Another polarizing season of “The View” is wrapping up this summer—and a blazing “hot topic” about who will be the next conservative co-host, The Post can exclusively report.
The daytime juggernaut celebrating 25 glorious, glorious years this week is about to announce who will replace self proclaimed “Mountain Mama” Meghan McCain after her “sad” and abrupt exit last summer.
A bevy of right-sided guest hosts are cycling through on-air auditions for the top spot — and an insider has revealed that there are repeated attempts when it comes to the permanent gig.
“You’re starting to see familiar faces over and over again,” the source told The Post. “I would expect an announcement before the season ends on August 5th.”
The source continued: “If you watch the show, you can see people who are coming back regularly to join the co-hosts at the table. It’s an invaluable experience for the show. And it There was always a plan to make sure they had a seat at the table.”
In other words – the informed guessing game is on, so pay attention!
The most frequently repeated guest co-hosts include Alyssa Farah Griffin, 33, the former communications director for President Donald Trump, and Tara Setmire, 46, a former GOP communications director. Both are being considered for a permanent seat – with some sources indicating that Farah is likely to be at the fore.
Note: In the two long, long-running months since McCain’s exit, Griffin has been a mainstay every month — and even made an extended appearance in June. No other guest host has racked up that tally this season.
just saying.
A rep for ABC did not respond to the Post’s request for comment.
Meanwhile, conservative writer and media pundit Ann Coulter earlier told The Post that she is ready to take on the role.
“Yes, of course I [take the job] But they would never choose me,” said 60-year-old Coulter. ,[It seems] They don’t mean what they say. You may be uncovering the need for a double secret: to be a dumb, easy-going Republican. ,
The talk show’s current ladies — Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Sarah Haines — are set to go on hiatus next week and will return to finish the rest of the season on July 11.
The 26th season will resume after Labor Day.
The announcement of the new co-host will come on the heels of a number of scandals and theatrical events that have happened over the past seasons, depending on your fan stance on the show.
In February, the always controversial 66-year-old Goldberg was suspended from the ABC network for saying the Holocaust was “not about the race.”
The following month, Behar, 79, suffered a dramatic decline, in front of a live studio audience – and more than 2 million viewers at home.
And when rumors surfaced that finding a new conservative voice on the show was going to be difficult, the insider revealed that it “has not been a struggle to find a new co-host.”
Despite their nonstop parade of hoopla, it appears that nothing can shake the ladies of “The View.” They remain day chatters while others pluck like flies.
While “The View” has been renewed for a 26th season, other day talkers are struggling. “The Talk” received a new ratings low three months after Sharon Osbourne’s theatrical exit, and “The Real” was canceled in April after eight seasons.
And in May, Ellen DeGeneres said goodbye to her after 19 years on the air.
According to former stars who have filled the coveted slot, the “conservative” slot comes with its own distinctive set of challenges.
“Right now, we still need a really conservative voice,” declared Legal Eagle co-host Hostin, 53, as he warms to the hunt for a new conservative cast. “I also believe that there should not be anyone on the panel who spreads misinformation, who follows big lies, who is an adversary, because I think it is dangerous.”
The longest-running right-wing host, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, lived on “The View” for 10 seasons, from 2003 to 2013. But it was not without struggles. On May 23, 2007, Hasselbeck became involved in an infamous on-air “split screen” argument with co-host Rosie O’Donnell regarding the war in Iraq, which she supported and O’Donnell opposed.
The hot moment was caught on camera and at that time there were waves across the country.
Meanwhile, McCain put an end to his “anthropomorphic experiments in left-wing media” after four seasons, revealing that he had an infamous on-air conflict with permanent face mask proponent Behar, a “toxic work environment” that could lead to scenes of violence. rife with behind-the-scenes drama, eventually ousting him from ABC’s long-running daytime show.
“We had a respectful understanding of each other’s roles. Whenever we had a fight, she would talk openly,” McCain, 37, said of Behr in her audio memoir “Bad Republican.” “The thing that makes me really, really sad is that there was a time when I got along really well with him.”
The two clashed countless times over politics related to Joe Biden’s meeting with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, handling of the masked mandate, etc. Things took a real turn in January 2021, when only two days after McCain returned from maternity leave, Behr told her he didn’t miss her at all.
“I had postpartum anxiety. I was so nervous when I came back. It was like starting the TV all over again. I was feeling shaky. I was trying to make a joke of, ‘You missed me so much.’ ‘ If you watch the clip, her reaction is very quick,” McCain continued, adding that Behr didn’t apologize to her, even though she cried during the commercial break and had a panic attack in her office when the show ended.
John McCain’s proud daughter’s fellow conservative panelist friend – Abby Huntsman – was there before McCain’s exit in January 2020. At the time, he said it was to help his father, Republican politician John Huntsman Jr., with his Utah gubernatorial campaign.
However, Huntsman, 36, later admitted the honest reason for his departure: The show’s workplace environment, she said, “did not reflect my values” and was “rewarding people for bad behavior.”
Welcome: Good luck to the new hire – and take a moment to enjoy your potentially ephemeral view!
