'The View' co-host Ana Navarro offers one key reason for why she still identifies as a Republican

Former Republican strategist and vocal critic of President Donald Trump Ana Navarro explained to actor Michael Douglas on Tuesday's "The View" that she only stays registered as a Republican voter so she can influence the primaries in Florida.

"I have to ask you something," Douglas began. "I've admired you now so much for the last couple of years … But why aren't you independent? How can you still be a Republican?"

Navarro, her co-hosts and the audience erupted in laughter.

"I'll tell you why, because I live in Florida where the primaries are closed, and I want to be able to vote in the primaries and vote against those sons of b----es," Navarro said, adding, she hoped to "make a difference in the primaries."

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"The View" co-host Ana Navarro explained to Michael Douglas why she's still a Republican on Tuesday's show. (ABC/TheView)

Over the years, Navarro has faced criticism from conservatives for identifying as a Republican while advocating for many of the same policies as her left-leaning co-hosts. Navarro also was a host at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

During an interview this week with Entertainment Weekly, Navarro addressed those criticisms directly.

"I’d argue that anybody who espouses the same views as Donald Trump isn’t much of a traditional Republican," Navarro said. "I’m not going to be lectured to about what a Republican is or isn’t."

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"The View" co-host Ana Navarro explained that she still identifies as a Republican in order to still be able to influence primary races in her state. (Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

In 2019, Navarro explained to her co-hosts that she had previously supported former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential bid, noting she identifies as an "old-fashioned Republican."

When a co-host pressed her for more details on what this means, Navarro said she believed in free trade, strong foreign policy, and is "pro-immigration."

This point of debate came up again in 2022 when she was confronted by co-host Sunny Hostin, over why she still sees herself as a Republican.

"Why are you still a Catholic?" responded Navarro. "You don’t agree with everything about the Catholic Church."

Last month, ABC and "The View" faced scrutiny after Navarro urged viewers to vote for a Democratic candidate in a key congressional race in Florida.

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Ana Navarro speaks during Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 20, 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Republican consultant Mary Marslender spoke to Fox News Digital and argued that Navarro is nothing more than a token "fake Republican" for "The View."

"Ana Navarro doesn’t represent a broader phenomenon of GOP dissidents; she represents a total grift," she said. "She hasn’t supported anything from her supposed party in over a decade, but she won’t surrender her Republican voting card because it’s a credential that gets her on news programs."

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"‘The View’ needs a fake Republican who will constantly criticize actual Republicans, the president, and party donors, and she’s keeping the title because it’s her business plan to pull the Republican card meaninglessly," Marslender added. 

Fox News' Kristine Parks contributed to this story.

Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Alexander.hall@fox.com.