You know her face.
You know her last name.
But how much do you really know about the late Senator John McCain's outspoken daughter?
Meghan McCain burst onto the scene in 2007, the year her father launched his second campaign
for president of the United States.
And while John McCain might not have won the election, Meghan certainly landed a hot seat
in American pop culture.
And since 2008, the politician's daughter has managed to stay relevant, thanks to talk
show appearances, the books and columns she's authored, and some controversial opinions.
Here's a look at the wild ride that's been Meghan McCain's life.
Stirring the pot
In 2007 McCain was determined to help her dad widen his appeal to younger voters.
And at only 22-years-old, she was perfect for the job.
She started the McCain Blogette, in an effort to reach a younger audience - but readers
didn't take to her honesty, sass, or sense of humor.
"There's a lot of people out there, especially young people, that aren't gonna beg to be
able to be allowed in the Republican party."
McCain told The New York Times that she was surprised by the negative reaction, saying,
"I just thought I was doing a fun thing, and that everyone would want to get in on it."
Just a little over a year later, her father's campaign manager banished McCain from her
dad's team for being "too controversial."
A fearless woman
In addition to being a political commentator, McCain is an author - three times over.
She published her first book, My Dad, John McCain in 2008 just months before the historic
election.
And her second book, Dirty Sexy Politics, was published two years later.
Finally, in 2012, McCain teamed up with actor and comedian Michael Ian Black to publish
America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom.
"Now they're like, 'Don't attack Meghan she's one of us.'
I was like, A new community.
Thank you!"
In the book, McCain praises her parents for allowing her to enjoy a childhood with more
freedom, writing:
"I truly believe [...] growing up in the Wild West has given me an independent perspective.
One of my father's strategists once described me as 'unnaturally fearless for a politician's
daughter.'"
From politics to Playboy
In March 2012, four years after John McCain lost the 2008 presidential election, Meghan
landed in the pages of Playboy.
And though she remained completely clothed, it seemed McCain was ready to shake off her
good girl image, via the mag's "20 Questions."
"It wasn't the photo that got so much attention.
I talked about sex as a conservative and it got a lot of attention."
But not everyone was excited about her feature.
McCain recalled how her father took issue with her Playboy debut, telling POLITICO,
"He was not pleased at all.
That's actually one of the few fights we've ever gotten in about things I've done publicly."
Fighting back the shamers
In 2011, Fox News host Glenn Beck took to his radio show to diss McCain's skin cancer
prevention PSA.
Beck repeatedly pretended to vomit…
"Watching this Meghan McCain video where she's naked…"
[Vomit sounds]
"Oh boy.
Wow.
That's…"
…and he said,
"When I look at that picture [of McCain], I think to myself, I get the point, put some
extra clothes on."
McCain was not impressed.
"It was just so hurtful, it was all over the internet, people were discussing it on
the news."
"Glenn Beck, he's so intellectual, it boggles the mind."
The blonde bombshell penned an article for The Daily Beast, where she clapped back at
Beck, writing,
"As a person known for his hot body, you must find it easy to judge the weight fluctuations
of others, especially young women."
Not your typical Republican
"You're a more modern Republican, I think than what people expect from the Republican
party.
Do you smoke pot?
"Um, on occasion, yes."
McCain identifies as a Republican, but some of her beliefs differ greatly from those of
her fellow party members.
"We are entirely different human beings, but I'm sure we can find a middle ground."
McCain believes in the seriousness of climate change - and she's not afraid to make it known.
After Hurricane Sandy made landfall in 2012, McCain took to Twitter to ask the GOP if the
natural disaster had changed their minds, writing, "So are we still going to go with
climate change not being real, fellow republicans?"
Another issue McCain feels strongly about is marriage equality.
She told Variety,
"I think any anti-equality rhetoric will be lethal [to the Republican party]."
Making her voice heard
In September 2017, it was announced that McCain would be joining The View as a regular host.
"Please welcome our new co-host Meghan McCain."
[Applause]
The news came soon after Jedediah Bila, The View's famously conservative co-host, gave
notice she would be leaving the program.
"This is still a different incarnation of the show, and I think I'm sort of a different
incarnation of conservatism."
Since joining the talk show, McCain has certainly made her opinions heard.
In February 2018, McCain found herself up against co-host Joy Behar over John Kelly's
reported knowledge of White House aide Rob Kelly's alleged spousal abuse.
"It is serious."
"Laughing at him being shocked."
"It is very serious and as a Republican I am offended."
"As a Democrat, I am offended by Republicans."
Similarly, in May 2018, McCain caused her co-hosts' tempers to flare when she used Michelle
Wolf's Correspondents' Dinner speech as an example of how conservatives are unfairly
bullied by the media.
"I would like to say…
I just feel like sometimes you just wanna lineup conservatives and throw grapefruits
at us."
Losing her father
Even though they've had their fair share of differences, Meghan was famously close with
her father.
And when he was diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2017, his daughter was devastated.
At the time, Meghan was in the midst of planning her November 2017 wedding to Ben Domenech.
She told People,
"I felt like a nuclear bomb went off in my life.
I was a mess.
I was barely functioning."
Following her father's death on August 25, 2018, Meghan released a powerful statement
that read, in part:
"I was with my father at his end, as he was with me at my beginning.
[…] Now that he is gone, the task of my lifetime is to live up to his example, his
expectations, and his love."
"Dad I love you, I always have."