Hillary Clinton and Jedediah Bila
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Jedediah Bila shocked audiences when she departed The View on Monday - and according to a source, this sudden departure may have something to do with Hillary Clinton.

Clinton was on the show last Wednesday promoting her book What Happened, with conservative Bila calling her "tone deaf" and asking the former presidential candidate a tough question.

"To be fair, it hasn't just been Republicans who have taken issue with the writing of this book. Some Democrats have come out as well," Bila said to Clinton. "Former campaign surrogates of yours, former fundraisers and said, 'This book puts us in the past and we wanna move forward, we wanna figure out where to take this party, how to succeed in the future. And this places us in the past.' How do you respond to Democrats also coming out in criticism of you writing this?"

"I think they first should read the book," Clinton answered.


"There was a lot of staff who were upset about how that interview was handled," says the source, speculating that The View wants the former secretary of state to appear on the show multiple times. "They had a lot to say to Jedediah about calming things down."

We're told that Bila was signed on for the full season but "she left on her own accord," the source adds. "There were some things making her uncomfortable behind the scenes, but she loves the cast. She seems to be looking forward to sharing her view in a world where there seems to be only one worldview."

A rep for Bila declined to comment.

Show reps deny Bila's exit had anything to do with the Clinton interview, telling Page Six, "Jed asked good questions during that interview, and the producers were really pleased with how she handled it."

Senior executive producer Hilary Estey McLoughlin, as well as its two co-executive producers, Candi Carter and Brian Teta, sent a memo to The View staff Monday morning.

"As some of you heard this morning at our meeting, we have some bittersweet news to share. Jed is leaving our show, and today is her last day. She has new opportunities on the horizon, including her new book," read the internal note, obtained by Page Six.

"She's been a spirited voice at the table over the past year, asking smart questions and challenging us all to think. We want to thank Jed very much for all of her contributions and wish her great success with the next step in her career. She will always be part of The View family, and we'll welcome her back to talk about her new projects. Please join us in thanking Jed for her hard work, her dedication and her voice at the table."

According to reports, Meghan McCain is in talks to join the show.