On Monday (March 2), Elisabeth Hasselbeck made her return to The View, delivering an uplifting message to viewers familiar with her complicated past with some of the show’s cohosts. She was filling in for Alyssa Farah Griffin.
“I am grateful to be here with all of you. This truly feels like a gift. We have a long history together, and it’s a privilege to be close to you whenever possible,” she expressed. “Having women’s voices heard in the world today is a constant reminder of the value of our freedoms, especially considering the current situation in Iran, where tensions have escalated following Donald Trump’s strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It’s significant that women can be seen as beautiful, heard, and respected. Today serves as a reminder of our fortune to express our ideas and listen to one another. Civil discourse is alive and well. While we may hold differing views, our love for one another remains.”
Return to The View
Elisabeth Hasselbeck expressed, “For the younger audience tuning in, it’s crucial to recognize that we can maintain our beliefs in one hand while holding each other’s hands with the other, allowing us to coexist as Americans enjoying our freedoms and expressing our thoughts and feelings. We have the opportunity to do this throughout the week. It may get a bit intense at times, but we do not harbor animosity towards one another. We care for each other, and we cherish the freedom to engage in these discussions. It’s vital to remind everyone of this.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the fourth guest host to appear on The View this season during Alyssa Farah Griffin’s maternity leave, following Savannah Chrisley, Amanda Carpenter, and Sara Eisen. Hasselbeck, who was a regular co-host on the show from 2003 to 2013 before moving to Fox and Friends, made her return as a guest host in Seasons 23 and 25. She filled in for Alyssa Farah Griffin on Monday.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been outspoken in her criticism of her past cohosts on the program, especially Joy Behar. For instance, when Behar took aim at Carrie Underwood for her performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Hasselbeck responded on X (formerly Twitter) urging Behar to “calm down.” She later joined Sean Hannity to express that The View “often fails to feature anyone with common sense” and accused Behar of trying to link her name to Underwood’s to stay relevant, as she is aware that her career is faltering.
Empowering Women’s Voices
Regarding the news of Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s return to the show in place of Griffin, executive producer Brian Teta remarked, “We announced all these individuals joining us, and our audience has consistently shown strong reactions, but the response to Elisabeth Hasselbeck caught me off guard a bit because she—don’t misunderstand me, Elisabeth does have her share of controversial and passionate opinions—but you two collaborated for a decade and generally had a good rapport.”
In reaction, Joy Behar, who typically takes Mondays off and was absent from the show, remarked to Teta, “It’s okay, she’s a nice girl… She hails from a lovely family. In fact, her parents are Democrats. So I’m not sure how she developed this Republican viewpoint, but perhaps it was influenced by her husband after they got married — she seemed to adopt a more conservative stance.” Hasselbeck was part of The View panel from 2003 to 2013.
Prior to her appearance at the table on Monday, Elisabeth Hasselbeck mentioned that she had received a “Full Armor of God” playset to help her prepare for the discussion. While displaying a Bible, she remarked, “I’ve been focusing on getting ready for The View, so my primary research is right here… That’s the armor!”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck hosts The View, airing weekdays at 11 a.m. Eastern, on ABC.