‘The View’: Meghan McCain Says It’s Been ‘Rough’ Returning to The Show

Meghan McCain has just returned to The View after extended maternity leave. Though McCain was eager to show off her baby daughter Liberty, whom she gave birth to on Sept. 28, her return to the series got a lot less warm and fuzzy after that.

Now, McCain is getting candid about the tension between herself and some of her co-stars and how challenging it has been to return to the show as someone whose views often clash with her co-hosts.

This is why she said returning to The View has been rough.

Meghan McCain is no stranger to controversy

As an outspoken conservative on the show, McCain is no stranger to controversy. She’s often clashed with her co-hosts for her views. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic and in quarantine, things have only gotten more strained on The View.

An insider told E! News that while McCain and people like Joy Behar have never been friends, filming the show remotely has not helped matters. “There has always been a sense of family behind the scenes at The View, but it has been harder to maintain that camaraderie amongst the show’s hosts while producing the show remotely,” the insider shared.

Meghan McCain has already clashed with her ‘The View’ co-host after returning from maternity leave

After her maternity leave, McCain was eager to return to work. “Grateful for my job at The View and the privilege to (try and) speak on behalf of conservatives in America,” McCain tweeted. “That being said – what a week to return from my bliss bubble of maternity leave. Going to do nothing but cuddle Liberty all weekend and count my blessings.” However, her first week back didn’t go as smoothly as she may have hoped.

Upon her return, amid a heated exchange about Trump’s political party, Behar told McCain, “I did not. I did not miss you. Zero.” 

Later, Whoppi Goldberg cut McCain off when she continued to press Senator-elect Reverend Raphael Warnock about Democrats packing the courts. The show’s moderator cut to a commercial.

Meghan McCain says her return to ‘The View’ has been rough

McCain was set to return to the daytime show before Election Day 2020. However, due to some unforeseen complications, her maternity leave was extended. Therefore, she returned to work in early Jan. 2021. However, it has not been smooth sailing.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen asked her about the tension on the series. “So it’s been such a rough reentry back into The View,” she admitted. “I had a really hard time getting back to work—I thought I would be back to work by the election. … It’s just been a lot.”

McCain also added that she hopes she and her co-hosts can find some common ground. “We all have to live and coexist together, just like Americans right now, which is a little deep for an answer,” she explained. “But we’re all going to try to coexist, and I really want to have us all move forward.”