Several of the cohosts of "The View" are pushing ABC tonix the rotation of guest hosts in order to find a permanent Republican panelist, according to a report.
The past few months have featured guest hosting by a range of conservative women, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive officer Carly Fiorina, and political commentator S.E. Cupp.
Brian Teta told The Wrap in August that he was taking a little time to find a new host.
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sunny Hostin have reportedly made it known that the continued guest hosting has disrupted the show's energy, and that there has been no resolution on selecting a permanent panelist.
Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, told New York Magazine in November that the new host needs to have a different political view.
She said at the time that we still need a conservative voice. I think it's important to not have someone on the panel who is anti-vaxxer because I think that's dangerous.
The show will be holding more open casting calls for potential hosts in the new year, as well as inviting some of the previous hosts back for another stint, according to a spokesman for the show.
The program will have a panelist next month. The network will also bring in former New York Times journalist Bari Weiss and former "View" co-host Lisa Ling, who don't fall under a "Republican" moniker, while the network continues to gauge viewer reaction to the array of guest hosts.
According to sources who spoke with Politico, network executives have had a hard time finding a suitable replacement as they are not considering a Republican who continues to challenge the 2020 presidential election results or who supports the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
The executives don't want candidates who have publicly discussed conspiracy theories, but they do want someone with credibility with mainstream Republicans.
A guest host told the news outlet that the problem is that they bring people on under the mantle that this woman is a conservative, so they don't represent the country.
According to the show's research, audience members want to see arguments, so executives are looking for a conservative that isn't too friendly with the other cohosts.
The producers of the show want Ana Navarro-Crdenas, a conservative who has rejected former President Donald Trump, but gets along well with the other ladies, to be a "traditional" Republican.
A former show staffer said that they were looking for a mythical creature. They don't want it to be ugly or mean, so they want someone who is going to fight.
The high-profile exits of past conservative hosts including Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Nicole Wallace, and McCain have contributed to a "perception" that any permanent Republican panelist will be "on borrowed time."
According to sources, "The View" was interested in bringing on libertarian and Fox News personalitykat Timpf, but she declined the offer because of the program's reputation for not being friendly to conservative voices."
The program is still looking for their newest member.
"Our plans are on track as we continue to look for the right person to join our panel of smart, dynamic women," a "View" spokesman told Politico. We will be welcoming guest co-hosts for return appearances and introducing new names in the new year.
