what's great about America. She's almost a regal figure for me, Dr. Biden, so I would prefer if she'd be presented that way, as well." Twitter had a lot to say about McCain's comments about the first lady, and shared plenty of thoughts via the social media site.
While there's no doubt McCain's gig on "The View" still has her very much in the headlines, is it now time up? Read on for what we know.
Meghan McCain's departure made headlines before she even confirmed it
The Daily Mail initially reported Meghan McCain would officially announce she's leaving the show during the July 1 episode. A Disney source claimed the star "will announce her resignation," despite reportedly still having another two years left on her contract. The insider added that she seemingly wasn't fired as the higher ups on the ABC daytime show "have tried to keep her" around a little longer, but purported that McCain "is adamant that now is the right time for her to leave."
Back in January, McCain didn't appear to have any plans to leave "The View," despite her regular clashes with her co-stars. "Whether we like it or not, I'm not going anywhere on the show, Joy [Behar]'s not going anywhere on the show, we all have to live and co-exist together just like Americans right now," she told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live."
However, just hours after the Daily Mail and other outlets reported on McCain's departure, the TV personality appeared on "The View" to confirm the news. Read on to find out what she had to say.
Meghan McCain said it was 'not an easy decision' to leave
Just as the reports suggested, Meghan McCain officially announced her decision to leave "The View" on July 1, per TVLine, after Whoopi Goldberg opened the show. "I'm just going to rip the band-aid off. I am here to tell all of you, my wonderful co-hosts, and the viewers at home that this is going to be my last season here at 'The View,'" McCain said. She shared that she will host the talk show "through the end of July to finish out the season with all of you."
"This show is one of the hands down greatest, most exhilarating, wonderful privileges of my entire life," McCain continued. She then praised her "The View" co-hosts, Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin, adding, "It is a privilege to work alongside such strong, brilliant, intelligent, incredible broadcasters like the four of you. You are the most talented women on all of television, hands down, and it has been so incredible to do this with you."
McCain also admitted that "this was not an easy decision" and went into some of her reasoning for it.
The pandemic influenced McCain's decision
Meghan McCain revealed COVID-19 influenced her decision to leave "The View" after four seasons. "It took a lot of thought and counsel and prayer," she explained, per TVLine. "COVID has changed the world for all of us, and it changed the way I am looking at life, the way I am living my life, the way I want my life to look like."
"When I said goodbye to all of you in the studio over a year-and-a-half ago, I had just found out I was pregnant. I left the city [and] came to the DC area, which is where my husband and I have always split time; we have this incredible life here," she continued. "When I think about where I want [my daughter] Liberty to have her first steps and her first words, I just have this really wonderful life here that ultimately I felt like I didn't want to leave." It's safe to say the set of "The View" won't be the same without her.