Meghan McCain announced that she's quitting "The View " on Thursday's episode of the ABC talk show.- She will continue appearing on the show through the end of July.
- McCain joined "The View" in 2017 and is reportedly leaving with two years left in her contract.
Meghan McCain is walking away from ABC's "The View" after appearing as a cohost on four seasons, the 36-year-old announced on the daytime talk show Thursday.
"I'm just going to rip the band-aid off," McCain began as she opened the show, continuing, "I am here to tell all of you, my wonderful cohosts and viewers at home, that this is going to be my last season here at 'The View.'"
McCain, who joined the long-running series in 2017, confirmed that she will continue to appear on the show through the end of July.
"This was not an easy decision. It took a lot of thought and council and prayer and talking to my family and my close friends," McCain said.
After relocating to Washington DC with her husband Ben Domenech during the pandemic and welcoming their first child, a daughter named Liberty Sage McCain Domenech, McCain explained that she didn't want to return to New York City, where "The View" is filmed.
She went on to call her position on the talk show one of the "greatest, most exhilarating privileges" of her life, acknowledging that her father, late Sen. John McCain, was the one that encouraged her to accept a role on the show.
"It was one of the last things he told me to do before he died," she said, later adding, "It is not easy to leave, but I feel like it's just the right decision for me at the moment."
The political pundit exits her post with two years left in her contract, a source from Disney told The DailyMail, the first outlet to report the news.
ABC News responded to McCain's departure in a statement to Insider on Thursday.
"For the past four years, Meghan McCain has brought her fierce determination and vast political knowledge and experience to 'The View.' 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," the statement reads.
It continues: "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."
Since becoming a cohost on "The View," McCain has clashed with some of her more left-leaning cohosts during on-air segments.
Prior to McCain's announcement, the Disney source told the Daily Mail that McCain's cohosts - Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Ana Navarro - were "not yet aware that Meghan has resigned." A source told Variety that her decision to leave the show is unrelated to any on-set quarrels.
McCain allotted time in her announcement to thank her cohosts, referring to them as "the most talented women on all of
"I wish nothing but continued success and goodwishes and good luck to all of you and to this show. I'm eternally grateful to have had this opportunity here. Seriously thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart," she said.
McCain added: "I will still be here for another month, so if you guys want to fight a little bit more, we have four more weeks."