Meghan McCain Opens Up About ‘Toxic Environment’ on ‘The View’ & Feud With Joy Behar
Ahead of the release of her new memoir, Bad Republican, Meghan McCain is opening up about why she left The View, the show’s “toxic work environment,” and her rivalry with co-host Joy Behar.
In an interview with Variety, McCain said that when joining the long-running ABC talk show, “there is an expectation you won’t survive.” She explained that “When you come in as a host, you are a rotating peg on a carousel, and you’ll be in and out. It doesn’t breed an environment where you’re close. It feels siloed. There was no collaboration.”
McCain, who had co-hosted the show for four seasons, announced her decision to exit on July 1. Her last episode aired on August 6. As the only Republican on the show, McCain often felt like she was fighting a losing battle.
“I was working on the show as the only conservative during the Trump years,” she said. “I felt like a lot of people took out their anger on the administration on me because I was the only person in the building who was a Republican.”
“People were not comfortable around me,” she continued. “I was there less than a month when the first article came out about me, about what a disappointment I was and my nickname backstage was “Elsa the ice princess.”
McCain went on to say that this fostered a toxic workplace, but that she believes these issues have plagued the show from the start. “My take on the problems of The View are that it’s a show with a lot of demons that started in the beginning, and none of those demons have been exorcised.”
In terms of her choice to leave the show, she said she decided on her second day back from maternity leave, “when Joy told me that ‘Nobody missed me — zero.'” Having postpartum depression, McCain said she was already nervous returning to work, and Behar’s comment tipped her over the edge. She ended up having a panic attack backstage.
“I asked for an apology from our executive producer and [Behar’s] producer. They said she wouldn’t do it. I don’t know if they asked her.”
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The view has been toxic the day it aired . Just a bunch of evil heartless women thinking they know it all . Still don’t know how it is still on … oh I understand now it’s the liberal one sided media that keeps it on .
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O
Yes, you are so right!
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R
They are vultures on the View
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G
I Definitely would agree with that comment
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R
I remember seeing the pure hurt in Meghan’s eyes after Joy made that awful remark. I instantly felt so bad for her. Joy did and still does owe Meghan an apology for her cruelty.
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G
Don't feel sorry for Meghan McCain. She's the kind of person who can dish it out but can't take it when it's dished back to her. She deserved what Joy said to her and everyone else has said. Meghan is nothing but a pain.
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B
I don’t believe most viewers missed her either. I certainly didn’t. She definitely isn’t like her father. The View is a much better show without her!
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B
She was not the right person for the job. Her crass presentation of screaming , whining, combative behavior prevented her from presenting opposing views.
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O
Yes !
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G
I like the show much better now that Megan is gone. She couldn’t handle the different points of view without pitching a fit. Whoopi tried the be patient with her a lot but it was uncomfortable watching Megan act like a brat. I say good riddance.
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G
Whoopi is far from being a patient person!
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R
I don’t watch the view since Megan left the show .
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G
So
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O
After watching the show year after year it was obvious to me and many others ,that Ms Megan had a chip on her shoulder just daring someone to touch it. She always seemed hostile and acted as though she were better than most. It upset me so much I had to stop watching. I don’t think she will be missed . The only reason I watched as long as I did was in hopes that Joy would reach over and knock the holy hell out of Megan 😏
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G
Meghan McCain is the one who is toxic wherever she goes with her racist white privilege thug self.
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Joy is a miserable human
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B
I think that’s awful that Meghan was treated like that. I’ve never cared for the View as it clearly is just the point of a view of a few. A few that are single minded snd sighted. Only their beliefs are aired. WG snd JB are clearly nasty women that are not accepting of others points of view if they’re not like theirs. Meghan is better off out off out of there and a better woman than they are.
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O
Meghan WAS the toxic environment, and no, she was not the only conservative on the show during the Trump years. She even shared a table with Abby Huntsman, who by the way, didn't seem to feel the same need to shout down, talk over, or generally be rude to her co-hosts the way Meghan seemed to do almost constantly.
In fact, every single conservative that has been at that table thus far since her leaving has been a far better fit than she ever was. Everyone else seems to be there for a discussion. Meghan was there to start drama, and it was pretty clear that few people liked her.
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You reap what you sow. She’s hardly a Republican.
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I think Meghan walked and I thought she would be on the same level as the rest of the women. When they required her to prove herself and back up her statements with proof Megan got upset and could not stand the heat of being on the panel. Most of the panelists that survived on the show when mature and well established in their profession, Megan was only uprise getting established.
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