Abigail Haight Huntsman

Abigail Haight Huntsman, born May 1, 1986, is an American journalist. Huntsman is the daughter of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., and Mary Kaye Huntsman. She rose to fame as a host for MSNBC and NBC News. After becoming a general assignment reporter on Fox News Channel, and later a cohost on Fox & Friends Weekend, Huntsman was promoted to host. From September 2018 to January 2020, Huntsman hosted The View on ABC.

Early life

Abigail Haight Huntsman was a Philadelphia native. Although she was born in Utah, she spent many years living in Asia including Taiwan and Singapore. Huntsman graduated East High School, and she attended the University of Utah her freshman year of college. Her father was running for governor. After graduating from East High School, Huntsman transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. She received a Bachelor of Arts in political science communications.

Career

Ari Melber, Krystal Bal, Toure, Huntsman on The Cycle 2013

Huntsman was 16 years old when she worked behind the scenes at Good Morning America. According to Huntsman, she was so unhappy with the job that she considered quitting television. Huntsman interned at Diane Sawyer while attending University of Pennsylvania. Huntsman was impressed by Sawyer’s presentation of herself and her manner of presenting the news. She later said, “I always think about her as someone I hope to emulate.”

Later, she became the host and producer of HuffPost Live. She was also a regular guest on CNN.

Huntsman joined MSNBC’s The Cycle in July 2013 to fill the vacancy left by S.E. Cupp. After Ari Melber, Huntsman was the second host replacement to join the show. Huntsman sought conservative views for the show and denied that her relationship to the Huntsmans had any influence on her landing the job. She said she “went through the exact same audition process as everyone else”, in contrast to a field with hundreds of candidates. MSNBC cancelled The Cycle in July 2015. Huntsman was the first to leave the network.

Huntsman joined Fox News Channel in October 2015 as a general assignment reporter. She covered the news of each day on the network’s primetime and daytime programs. In December 2016, she was appointed Fox & Friends Weekend’s new co-host. On August 12, 2018, she made her last appearance as a cohost on the program.

Huntsman joined ABC’s long-running talk show The View in September 2018 as a cohost with Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg. She made her debut on the 22nd season premiere on September 4, 2018. Along with her co-hosts, Huntsman was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show host in 2019. Huntsman, who announced her departure from The View in January 2020 to be a senior advisor for her father’s 2020 Utah governoral election campaign, made her last appearance on The View’s January 17 episode. Her father lost the 2020 Republican gubernatorial election in Utah.

Personal life

Huntsman was married to Jeffrey Bruce Livingston in 2010. They have three children, two daughters and one son.

Huntsman is a Republican. Huntsman is no longer an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Huntsman and Margaret Hoover, her former View cohost Meghan McCain, published an ad supporting gay marriage in the early part of 2013. “I believe it’s a generational issue and I think you’ll see more Republicans support the right to marry. That movement is a proud and happy one.