Hasselbeck previously criticized Joy Behar for the 83-year-old comedian’s remarks about Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform for Donald Trump.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck returns to The View, calls for ‘civil discourse’ after publicly slamming ‘sinking’ talk show

Hasselbeck previously criticized Joy Behar for the 83-year-old comedian's remarks about Carrie Underwood's decision to perform for Donald Trump.

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March 2, 2026 11:34 a.m. ET

Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Whoopi Goldberg on 'The View'. Credit:

Elisabeth Hasselbeck — plus her "helmet of salvation," "breastplate of righteousness," "belt of truth," etc. — has officially returned to *The View*.

The controversial conservative personality and former *Survivor* star made her grand arrival Monday morning back at the Hot Topics table, 13 years after she left her post as a permanent panelist in 2013, and one year after she publicly slammed current cohost Joy Behar and the talk show itself as a "sinking" endeavor in January 2025.

Hasselbeck called for civility at the top of the show, after she walked out to join a panel that now includes Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Ana Navarro, all amid Behar's absence (the 83-year-old typically has Mondays off).

Goldberg called Hasselbeck the show's "friend" and "all-around great gal" as the audience cheered, before Hasselbeck spoke at length about the importance of rejoining the panel.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck (far right) returns to 'The View'.

"Whoopi, we go way back. It's a blessing to be near you any time I can. So that is great. You all do a great job, and significantly so, to just have voices as women in the world right now, forever reminded of the gift of our freedom, particularly in light of what's going on in Iran," Hasselbeck said. "Just that women can be beautiful, voiced, respected, in the hope that they're wonderfully significant, but a reminder to us today of our blessing of being able to share our thoughts."

Referencing past drama on the air, she continued, "And, listen, civil discourse is not dead. We might have differences of opinion, but we love each other and we're stronger."

"I actually think for the young people wathcing it's important to see that you can have — Whoopi, you've said it before — we can hold our positions in one hand, and each other's hand in the other, and be able to just live as Americans with the freedom that we have and speak our hearts and minds," she added. "We get to do that all week. It might get a little spicy at times, but we do not hate each other, we love each other. We have the freedom to do it, and it's important to remind everybody of that."

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The *Survivor* alum shared over the weekend a comical video teasing her return to the Hot Topics table, as she posted footage of a box sitting on her kitchen counter that contained the "Armor of God," as she said, "My sweet friend gave me this for *The View."*

Hasselbeck is among many slated (and temporary) replacements for full-time cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin, the show's resident conservative seat-holder and former Donald Trump White House staffer who recently went on maternity leave following the birth of her first child.**

Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View'.

Heidi Gutman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

In addition to her controversy involving Behar (stemming from the latter's criticism of Carrie Underwood's decision to perform at Trump's second presidential inauguration), Hasselbeck has also recently waged a verbal war with former cohost Rosie O'Donnell.

O'Donnell and Hasselbeck famously clashed on the air during a May 2007 episode that eventually led to O'Donnell's first departure from the lineup.

In late 2025, O'Donnell responded to an interview question on a podcast about the ex-colleagues' long-standing rift over the on-air blow-up, with the actress alleging that the iconic fight was "a setup" and "prepared" by then-producer Bill Geddie (who died in 2023). Hasselbeck then replied on her personal Instagram account, where she shared a series of tear-filled messages to O'Donnell.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View' in 2019.

Lou Rocco/ABC/Getty

"I love my friends who disagree with me. I tried to call you many times and reach out to you after that, Rosie, and you don’t want repair," Hasselbeck alleged in her October 2025 posts. "I have to go here because you won’t respond. If you want to get together and talk, let’s do it, come over and swim in my pool, come take a couple laps, come back to America and enjoy your nation. We can have an open free dialogues about what we disagree on. I’ll make you dinner, what do you want to stop the bullying?" (A representative for O'Donnell had no comment on Hasselbeck's words at the time."

Before the recent drama with O'Donnell and Behar, Hasselbeck, who's married to football star Tim Hasselbeck, made intermittent appearances on *The View.* She previously served as a guest cohost in 2022, and again returned as a special guest for Barbara Walters' tribute episode in January 2023 after the co-creator died days earlier.**

*The View* airs weekdays on ABC.

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