The hosts of “The View” were devastated on Monday’s show after body cam footage of Tyre Nichols’ arrest was released on Friday, showing the man brutally beaten by multiple officers, which eventually led to his death. As a result, moderator Whoopi Goldberg wondered if nationwide outrage would only happen if the victim was white.
For most of the episode, the hosts devoted their time to discussing Nichols and speaking with his family, after the 29-year-old Black man was pulled over on Jan. 7 for what police claimed was reckless driving. In the new video footage from his arrest, Nichols is seen calmly speaking to the officers, whose unit has since been disbanded, before attempting to run away on foot only after getting tased and beaten by them. Three days later, Nichols died in the hospital.
Whoopi admitted that she couldn’t bring herself to watch the brutal footage, and questioned how many more times video like this has to be released in order to see true reform “from the ground up.”
“Clearly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a white policeman or a Black policeman, it is a problem in the policing itself, you know?” Whoopi said. “Seems things don’t make sense to people unless it’s somebody they can feel, or they can recognize. But how many times do we have to — do we need to see white people also get beaten before anybody will do anything?”
The host immediately clarified that she was “not suggesting that” that happen or calling for violence of any sort. “I’m just asking: Is that what people have to see in order to wake up and realize this affects us all?” she said.
Meanwhile, both co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin noted they did watch the video, saying that, especially as white women, they felt it was important to do so and be aware of the brutality.
Farah Griffin even offered her take on what viable police reform could look like, which included a much stricter screening process for applicants, and sending mental health professionals to scenes of arrest to mediate and deescalate.
When the conversation eventually came back to Whoopi, she admitted that she doesn’t know what the exact solution might be, but that she liked what Farah Griffin was suggesting because “I’ve had it up to here with this s—.”
“I’m sick of this. You should be sick of this,” Whoopi said, prompting loud agreement from the audience. “Are we? Then make sure that when you have the opportunity to make the changes that need to be made, make ’em! Don’t sit around and just talk about them, let’s get something done. ‘Cause this is not gonna stop until we stop it. It is up to us.”
