“Not an easy decision”: Meghan McCain announces departure from ‘The View’

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After four seasons on The View, Meghan McCain announced Thursday that she’s leaving at the end of the season.

“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,” McCain said to her co-hosts in announcing her departure.

Declaring “This was not an easy decision,” McCain added, “I’m just eternally grateful to have had this opportunity here so, seriously, thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart.” She also implied that COVID-19 had something to do with her decision, sharing in part that the pandemic has “changed the way I’m looking at my life, the way I’m living my life, the way I want my life to look like.”

McCain, 36, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain. joined as a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show in October 2017, and as the lone conservative voice on the show would often spar with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.  On Thursday’s show, Behar called McCain a “formidable opponent,” adding, “You’re no snowflake, missy!”

“It’s such a privilege to be on the show. It’s such an iconic show. It’s so iconic to be in this chair that [Elisabeth Hasselbeck] made so great,” McCain said at the top of her first show on Oct. 9, 2017. “I watched Elisabeth in college, and to be the conservative on this show is something I take very seriously, and I’m excited to bring a different perspective to the show.”

So far, there’s no public indication of what McCain may do next.

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