Fans quickly noticed Meghan McCain’s absence during a Tuesday segment featuring comedian/activist D.L. Hughley. (YouTube video screenshots)
Comedian D.L. Hughley stopped by “The View” earlier this week to promote his latest book, during which he hit the audience with several hard truths about being Black in America.
Viewers couldn’t help but notice co-host Megan McCain’s absence during the discussion, however, sparking speculation about whether the conservative commentator could handle Hughley’s poignant commentary on race.
“Here’s the thing,” Hughley began Tuesday. “The most dangerous place for black people to live is in white people’s imagination.”
The comedian-turned-activist pointed out that the Parkland school shooter was taken alive, despite having shot 17 people and injured several others. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Stephon Clark was unarmed when Sacramento officers shot him dead in his grandparents backyard.
“Honestly, you can be — you can have just shot up 17 people, and the police will arrest you,” he continued, drawing bursts of applause. “They know you have a gun, but they’ll shoot the kid they thought had one, they’ll shoot him in the back.”
McCain, 33, a former Fox News contributor known for her right–wing talking points and unabashed defense of President Donald Trump, wasn’t present for the segment, leaving folks to wonder about her whereabouts. Some viewers said they were waiting to see her get “checked” by the comedian, but that never happened.
“Where’s Megan McCain? Funny how she’s not on set for this episode,” one Facebook user commented.
” … She carefully picks her battles she thinks she can win,” someone replied, hinting at McCain’s on-air tantrums when her co-hosts disagree with her. “She’s scared of facts and that’s coming from a well-informed Black person!”
“Omg, that was my first thought, too!” wrote another. “She couldn’t have survived Hughley.”
Other viewers took issue with the fact that McCain wasn’t around, saying they found it suspicious that producers would only allow Black co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin to sit down and chat with Hughley. One user said she would’ve have loved to see McCain and Hughley debate.
“I noticed she was gone right away,” the user wrote. “I wonder whose idea it was for her to leave — if she did not want to be on or if the director did not want her on. I would’ve loved to see the interaction between the two.”
The reason for McCain’s absence is still unclear.
