Meghan McCain is ready for a new view.
On Thursday, July 1, the conservative TV personality announced she'll be leaving The View after four seasons as a co-host. Meghan, who joined the show in 2017 after departing Fox News, said in a statement, "I'm here to tell all of you my wonderful co-hosts and the viewers at home that this will be my last season on The View." Meghan will finish out this season and will still be with the co-hosts until the end of July.
"This was not an easy decision," she said, noting she'll be living in Washington, D.C. "It took a lot of thought and counsel and prayer and talking to my family and my close friends."
The 36-year-old daughter of the late John McCain has had a bumpy ride on the show since returning from maternity leave in January. In fact, during one on-air exchange, fellow co-host Joy Behar told Meghan she "did not miss" her while she was away.
Days later, Meghan appeared on Watch What Happens Live to discuss the tension. "So it's been such a rough reentry back into The View," Meghan, who welcomed daughter Liberty in September, admitted to Andy Cohen. "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."
Though she stopped short of suggesting she'd be surrendering her seat at the table. "I will say I missed everyone, even if some people didn't miss me," she noted. "I miss the show. We're a family. All these women were at my dad's funeral. We've been through a lot of s--t together, and I miss being on the show, and I hope that we can all be examples—myself included—for where the country should go forward."
At the time, Meghan said she wasn't "going anywhere," but now the time has come for her to start a new journey. "It is not easy to leave," she said on Thursday, "but this felt like the right decision."
In response to Meghan's departure, ABC News praised her contribution to the show. "For the past four years, Meghan McCain has brought her fierce determination and vast political knowledge and experience to The View," the statement began. "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."