The 33-year-old was just named a permanent co-host on 'The View.'
Alyssa Farah Griffin can spar with the best of them. That was part of her job as a former White House director of strategic communications during President Donald Trump's administration, and she held her own during what amounted to be her tryout to be the next co-host on The View. Still, there was an intimidation factor during her time as a regular guest co-host this past season, and two of her fellow panelists stood out.
The 33-year-old revealed to ET's Rachel Smith that debating Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin came with its own set of challenges. For starters, Behar is known for not pulling any punches, especially when it comes to her own convictions. Secondly, coming in prepared is paramount, and Griffin credits Hostin for underscoring that notion.
"So it's funny, I came in most afraid of Joy," she tells ET. "She's an icon, but the thing with Joy is she's so funny that when she does really come after you, she ends with humor, which is the best."
A cut that's kind of like a tickle, if you will.
"Exactly," Griffin agrees. "I'm like, I can deal with that. And Sunny is someone who I love and I adore her because she's brilliant. She's prepared and, like, you are not gonna get by just doing talking points and thinking that she's not gonna come back at you with, like, a whole list of receipts. And so they've both been intimidating, but excellent to work with, and I think iron sharpens iron. Like, I'd rather be debating very smart people because I think that makes me better and more informed in my viewpoints."
On Thursday, Griffin and fellow conservative Ana Navarro were named the newest co-hosts on The View, joining Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Behar and Hostin at the table. Griffin had been a regular guest co-host this past season, and the Republican communications director is expected to bring a conservative bend to the show following Meghan McCain's exit after four seasons.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Griffin felt compelled to reach out to another fellow conservative who has extensive experience in the lion's den, one Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who left the show nearly a decade ago in 2013.
"I had a fabulous conversation, actually, yesterday with Elizabeth Hasselbeck," Griffin says. "She was just a doll and a dream. I was a huge fan of hers. I mean, 10 years ago when she was on the show and she was 25 when she started. So, I was like, 'Girl, I am proud of you 'cause I could not have done this at 25,' and she had great advice. She said, 'The team is amazing. Lean on them. Lean on the women. Invest in the relationships off-screen. And bring the sport to the table and you'll enjoy it.' So, I really appreciated that."
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