ABC announced today that former host Joy Behar will return alongside former child star Candace Cameron-Bure, and news anchor Paula Faris will join returning hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Raven-Symoné, and Michelle Collins.
In addition, contributors will stop by occasionally to offer insight in their areas of expertise. Handling politics will be none other than local Republican power-consultant Ana Navarro. She has become a frequent fixture on cable news in the past few years as a pundit for CNN and ABC News.
Excited that I'll be joining #Season19 of @TheView as a political contributor. Looking forward to talking all things 2016 w/the ladies.
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) August 25, 2015
Navarro, born in Nicaragua, has a long history in local, state, and national politics. She served on Jeb Bush's transition team and then served as his director of immigration policy in the executive office of the governor. She's also served as national co-chair of John McCain’s Hispanic Advisory Council in 2008 and served that same role for moderate Republican candidate Jon Huntsman in 2012. She's a smart choice for the program as it heads into election coverage considering her history with both Bush and Marco Rubio. She's also one of the fiercest critics of Donald Trump the Republican party has to offer.
"So, I can tell you, I'm leading the 'Dump Trump Movement,'" she recently said on CNN. "If we want entertainment, go watch TV. But what we want is a president, and he just does not have the qualifications."
She also makes for good TV. Here she is shutting down a conservative writer and Trump supporter who told her she wasn't a real Latina. The YouTube thumbnail pic alone gives you a pretty good idea of how it went down.
After the dismissal of Rosie Perez, the show's only Latina host in the show's history, she also adds a much needed Hispanic voice to the show — albeit only occasionally.
Undoubtedly, the GOP establishment probably won't mind a strong Latina voice on a program popular among women.
Navarro quickly collected congratulations from Miami's Republican political establishment as well as Isiah Thomas. (She's a very well-connected woman.)
íFelicidades @ananavarro! Glad to see you'll keep bringing the Miami spice to @TheView! https://t.co/uZia4zIABk
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) August 25, 2015
Congrats to mi gran amiga @ananavarro on joining @TheView as a #political contributor. Let the fireworks begin! ¡Dale!
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 25, 2015
Congrats to my good friend @ananavarro @TheView looking forward to seeing you on the show!
— Isiah Thomas (@iamisiahthomas) August 25, 2015
Navarro is joined in the contributor role by Sherri Shepherd, Padma Lakshmi, Stacy London, and Molly Sims.