It’s the end of an era! Meghan McCain, 36, announced that she would be leaving The View after four years as a co-host during an episode on Thursday July 1. ”I am just going to rip the band aid off,” she said at the top of the show’s broadcast. “I am here to tell all of you, my wonderful co hosts and viewers at home, that this is going to be my last season here at “The View.’” Meghan called it a “privilege” to be a part of the show for the last 4 years and added that it wasn’t an “easy decision” to go.
.@MeghanMcCain announces her departure from @TheView at the end of the show’s season, saying “this was not an easy decision.”
“I’m just eternally grateful to have had this opportunity here so, seriously, thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart.” https://t.co/ZiP1UTs2xu pic.twitter.com/eLuEAJ4KLT
— The View (@TheView) July 1, 2021
Part of Meghan’s decision seemed like it came from wanting to stay in Washington D.C. to raise her newborn daughter. Meghan moved there when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and she’s split her time between D.C. and New York with her husband Ben Domenech. “When I think about where I want Liberty to have her first steps and first words, I just have this really wonderful life here that I felt like I didn’t want to leave,” she said.
In her parting words, Meghan reminded the audience that it was her father, the late Senator John McCain, who advised her to do the show, even when she “didn’t want” to join. “It was my dad who encouraged me to do it. He said that I could never turn up an opportunity to work on such an iconic show and to work with Whoopi Goldberg, and he was right. It was one of the last things he told me to do before he died,” she said.
After her co-host Sunny Hostin shared kind words, Meghan revealed that the senator may have “had a crush on Sunny.” Her dad thought Sunny was “gorgeous” and “striking,” when he first met her. After he appeared on the show, Sunny told Meghan that she felt like they’d hit it off and “had a connection,” as Meghan put it. Meghan laughed as she said it was “uncomfortable” and “awesome” that her father was struck by her co-host.
Before her resignation was publicly announced, ABC reportedly “begged” Meghan to stay on The View, according to Page Six. A source at Disney told the outlet that the company had offered her a position as a contributor on ABC News, but Meghan said she’s “done” and “not staying anymore.” The source added that she’s “had enough” and “doesn’t need [The View] anymore.”
The news comes on the heels of Meghan stirring up controversy on Wednesday June 30. During a discussion about Dr. Jill Biden’s August 2021 Vogue cover, Meghan went after the fashion magazine and its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, accusing Vogue of having a “racist” and “problematic” legacy.
Besides the Vogue rant, Meghan has rocked the boat plenty of times over the years. Since joining the show in October 2017, Meghan has usually offered a more conservative point of view on the talk show, and she’s often butted heads with her co-hosts. Even recently, Whoopi and Meghan got heated on a June 17 discussion about the way President Joe Biden had responded to a CNN reporter asking about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whoopi and Joy Behar had also both piled on Meghan during a May 24 chat about anti-semitism and how backlash towards Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene differed from that directed at Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. Joy scolded Meghan for minimizing efforts that have been put forth to battle anti-semitism, telling her to “have some respect once in blue moon.”
Even though many fans of The View will miss Meghan and her hot takes, Meghan’s mom, Cindy McCain, will probably be a little relieved. Cindy told Andy Cohen that she’s not always crazy about her daughter’s spats on the show, but understands that it’s all part of the job. “You teach your children to be polite and be nice to other people and all that kind of stuff, and it does make me cringe a little bit,” she said during the May 27 interview.
Even though Meghan has been notorious for her controversial takes, she’s also offered glimpses into her personal life as a View co-host. Meghan’s gotten real about what motherhood is like, after her daughter Liberty was born in September 2020. The host has also posted adorable photos of her daughter Liberty watching her mom and grandma on TV. She’s also spoken out on how social media affects mental health and why she’s not friends with any of her exes.