Meghan McCain Finally Responds To Gossip Surrounding Her Exit Announcement From The View

After nearly four years of appearing on "The View," Meghan McCain has announced that she is leaving the show. Per The Guardian, Meghan, daughter of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, announced her plans to walk away from the series on Thursday, July 1, and said the decision to leave "took a lot of thought and counsel and prayer." Although McCain explained that the primary reason for her departure was to spend more time with her young daughter in their new home of Washington D.C., there has been speculation by some "The View" fans surrounding her decision to leave.

Taking to Twitter, McCain responded to the "gossip" relating to her recent announcement. "So much chatter, so much gossip, so many, many, many questions people are asking me this past week," she wrote on Thursday, July 8. "I pride myself on always taking big risks, rolling the dice, and making unpredictable life and career choices ... I've never fit in a box and I never will. Live free or die," she concluded.

According to People, Meghan McCain joined the hit daytime show as a permanent panelist back in October 2017, appearing alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines, among others. Interestingly, she originally did not want to be a host, as she mentioned in her departure announcement on YouTube. Her dad, John McCain, persuaded her to do it, telling her not to give up an opportunity to work on an iconic show with Whoopi Goldberg.

Announcing her departure from "The View," McCain explained to her fellow co-stars, "this was not an easy decision ... and talking to my family and my close friends, and, you know, look — COVID has changed the world for all of us and it changed the way, at least for me, the way I am looking at life, the way I'm living my life, the way I want my life to look like" (via YouTube).

Speaking to People, an insider revealed that Meghan's decision to quit the series was a "recent" one. "ABC did want her to stay, but it was her decision for quite a few reasons that she said in her statement — that she made the decision along with her family that it was her time to step back," the source commented.

In her departure announcement on "The View," Meghan McCain said that the real reason she's leaving "The View" is to continue her life in Washington, D.C. She explained that she quickly left New York City at the beginning of the pandemic, as her OB/GYN was concerned about the effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women. "I came to the D.C. area, which is where my husband and I have always split time, and it's where I grew up splitting time" (via YouTube).

After living in D.C. during quarantine, McCain ultimately decided that she didn't want to leave. "We have this incredible life here," she continued. "We're surrounded by my family, [my husband's] family, by friends ... and I think as any new mom knows, when I think about where I want Liberty to have her first steps, and her first words, I just have this really wonderful life here that ultimately I felt like I didn't want to leave."

Some fans of "The View" may have thought that McCain was leaving the show because of her strong opinions about COVID-19. "You risked more than yourself when you expressed distrust of Dr. Fauci and mask wearing. Covid Delta is spreading ... We now know things we didn't know then. That's how science works," one Twitter user wrote in response to McCain's tweet about gossip. Still, McCain insists that her departure from "The View" is her decision.

Meghan McCain's announcement has been met with a mixed response from "The View" fans. One user tweeted that a rumor was going around in which McCain was reportedly fired with two years left in her contract, because her co-hosts did not want to work with her anymore. However, no evidence has shown those rumors to be true.

Other fans were supportive of McCain. "You know what @MeghanMcCain? Ignore the hateful trolls. If I'm being honest (and I am) I often disagreed with your conservative views (but had to give you the nod when you were correct as well). You got a bit overheated at times. But bravo to you for blazing your own trail," a Twitter user wrote.

Despite the mixed response to her departure, McCain was determined to maintain a positive attitude in her announcement. "This show is hands down one of the greatest, most exhilarating, wonderful privileges of my entire life ... I have had so many amazing experiences in my life and this is definitely one of the top. It is a privilege to work alongside such strong, brilliant, intelligent, incredible broadcasters like the four of you," she said, referring to her other co-hosts on "The View." "[You are the] most talented women on all of television, hands down" (via YouTube).