The hosts of ABC’s The View offered somber condolences and condemned political violence Thursday morning after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot the previous day at a Utah college campus.
Whoopi Goldberg called the attack “beyond devastating,” and the panel expressed sympathy for Kirk’s wife and two children during a segment that followed a public warning from former co-host Meghan McCain, who urged her former colleagues on X to show “even mildly decent” empathy to “the millions of heartbroken conservatives in this country.”
Kirk, 31, was shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, during the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour.” Video widely circulated on social media showed the commentator slump over before he was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. Investigators say the gunman fired from a nearby campus rooftop and fled the scene; authorities have said a suspect remained at large.
On The View, Alyssa Farah Griffin said she felt for Kirk’s wife, Erika, and their young children and called for Americans to view political opponents as fellow citizens rather than enemies. Sara Haines noted the irony that Kirk’s on-campus series was titled “Prove Me Wrong,” recalling his insistence that open discussion was essential. “When we stop talking, that’s when things get bad,” Haines said, adding, “There’s never a place for political violence.”
Goldberg asked whether free expression without fear is a “fundamental part of being an American,” saying the country appears to be seeing such horrors more frequently. Joy Behar referenced historical political assassinations from the 1960s and said the nation was in a “traumatic period” but expressed belief the country could recover.
McCain posted on X shortly before The View aired, writing, “If my former colleagues at The View have even three brain cells left between all of them, they will do nothing but attempt to be even mildly decent this morning to the millions of heartbroken conservatives in this country.” The show’s hosts did not say on air whether they had seen her post.
Outside the talk-show circuit, celebrities and commentators voiced shock and condemnation. Comedian Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show that political violence begets more violence and expressed hope the attack was the act of a lone “madman.” Actor Charlie Sheen, appearing on a podcast, called the killing “murdered for having a different opinion.”
Law enforcement agencies have been investigating the incident on the Orem campus. Authorities have confirmed Kirk was shot while speaking with students and that the investigation remains active; they have urged anyone with information to come forward. As of Thursday, officials had not publicly identified a suspect or announced any arrests.
The shooting rekindled debate about political rhetoric and safety at public events, with voices across the political spectrum calling for restraint and for the protection of civil discourse. The View’s panel emphasized that protecting the ability to speak openly on college campuses and elsewhere is essential, and several hosts warned against allowing the attack to chill public discussion.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and university and local officials have said they will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. The incident has prompted renewed calls from public figures and campus leaders for increased security at events and for efforts to reduce political polarization that speakers and attendees say can contribute to violence.
