‘The View:’ Meghan McCain Said This Co-Host Would Be the First to Have Her Back
Meghan McCain of The View has had her share of heated debates with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin. Despite being the lone conservative at the table, the political pundit consistently comments on her bond with her fellow panelists.
When directly asked which of her on-air colleagues would be the first to defend her if she needed backup, McCain didn’t hesitate on her answer.
Meghan McCain’s ‘favorite sparring partner’
Fans of The View are accustomed to the verbal bouts between McCain and the left-leaning Behar. Frequently arguing over political issues, McCain and Behar’s battles often make headlines and paint a picture of a volatile relationship. Yet the two co-hosts debunk the negative perception.
“Of all the people backstage, we actually get along the best,” McCain said, according to Entertainment Tonight. “Because we always want to watch news after and still talk about it… Normally, we disagree but it’s still a lot of good stuff coming up.”
In October 2019, McCain gave her co-host a special birthday shoutout on Instagram, referencing their combative on-camera conversations.
“Happy Birthday to my favorite sparring partner and true tv icon @JoyVBehar,” McCain captioned a pic of herself and Behar in costume. “you make me laugh every single day and never back down from your principles. I am lucky to know you and call you a friend!”
‘The View’ co-host has gone toe-to-toe with Whoopi
When McCain was offered a seat at The View table in 2017, she was hesitant to take on the gig. Her father, the late Senator John McCain, was a fan of Goldberg and encouraged her to take the opportunity of working with the EGOT winner.
“When they offered me the job, I called [Goldberg] before I accepted,” McCain revealed, according to Ramin Setoodah’s book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View. “I asked her if she thought I could do this. It never gets old that she’s Whoopi Goldberg.”
The two have had their share of on-air squabbles, including an infamous spat in December 2019 where Goldberg told McCain “stop talking.” Though media outlets pounced on the televised tiff, the two panelists openly discussed how “things get heated” due to the topics they cover each day on live television. Goldberg also noted that “it’s probably gonna happen again” considering the forum in which they work.
“Whoopi and I get along great,” McCain said in alliance with Goldberg, clearly not holding a grudge. “I love you very much — I’ve loved you for a long time.”
Meghan McCain gets a question on ‘Watch What Happens Live’
During a February 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, McCain was asked a probing question by a fan.
“If you were at a bar and your co-hosts were with you, including Whoopi, and somebody was picking on you about something you had said on The View, which one would have your back immediately?” the caller inquired.
McCain didn’t miss a beat on responding. “Whoopi,” she instantly replied. “Definitely. I’m the closest with her.”
Cohen stayed on the topic of McCain’s interactions with her co-hosts, asking “Do you ever get into it about an issue with someone and you have a hard time going on with the show because you’re still so hopped up?”
“Do you ever watch the show?” McCain jokingly asked Cohen. “I’m the worst. When something frustrates me or anger me, it’s just something I need to work on. I have a hard time shaking it off.”
Addressing continual speculation that there is friction among The View panelists, McCain commented on how women who are passionate when covering controversial issues are perceived differently from men.
“Men are allowed to fight and debate and get really heated and angry,” she told Cohen. “Then there’s an assumption that they’re friends and they’re like smoking cigars or whatever, after. I don’t understand why people can’t give us that as well. I’m there to debate and to fight. It’s the point of the show. … The idea that we’re fighting backstage, quite frankly, nobody has time to continue the fight afterward.”
