Ana Navarro Reveals Why She Didn't Move to New York City for The View : 'You Think I'm Crazy?'
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After nearly a decade of appearing on The View, Ana Navarro was named a permanent co-host last month for season 26. But just because she'll be on the show in a more defined role doesn't mean she'll be relocating to the Big Apple anytime soon.
"Every New Yorker I know has moved to Miami. You think I'm crazy enough to be the only Miamian who moves to New York?" Navarro, 50, tells PEOPLE with a laugh. "No, I am not moving to New York City. My husband and I live in Miami, I have a life that I love there. I have way too much going on there to give up."
Instead, Navarro says she'll "do what so many other professional do" and commute to work — though an airplane is involved in her case.
"I'm going to fly back and forth, twice a week, as I did most of last season," she says, in an interview coincidentally conducted as she heads to the airport after a show. "It's four planes a week, but it's worth it to be able to balance my work life and my personal life."
Navarro has been a regular on The View since July 2013, first as a contributor on the Emmy-winning ABC daytime talk show and then as a weekly guest co-host, a position she nabbed in November 2018.
She'll appear this season in a similar capacity as she has previously, filling in a few days a week like on Fridays.
Being offered the gig as a permanent co-host was a honor, she says, even after all these years. "The platform that The View affords is unparalleled," the political commentator explains. "And for me, representation is something that guides my life. I know how much it means to me — as a young Nicaraguan immigrant who came here as a refugee — to see Latino woman like me on television every day, speaking her mind."
"This show, The View is a place for diverse opinions, diverse life experiences. Having different women from different walks of life and different life experiences is very important. So when given the opportunity, how could I not accept it?"
Lou Rocco/ABC Ana Navarro
View watchers know that Navarro has never been shy to share her opinions on the show, often criticizing those the members of her own Republican party who have stood by former President Donald Trump.
"I've been a Republican all my life, but I try to live my life less by partisan labels and more about values and principles," she tells PEOPLE. "All of us are who we are plus our life experiences. I don't like Trump and I want to speak truth to power and call out injustices regardless of party, regardless of ideology. Because I care more about about truth vs. fiction — that's what guides me."
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Asked if she nervous about a Trump 2024 run, Navarro says she plans to deal with that when the time comes.
"If he runs, I'll be worried. Right now, I've got bigger things to worry about," she says. "I'm worried about the hostility in our country. I'm worried about children getting killed in schools. I'm worried about the LGBTQ community being targeted. I'm worried about the racial tensions in our country. I'm worried about the division and polarization of our nation. That's my focus."
"Should he run, I'm going to fight him with every fiber of my being as I have done every single day since he announced in 2016," she adds.
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Until then, Navarro is going to stay focused on making sure her perspective is clear on the show — and adding levity when she can.
"My coping mechanisms are margaritas and humor," she teases. "Even the toughest moments in life, a little humor can help you get through the day. So that's why I probably try to lighten things up so often. The political dysfunction in our world is so absurd sometimes that you've got to just laugh at it or you'll cry."
And as for those constant flights between Miami and New York City, Navarro looks on the bright side, telling PEOPLE they've taught her with some killer travel tips.
"I'm not the expert when it comes to flying," Navarro says. "For example, I tell people, never, ever — under any circumstance — check a bag. I don't care if you have to wear the same pants five times, it's way easier than losing you luggage or having to deal with baggage claim. I also suggest getting TSA PreCheck. And to be nice to all the flight attendants because it gets you a lot more than being nasty. Oh, and always, no matter what class of service you're flying, bring food and a drink onto the plane because if you have a delay and you get stuck on that tarmac for three hours, you're really going to wish you had a sandwich with you."
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The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
