Whoopi Goldberg on Thursday described the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk as "beyond devastating," warning that political violence threatens the ability of Americans to speak freely about their beliefs.
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday at a college campus event in Utah. Investigators said they had recovered a weapon and possessed "good footage" of the gunman, whom they described as being "college age," and on Thursday released two images of a person of interest as the search continued.
Speaking on ABC's The View, Goldberg said she was struggling to respond to the news and emphasized a fundamental element of American civic life. "I don't even know how to start this, because this is, it's just beyond devastating. Our hearts, of course, go out to the family of Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed yesterday on a college campus in Utah," she said. "Isn't a fundamental part of being an American that we are able to express our opinions to each other without fear, without this kind of horror happening?"
Goldberg said the episode fit a troubling pattern of politically motivated violence and argued it did not fall neatly along partisan lines. "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," she added.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former communications aide to President Donald Trump, said she hoped the killing would not chill public debate. "Listen, regardless of your politics, we have got to get to a place in this country where we see people we disagree with not as our enemies, but as fellow Americans with different viewpoints that we are willing to engage," she said. "I hope it doesn't have a chilling effect, whether you're left or right, on your ability to speak your mind."
Sara Haines praised Kirk's willingness to engage opponents and noted the irony of his death while advocating conversation. "Although we don't all align with his views, what I deeply aligned with was he said, 'When we stop talking, that's when things get bad.' The irony of a man who would go across the country to college campuses, that's the pinnacle of thought differences," she said.
Joy Behar referenced a history of political assassinations in the United States while Sunny Hostin said she was "heartbroken" and stressed the importance of the First Amendment. "I cannot believe that someone would kill another person because they were speaking their beliefs. This is antithetical to who we are as Americans," Hostin said.
Kirk, who co-founded the conservative student group Turning Point USA, is survived by his wife, Erika, and two children, according to comments on the program. News outlets and authorities reported vigils were being held across the country following his death.
Local and federal investigators have been conducting an active search for the person depicted in released images. Officials said a weapon had been recovered and that they had "good footage" of the suspect, but no arrest had been reported as of Thursday. The investigation remains ongoing and authorities asked anyone with information to come forward.
The episode on The View added to broad media and public attention on the killing, with panelists urging Americans to continue civil discourse and to reject political violence as a means of resolving disagreement.