Whoopi Goldberg is defending Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker over the sexist, anti-LGBTQ+ speech he gave at a college commencement that encouraged graduating women to focus on being homemakers.
On this morning’s episode of The View, Goldberg stood up for Butker — whose controversial speech sparked a petition demanding that he get fired from the NFL team.
“I like when people say what they need to say. He’s at a Catholic college. He’s a staunch Catholic,” she said. “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 do not have to accept them.”
Goldberg continued, “The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different than ours. I’m OK with him saying whatever he says.”
However, the rest of the co-hosts weren’t as forgiving as Goldberg. Sara Haines claimed Butker is “not walking with Jesus” by “misinterpreting” the Bible and “lying by omission,” while Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sunny Hostin called out the athlete’s problematic comments about the LGBTQ+ community.
Before Joy Behar could offer her take, Goldberg chimed back in to reiterate her stance.
“I have the right to say what I say. He has the right to say what he says. And whether he believes — Joy, stop that. Stop it,” a frustrated Goldberg said, to which Behar cheekily replied, “I’m looking at [executive producer] Brian [Teta].”
Goldberg snapped, “No, I know. But I can see you and I know that you want to get in here and you know that I always make sure that you do.”
After Behar explained that she was simply watching the clock, Goldberg fired back, “Like me, I watch the clock every day. But I want to finish this because it’s one of the few times I’m getting in to make a point.”
The EGOT recipient eventually concluded her point, telling the co-hosts, “When you say to somebody, ‘I don’t like what you said so I’m gonna get your job taken away because you disagree with me,’ for me that is an issue. Because it does happen to us. It happens to us all the time. That is why I am standing up for him.”
Once she wrapped up, Goldberg finally gave Behar the floor.
“I was gonna say something completely out of the field. I don’t think this is a political issue,” the comedian began. “I think he has mother issues.”
The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.