Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s return to “The View” as a guest host further exposed rifts in conservative media as she accused Fox News alum Megyn Kelly of disrespecting the U.S. military.
Hasselbeck, who appeared as a guest panelist on the chat show this week, used the platform to express his views on the political right, as he did during his tenure from 2003 to 2013. But in this case, her anger was directed at her companion. Before the group discussed the U.S. attack on Iran that led to the deaths of multiple U.S. soldiers, the program aired a clip from Kelly’s “Megyn Kelly Show” in which the host declared, “I don’t think those four service members died for America. I think they died for Iran and Israel.”
“First of all, the Megyn Kelly clip they played before we talked about who the soldiers died for. Oh my goodness, Megyn Kelly,” Hasselbeck said. “How can you tell a military member who has sacrificed their life for our country, how can you tell them, their family, or our country what they died for, when they are in uniform and sacrificing their life?”
Co-panelist Joy Behar urged Hasselbeck to choose her words carefully, given Kelly’s counterpunching reputation (“She’s like the roller derby queen,” Behar said). “I’m not afraid of her,” Hasselbeck continued. “My heart goes out to my friends in the military. I cannot approve of anyone they died for.”
Hasselbeck has a history of voicing his views on “The View,” most notably his infamous split-screen fight with then-host Rosie O’Donnell over the Iraq war, which became personal. But this case is particularly interesting given that Hasselbeck and Kelly appear to be on the same partisan side on most issues. Elsewhere on the broadcast, Hasselbeck said he proudly voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, and Kelly said he supported that cycle at a campaign rally. But Mr. Kerry has been skeptical of U.S. military action in Iran from the beginning, drawing criticism not only from Mr. Hasselbeck but also from politicians she publicly supports. As for Kelly, the president said in an interview published March 2 that Kelly should “study her history books a little bit.”
