Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump, suggested conservative commentator Meghan McCain was a coward when The View host seemed to dodge her appearance on the show.

       Ms Trump was appearing on The View to promote her new book, Reckoning, in which she explains the “national trauma” caused by the former president.

       Ms McCain, the show's resident conservative voice, skipped the segments in which Ms Trump appeared.

       Before she took her shot as Ms McCain, Ms Trump was asked about a recent poll suggesting Donald Trump Jr was a favourite potential presidential candidate among Republicans.

       Ms Trump said: “I think that says a lot more about the Republican party than it says about anything else”, adding that she did not know whether or not the former president's son was seriously considering running for office.

       Recommended Pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell pulls his MyPillow ads from Fox News ‘I’m back’: Ex-con Blagojevich sues for right to run again Trump moved donated money to his own business, filing shows

       “What I do know is that one thing Donald proved is that using racism as a platform was successful, and I think that’s why we see so much strife in this country, and we need to continue having the kinds of conversations about race and gender that you have,” she said.

       She also laid the “unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans” at the feet of Mr Trump, accusing him of mismanagement during the coronavirus pandemic.

       Ms Trump noted that The View was an “incredibly powerful platform”, before taking a shot as Ms McCain for skipping out on the segment.

       “I think the more we talk openly about these things – it's a shame that your colleague didn't have the courage to come on and have this conversation with me – but I appreciate that you were all willing to take up these very difficult subjects because racism in my view is at the heart of everything that's wrong in 21st century America,” she said.

       Before Ms Trump's appearance, Ms McCain spent an earlier segment complaining about comedian Kathy Griffin, who recently announced she has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Ms Griffin was likely in surgery while Ms McCain was making her comments.

       The conservative commentator said she did not like Ms Griffin and that she was “never going to like her” for joking about the sexuality of her friend Clay Aiken before he came out as gay more than a decade ago.

       Recommended Tokyo Olympics: MAGA conservatives celebrate loss of US women’s soccer team Dems ask McCarthy to recant Pelosi taunt as tensions rise Mexico president downplays sparse turnout in referendum vote

       The women have clashed on The View in the past. On a previous appearance, Ms Trump and Ms McCain – whose father is the late Senator John McCain – clashed when the conservative accused the former president's niece of “cashing in” on her family name.

       “Well, you're entirely entitled to your opinion,” Ms Trump replied.