The View’s Meghan McCain apologizes for injecting ‘hate’ into political debate

"The View" co-host Meghan McCain admitted that she doesn't always hold up her own standards in political debates -- and she emotionally apologized for one lapse, in particular.

The panelists were discussing a string of mail bombs sent to prominent critics of President Donald Trump, and McCain apologized for helping to promote fear and loathing against Hillary Clinton, who was targeted by one of those suspicious packages along with her husband.

"I've been doing so much soul-searching in my life right now," McCain said. "I talked to my producers beforehand, and I wanted to bring this up that I really try every day, I really try to come into work thinking about what rhetoric I'm going to put out into the world and what my father would have done if he was still here."

One comment, in particular, seemed to haunt McCain after this week's terrorism scare.

"Last year on this show I said 'I hate Hillary Clinton,' and I called her 'crooked Hillary,' and it's one of the things I regret doing," she said. "This is not saying that I agree with her. I have many vast differences of opinion on philosophy and ideology, and I didn't think she was a great candidate, but hate is word that should not be coming out of my mouth on television about someone of a different political persuasion."

She called on the president and others in the media to set a higher standard for themselves.

"I need to hold myself to the same standard that I would like to hold the president, and I implore everyone else in media because I think we should cop to our mistakes, and I'm damn sure going to continue doing what my father did," McCain said. "I thought, what have I done to contribute to the polarization in this country, and that is one thing that I can own that I did and I regret."