"People being taken out because of their beliefs" - The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg speaks out on Charlie Kirk's assassination

On the September 11, 2025 episode, co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, of ABC's The View, reflected on conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered the previous day with a gunshot during a campus event at Utah Valley University (in Orem, Utah). Goldberg referred to the event as "beyond devastating" and expressed grief for Kirk's wife, Erika, and their two young children while reminding everyone that we don’t just need to be concerned about Kirk; we should all be concerned about free speech.

During a heartbreaking segment of ABC's The View, Whoopi Goldberg spoke about this tragedy, saying,

 “And it seems to be something we have been seeing more and more of, and it’s not even left or right. It’s just people being taken out because of their beliefs and their thoughts."

And she took note that violence against beliefs was on the upswing, regardless of whether you fall on the political right or left. She referenced the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the attack on Paul Pelosi, as well as the murders of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband.

Haines placed special emphasis on Kirk's love for debating, quoting him saying,

"When we stopped talking, that's when stuff gets bad."

while praising Kirk's "Prove Me Wrong" tours on campuses as demonstrations of open discussion, even if ideologies collided. Griffin, a former Trump communications adviser, hoped not to view one's political adversaries as enemies, and believes that the tragedy does not lead to a "chilling effect" on free speech for conservatives or liberals.

The cost of conviction: Political violence silences a voice

The murder of Charlie Kirk, a divisive figure known for right-wing activism, is a shocking escalation in America’s plight with political violence. Officials have recovered a weapon and video showing of the college-aged perpetrator - Tyler Robinson of the murder whose father later turned him in to the police.

The panel discouraged political violence in an unusual show of unity, commending the bipartisan responses from politicians asking for a healing of the nation. Behar thought about the "scary time" of the 1960s as well as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. Kirk's participation in angry discussions on campuses bothered some people but also meant he became a lightning rod for the issues of free speech and freedom of expression. The co-hosts fear that this tragedy may shut down free expression because everyone may be scared to talk.

Vigils nationwide honor Kirk, survived by his wife, Erika, and two children, while X posts reflect public anguish and calls for unity. The incident raises a critical question among the citizens: whether America can reclaim civil discourse before more voices are lost.

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