Whoopi Goldberg Forced To Walk Back Her Claim That ICE Agents Are “Violent Criminals” On ‘The View’: “It’s Nuanced Speaking”

Whoopi Goldberg was forced to walk back her comments on this morning’s episode of The View after seemingly implying that everyone working for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a “violent criminal.”

The co-hosts opened today’s broadcast with a conversation about Renée Nicole Good, the American woman who was shot and killed by an ICE agent last week, and the anti-ICE protests that broke out over the weekend as a result of her murder.

With United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and many in President Donald Trump’s administration defending the ICE agent, claiming he acted in self-defense after Good allegedly accelerated her car in his direction, Goldberg said on The View that there have been “a lot of red flags” regarding the tragedy.

“In spite of everything, you still have the right to protest,” she added. “What we’ve seen is how people normally protest in this country, when agitators don’t jump in to help. This is what protest looks like. People were protesting all over the country. People needed to get to the point where they said, ‘It’s not them. It’s me. It’s all of us.’”

Goldberg then took aim at Trump’s promises to deport only undocumented violent criminals.

“Nobody wants this. This is not what you said they were gonna be doing,” she said. “This is the thing. You said you were going after the bad guys. That’s what you said. The violent criminals. And what does it turn out? The violent criminals seem to be in the agency.”

When the show returned from the commercial break, Goldberg walked back her claim that those who work for ICE are “violent criminals.”

“Before we go on, before folks gather around and say, ‘Oh, she’s accusing all of the folks in ICE of being criminals,’ that is not what I’m doing,” she clarified. “Just so I’m clear, it feels sometimes that there is no one watching the henhouse. Before y’all start blowing it into all kinds of other stuff, just know that it’s nuanced speaking.”

Sunny Hostin interjected, explaining that Goldberg was actually speaking to the “lack of accountability” by the administration.

“You’ve had nine shootings by ICE agents against various people,” she said. “We haven’t heard much reporting on it and no one’s being held accountable and we don’t know the status of the investigation, so that does feel like there’s a lack of accountability and transparency.”

Goldberg added, “You are very kind and I appreciate it.”

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.