Whoopi Goldberg calls Charlie Kirk assassination 'beyond devastating' for American discourse

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"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg decried political violence on Thursday while reacting to the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk and said no one should be afraid to speak out about their views.

"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," Goldberg said. "I mean, 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?

"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."

Kirk was assassinated Wednesday at a campus event in Utah. A suspect remains on the run Thursday, and investigators revealed they have recovered a weapon and have "good footage" of the gunman, whom they described as being "college age." Investigators released two images of a "person of interest."

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Goldberg cited several other examples of political violence and said, "This is not how we do it. And we say this every time, but somehow it's not resonating. And I hope that young Republicans never forget that they have a voice. It's already been proved. They have a voice. We all have voices. We should never be afraid."

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former communications aide to President Donald Trump, said she hoped the assassination would not affect Americans' ability to speak their minds.

"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," Griffin said. 

"I hope it doesn't have a chilling effect, whether you're left or right, on your ability to speak your mind. I know the one thing we all agree about on this table, we all share points and we should be able to do that without fear."

VIGILS HELD ACROSS US AFTER ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK: 'WE MUST HEAL'

Co-host Sara Haines said she aligned with Kirk's willingness to debate and speak to people who disagreed with him. 

"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," Haines said. 

"He would talk to people openly who disagreed. It's what we try to exemplify every day and say this is what we need more of. So, the irony of being violently killed while saying those words of what we need more of in this country, I know all of us agree on that part, as there's never a place for political violence."

Co-host Joy Behar reflected on the "scary time" of the 1960s, mentioning the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, among others.

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Co-host Sunny Hostin also said she was heartbroken over Kirk, who is survived by his wife, Erika, and two children.

"I cannot believe that someone would kill another person because they were speaking their beliefs. You know, this is antithetical to who we are as Americans. The First Amendment is the First Amendment for a reason. We should be able to voice whatever opinions we have," she said.