Elisabeth Hasselbeck is temporarily returning to The View as the show’s resident conservative co-host, a role she originally filled from 2003 until 2013.
Speaking to People about the news, Hasselbeck said, “It will be an honor to co-host The View, share our bestselling children’s book, Flashlight Night, and as always, tackle hot topics! Pray for me y’all!”
Hasselbeck is set to return on Wednesday, August 3. It was previously reported that former Donald Trump White House director of strategic communications, Alyssa Farah Griffin, had been tapped to serve as the new permanent conservative co-host, taking the position left open by the previous co-host Meghan McCain.
During her time on the show, Hasselbeck often clashed with her co-hosts on a number of hot topic issues. In 2007, she famously got into a heated confrontation with then co-host Rosie O’Donnell over the Iraq War. O’Donnell quit the show shortly after. The former Survivor contestant opened up about her time on the show in her 2019 book, Point of View: A Fresh Look at Work, Faith, and Freedom.
After leaving The View, Hasselbeck went on to serve as co-host on Fox and Friends, replacing Gretchen Carlson. She appeared on the show from 2013 to 2015, with her final episode airing on December 22, 2015. The Daytime Emmy-winning host since retired from television, stating that she wanted to spend more time with her family and “give them the best of me, not the rest of me.”
Created by Barbara Walters in 1997, The View is a talk show for women, by women that sees individuals from different backgrounds come together to talk about current events and controversial issues. Its current co-hosts include Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin.
The View, Weekdays, 11 a.m. ET/PT, ABC
