Meghan McCain says she's leaving 'The View.' Leftist Joy Behar calls lone conservative co-host a 'formidable opponent.'

Meghan McCain announced Thursday that she's leaving "The View."

What are the details?

The show's lone conservative co-host — who's had fierce on-air battles with leftist colleagues such as Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg — told viewers that this season will be her last. The season runs through the end of July.

McCain, 36, said the impact of COVID-19 played a large role in her decision, particularly as a new mother, and that she wants to stay in Washington, D.C., where she lives with her husband, political commentator Ben Domenech, and her baby girl Liberty.

"We have this incredible life here," McCain said on the program of the nation's capital, adding she's surrounded by friends and family. "The View" is based in New York City, and McCain began living permanently in D.C. amid the pandemic while she and her fellow co-hosts contributed to "The View" from remote locations.

'Formidable opponent'

Reaction to McCain's departure announcement among her co-hosts seemed friendly enough. Goldberg told her "it has been quite wonderful to sit across from you," and co-host Sunny Hostin added that McCain has "a really important point of view."

Behar went last with her memories of McCain, saying "you and I have had our disagreements, we've had our fights; we also had some drinking moments which were rather fun and interesting." Behar added that McCain "brilliantly" stuck to her perspectives and that she proved a "formidable opponent" in regard to their on-air sparring.

"You're no snowflake, missy," Behar added to McCain.

Meghan McCain Announces Departure From "The View" | The Viewyoutu.be

Anything else?

McCain is the program's second longest-running conservative co-host after Elisabeth Hasslebeck, who was on "The View" from 2003 to 2013, Variety said, adding that there is no decision yet regarding who will replace McCain.

More from the magazine:

During McCain's tenure, ratings on "The View" soared — making it the most-watched daytime talk show. The show became a major political destination in the lead-up to the 2020 election with essentially every single politician making a necessary stop at the the talk show on their campaign media blitz.

McCain's conservative takes were magnets for attention on Twitter with her clips constantly catching fire on social media. Recently, McCain's latest on-air feud with Goldberg went viral in June, garnering a substantial amount of tabloid attention. The tabloids would constantly speculate on McCain's behavior and feelings on-set, which she frequently clapped back at on her own social media accounts. [...]

McCain is the oldest daughter of the late U.S. Arizona Senator and celebrated Vietnam veteran, John McCain, who passed away in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer. McCain, who had an incredibly close relationship with her father, frequently shares her memories about him on television.

McCain has described herself as a Republican with liberal views on many social issues. She is a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and has recently dedicated much of her airtime to the staggering rise in anti-Semitism around the globe, as one of the few mainstream media figures to prioritize the topic. During her time on "The View," she was a frequent and harsh critic of Donald Trump, making her stance on the former president abundantly clear. Earlier this year, she supported the impeachment of Trump, and last year she had a tense exchange with Donald Trump Jr. when he visited the show.