Elisabeth Hasselbeck has a much shorter fuse than you probably thought ... but it's been revealed in this audio of a backstage tirade at Barbara Walters during a taping of "The View."
The explosive audio was recorded in 2006 after the hosts talked about the so-called morning-after pill -- Elisabeth was incensed and argued against it very passionately on the air. Barbara cut her off and told Elisabeth she needed to discuss things calmly "and not go so crazy that you don't listen to anybody's opinion."
As they went to commercial, Elisabeth was clearly pissed. She stormed off, but was still wearing a mic and then blew up!!! She raged to Joy Behar, "F**k that! I'm not going to sit there and get reprimanded on the air!"
She went on, "What the f**k? I don't even swear. She has me swearing. This woman is driving me nuts!!"
Variety obtained the audio of the incident ... which is described in a newly released book called, "Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of 'The View.'"
Elisabeth is already apologizing, saying, "I am quite humanly reactive. I used bad words when frustrated. I was pregnant with Taylor and a big conversation about the value and the lives of the unborn took place at the View. It was a battle -but not of the flesh. I used fighting words because I believe that God decides the value of the lives of babies."
She added, "I used big battle words (one in particular that I am not proud of and am sorry for using in the heat of trying to defend the lives of the unborn)."