In a recent episode of ‘The View,’ Whoopi Goldberg took a moment to defend Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker amid the controversy surrounding his recent public comments. Butker’s speech, delivered at a Catholic college, has sparked widespread debate, with many questioning his views on gender roles and other societal issues.

Goldberg, a staunch advocate for free speech, expressed her support for Butker’s right to voice his beliefs, even though she does not share them. “I like when people say what they need to say,” Goldberg, an EGOT winner, 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 drew a parallel between respecting Butker’s right to speak and supporting Colin Kaepernick’s right to kneel during the national anthem. “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 explained. Goldberg criticized the notion of silencing those with differing opinions, adding, “The man who says he wants to be president, You-Know-Who, he says the way to act is to take away people’s right to say how they feel. We don’t want to be that. We don’t want to be those people.”

Co-host Sara Haines, while also disagreeing with Butker’s comments, echoed Goldberg’s sentiment, arguing against calls for Butker to be removed from the team. “I don’t think people should be ‘shut down or fired’ for their views,” Haines said, referencing the backlash and petitions aimed at Butker.

Goldberg further emphasized the importance of protecting free speech, regardless of the content. “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. It happens to us all the time,” she remarked.

Goldberg’s defense of Butker underscores a broader conversation about the balance between free speech and accountability. While many disagree with Butker’s views, Goldberg and her co-hosts highlighted the necessity of allowing diverse perspectives to be expressed without fear of retribution. This episode of ‘The View’ serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle to uphold the principles of free speech in a society increasingly divided over its application.