Whoopi Goldberg and her fellow panelists on The View have been discussing the recent controversy surrounding Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker‘s commencement speech at Benedictine College. Butker’s speech, which criticized abortion, euthanasia, IVF, surrogacy, and the LGBTQ community, and promoted the idea that women should embrace being “homemakers,” sparked significant backlash on social media.

Goldberg defended Butker’s right to express his views, even though she does not share them. “I like when people say what they need to say,” Goldberg stated. “He’s at a Catholic college, he’s a staunch Catholic. These are his beliefs, and he’s welcome to them. I don’t have to believe them, I don’t have to accept them, the ladies that were sitting in that audience don’t have to accept them.”

Goldberg emphasized the importance of respecting different viewpoints, comparing it to the respect sought for Colin Kaepernick‘s protests. “The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours,” she said.

Co-host Sara Haines also disagreed with Butker’s comments but argued against punishing people for their views. “I don’t think people should be ‘shut down or fired’ for their views,” she said, referencing calls for Butker to be removed from the Chiefs. However, Haines disagreed with Goldberg’s comparison to Kaepernick, noting that Kaepernick was advocating for social justice, while Butker’s comments are “divergent from the majority of Catholics.”

The View panelists clash over Butker’s remarks

Alyssa Farah Griffin acknowledged agreeing with some of Butker’s points but criticized his remarks on the LGBTQ community and the “tradwife homemaker” concept. “He chose to target the LGBTQ community,” she said. “There was a way you could speak with humility about the beliefs you stand for, but you can’t alienate certain parts of the scripture.”

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Sunny Hostin found Butker’s comments problematic, particularly towards the LGBTQ community. “He said it was sinful behavior,” she noted. Hostin highlighted that Pope Francis has been more supportive of the LGBTQ community than any previous Catholic leader and pointed out that President Joe Biden, also a Catholic, understands the separation of church and state.

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Goldberg reiterated her stance on free speech, stating, “When you say to somebody, ‘I don’t like what you said, and so I’m going to get your job taken away because you disagree with me,’ for me that’s an issue.”