Elisabeth Hasselbeck Makes Her ‘Fox & Friends’ Debut
Elisabeth Hasselbeck wasted no time in her debut on Fox & Friends early Monday morning. After handing the guys new coffee mugs, and speed-marveling at the new set, she sat down on the new curvy couch, dismissed her time on The View with a couple nice comments (Barbara Walters is like “the best surgeon”) — ditto Survivor and her college softball team —
then jumped right in to a new report claiming Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi investigation let top officials off the hook. Barely pausing for breath, she and the guys began to debate the shocking disparity between the questions asked of the two Miss America finalists the previous night. One finalist got asked about the Obama administration’s threats to attack Syria over the use of chemical weapons — the other about Miley Cyrus twerking at the VMAs and nude music video. “In defense…in our home, twerking is a weapon of mass destruction,” Hasselbeck said. “I see nothing wrong.”
Related: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Says Fox & Friends Co-Hosts Already Like Brothers
Hasselbeck, in a chic sleeveless lavender dress, joined Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, in the position formerly held by Gretchen Carlson, who moved out Friday and will helm a one-hour daytime show on the cable news network. Carlson got sheet-caked on her final day on the show she started on in 2006 — one year after joining FNC. Ironically, Carlson did not get to weigh in on Monday’s segment about Miss America question disparity — she’d exited the show on the 25th anniversary of her having been crowned Miss America. In July, Fox News announced Hasselbeck would leave ABC’s The View and join F&F this month.
Related: Gretchen Carlson Sheet-Caked As She Exits Fox & Friends
Back on July 10, Fox News Channel‘s morning show got a big fat plug on ABC when outgoing The View co-host Hasselbeck announced specifics of her Fox News Channel future eschewing the “pursue other opportunities” shilly-shallying that usually occurs when on-air talent switches teams. “I’m happy you’re going,” Walters told Hasselbeck at the start of the latter’s last day on the show. “No, I’m NOT! I’m happy it’s good for you!” Walters continued, struggling to get back on script. That day, Hasselbeck told Walters she felt well-prepared to join F&F in the fall because, for the past decade on The View, “I’ve attended the Barbara Walters School of Broadcasting and Journalism.”
Related: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Plugs Fox & Friends Gig As She Exits The View
“Today is going to be her last day over there at the Barbara Walters yakfest,” Doocy said on F&F that morning. “Can you imagine? She’s going to get the chance to be on a show where they let her talk,” Kilmeade marveled. Four months earlier, Babs used The View to denounce the “particularly false story that keeps getting picked up about Elisabeth’s alleged departure” when word of Hasselbeck’s exit first got out, citing focus-group testing and softening ratings. “We have no plans for Elisabeth to leave the show,” former journalist Babs added, as the studio audience erupted into applause.
Related: The View Re-Boot Said To Include Exits Of Behar, Hasselbeck And Walters
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