Cindy McCain said that her daughter’s heated exchanges with Whoopi Goldberg made her cringe.

When Meghan McCain joined the cast of The View, she was representing the table’s conservative voice. Her passion for the topics being discussed definitely made her a stand-out on the show. It would even lead to some tense exchanges with her fellow co-hosts, including Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg.

McCain’s mother Cindy spoke with Andy Cohen following one of her daughter’s many on-air spats with Goldberg. When asked about the exchange, Cindy didn’t hold back.

Whoopi Said The Environment On ‘The View’ Is ‘Calmer’ Since Meghan Left

In McCain’s 2021 memoir “Bad Republican,” she specifically cited Goldberg as one of the reasons she ultimately decided to leave the show.

“I found her open disdain for me more and more difficult to manage as the years went on, and it became more frequent,” McCain wrote. “Occasionally, if the show’s political discourse veered into territory that she found disagreeable, Whoopi would cut me off, sometimes harshly.”

McCain went on to say that the set of The View was a “toxic work environment,” saying she felt isolated because of her political views. “I was working on the show as the only conservative during the Trump years,” McCain told Variety in 2021. “I felt like a lot of people took out their anger on the administration on me because I was the only person in the building who was a Republican.”

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During one episode, Goldberg told McCain, “Please stop talking,” while discussing former President Trump’s first impeachment. McCain responded by saying she wouldn’t talk for the rest of the show and Goldberg responded by saying, “I’m okay with that.”

“To her credit, Whoopi apologized the next morning. I would apologize when I messed up,” McCain later said. “I love Whoopi. I felt at a certain point she stopped respecting me, and it was hard.”

A year after McCain’s exit from the show, Page Six asked Goldberg how the show changed.

“It’s calmer, because nobody wants to be that tired every day,” she said. “I think [the show], it’s better. I feel it’s better, but I’m still tired!”

Cindy McCain Said Her Daughter’s On-Air Spat With Whoopi Made Her Cringe

McCain’s mother spoke to Andy Cohen on Sirius XM after one of her daughter’s many on-air spats with Goldberg. Cohen asked Cindy about McCain’s “tough cookie” attitude on the show. Cindy responded by saying that she always believed McCain would defend herself.

“Ever since she was very little, we called her ‘John McCain in a dress’ because she was always fighting,” Cindy said. “I think she’s doing a great job. She stands up for what she believes in and that’s all that you can ask for.”

She added, “She’s also really smart, so I appreciate that she does. I don’t always agree with her, but I do appreciate it.”

Cindy’s interview with Cohen took place after McCain had a heated exchange with Goldberg when she was cut off due to a commercial break. Cohen asked Cindy if it upset her to watch that moment.

“Yeah, from a mom ― you teach your children to be polite and be nice to other people and all that kind of stuff, and it does make me cringe a little bit,” Cindy said. “But again, it’s her job and what she does, and it’s Whoopi’s job to keep the peace, so I understand everything that’s going on. As a mom — yeah, it does bother me a little bit.”

Cindy also wrote about her daughter’s fiery personality in her memoir, “Stronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain.”

“When I had two daughters to raise, I was determined to give them a core of independence and self-assurance. Some viewers who have watched my elder daughter, Meghan McCain, on ABC’s The View may think that I succeeded a little too well,” Cindy wrote.

“She isn’t afraid to speak up, and her voice is powerful and well considered,” she added. “She never tries to hurt anyone, and in the current political climate, that is both brave and unusual.”

Meghan Said Her Relationship With Whoopi Changed During The Pandemic

When McCain first started on The View, her relationship with Goldberg was a maternal one. When McCain’s father, the late Republican senator John McCain, visited the show, Goldberg told him that she would have her back. However, McCain said that changed during the pandemic while speaking to Entertainment Tonight.

“I think again it was COVID-19 and being via satellite,” McCain said. “I also think that it’s really arduous and intense for everyone and I think sometimes I’m the only conservative person people come into contact with in media and certainly on The View, and I just think that there were moments in time that she hasn’t realized how powerful she is and she is one of the most powerful American women of all time, one of the most talented actresses, one of the most talented broadcasters. She’s a living legend and even small slights, the audience is very savvy, they can pick up on things, but we had a really beautiful ending which I maybe should have included in the book.”

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Despite their heated moments on air, McCain said Goldberg reached out to her after her exit from the show.

“We just had a really lovely conversation when I left and she sent me some really lovely text messages and then, I — I obviously don’t want to reveal too much — but I really wish Whoopi all the best,” she said. “I will always love her. I think she probably still has love for me some place too and I think she has the hardest job on that show. She is the moderator, she is in charge of so many things, we all make mistakes and again, I really don’t have any ill will, and I think that show is going to be on for another 50 years. I think that she is going to be on when I am an old lady.”