Meghan McCain leaves 'The View' after 4 seasons
NEW YORK -- After four seasons on "The View," Meghan McCain announced Thursday that she's leaving at the end of July.
McCain, 36, joined as a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show in October 2017, ABC News reported.
"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."
On Sept. 28, 2020, McCain gave birth to baby girl Liberty Sage McCain Domenech and returned from maternity leave on Jan. 4.
Upon her return, McCain reflected on the time she had to recover from her emergency cesarean delivery and postpartum preeclampsia. She soon called for mandatory paid maternity leave.
"As I thought about it, the more angry I got that there weren't women in the rest of America that had the same kind of luxury that I had working here at 'The View,'" she said.
"We are leaving women in this country without (that) capacity and ability -- unless you have an employer that allows you to take care of your child -- to heal physically, which is something that needs to happen," she added.
McCain, who was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, was propelled into the national spotlight at an early age as the daughter of Sen. John McCain. She is a respected Republican voice and is passionate about a wide range of topics, from women's and social issues to marriage equality.
Before joining her father's 2008 presidential campaign, McCain graduated from Columbia University with a degree in art history and ambitions to pursue a career in music journalism. She completed internships at Newsweek and "Saturday Night Live."
In a statement, ABC News said, "For the past four years, Meghan McCain has brought her fierce determination and vast political knowledge and experience to The View. She recently came to us with her decision to depart the show at the end of this season, a difficult choice that she made for her and her family that we respect and understand. We wish the best for Meghan as she plans her next chapter, and thank her for the passion and unique voice that she shared with us and our viewers each day."