‘What the Hell?!’ Whoopi SPITS at Paper for Publishing Leaked Uvalde Video

Things got emotionally heated during ABC’s The ViewOn Wednesday, Whoopi Goldberg was co-host and raged at The Austin American-StatesmanTexas newspaper published leaked video footage from the Uvalde Elementary School during the massacre. Yelling at the camera, Goldberg spit at the paper (or at least pretended to) and demanded to know “what the hell” they were thinking by leaving in the sound of gunshots (while also initially leaving in the sounds of crying and screaming children).

“This story really, really makes me insane,” Goldberg declared leading into the “hot topic.” “Now, many parents of victims are outraged this was released, but the paper is defending their decision.” She then launched into a takedown that ends with her spitting at the paper:

It is indefensible. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You didn’t need to do that. This video was going to be seen by them on Sunday. This video was not necessary to be released and leaked. This is appalling. You should feel ashamed. You can see it every time you look around. You guys are probably married, I’m not sure. But shame on them! Shame on you! I’m sure it isn’t meant to be, but [spits]Shame on you

Sunny Hostin, Sunny’s co-host, agreed with Sunny that families ought to have seen the video first. They were supposed to view the video Sunday but it was leaked first. But that gave way to the point that “you have to balance freedom of the press and the need for the public to see certain things and, of course, privacy.”

Hostin praised the video because it busted the police “narrative …that they rushed in and they did all they could do, and they were these heroes. And now we know what really happened, that they were actually cowards in that moment when we needed them.”

She went on to praise “the ubiquitousness of cameras” these days and how they’re “such a great investigative tool.” Goldberg interjected to demand: “Then take the sound out. They didn’t need to leave the gunshots in. Was that really necessary?!”

Journalist and host of ABC’s Nightline, Juju Chang sympathized with Goldberg and tried to bridge the divide commending her on her “big” heart, but recalled that the executive editor of the paper “said that he felt we had to bear witness to history. Transparency was essential. And that truth always wins, and the truth will prevail.”

She also pointed to ABC’s apparent policies on what could be considered “gratuitous” use of inflammatory or traumatic video, citing their cut back on the George Floyd video and 9/11 footage:

This is something I can say, as a journalist. The Kobe Bryant tragedy and other leaks that felt gratuitous, or the George Floyd tape, and how ABC News decided to restrict it after a specific point. You were vocal about that, too. Even 9/11 and the flights into the towers. Out of respect for the families, we were extremely circumspect in not using that video.

Trying to please the liberals at the table by suggesting she “agree[s] with all perspectives on this,” faux Republican guest co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin credited the “heartbreaking, endless footage of George Floyd” with “the social justice movement” gaining “such a strength in the summer of 2020.”

“It can become gratuitous, but I do think there’s something about seeing it that invokes change,” she said, touting the movement that resulted in swaths of American cities being burned to the ground and innocent people being killed.

Nearing the end of the segment, Goldberg did say that she does “appreciate” what the video did to expose the lies of the cowardly cops. But her focus was still on the paper putting it out “without giving [the parents] the opportunity to re-steel themselves.”

She does have a point, but just because the paper put it out doesn’t necessarily mean the parents would see it. If they don’t see the headline, or the video itself, they may be able to ignore it.

Below is the transcript. Click “expand to read:

ABC’s The View
June 13, 2022
Eastern, 11:28.54

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Hello again. The story is truly amazing. This is The Austin American-Statesman newspaper just leaked video – that we’re not going to show you – of the Uvalde police officers standing down for 77 minutes as the shooter shot 19 students and two teachers. Many parents are furious that this video was leaked, but the newspaper is standing by their decision.

It is indefensible. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You didn’t need to do that. This video was going to be seen by them on Sunday. This video was not necessary to be released and leaked. This is appalling. You should feel ashamed. You can see it every time you look around. It’s not clear if the guys at that newspaper are parents, but it is shameful. Shame on you — Although I don’t think it means anything, [spits]You are a shame.

[Applause]

SUNNY HOSTIN – We had this conversation earlier. My feelings were different in that I felt the parents had to be — must have seen it first. However, I feel that there is a balance to freedom of speech and the right of the public to view certain items and to maintain privacy.

Now, I believe that the police told a story about how they ran in to help and were heroes. And now we know what really happened, that they were actually cowards in that moment when we needed them—

GOLDBERG [interrupting]Sunny: We knew it when we saw the parents fighting to reach their children.

HOSTIN: But the thing is through history we’ve always had this police narrative, and we didn’t have anything to combat it, and now with the ubiquitousness of cameras, now we finally know – like let’s say for example, with black people, they always say, “but I didn’t do anything, and, you know, the police beat me up.” Now we know what really happened because of those cameras out there.

[Applause]

JUJUCHANGE: Then I will tell you —

HOSTIN – As an ex-prosecutor, it was a fantastic investigative tool.

GOLDBERG (Then, take the sound out. They didn’t need to leave the gunshots in. Was that really necessary?!

HOSTIN: I agree it’s such – it’s such a difficult balancing act, but it’s so important that we be able to, as the public, be able to – videos in my view lead to just results, increased training, awareness. This can change public perceptions.

CHANG: I will just say, and your heart is so big, Whoopi, and I know I feel your pain, but I also feel like— The executive editor of the Austin American-StatesmanHe said that he believed we must bear witness to the history. Transparency was essential. The truth is always right, and it will win.

This is something I can say, as a journalist. The Kobe Bryant tragedy and other leaks that felt gratuitous, or the George Floyd tape, and the way we, ABC news, decided to restrict it after a specific point. You were vocal about that, too. Even 9/11 and the flights into the towers. Out of respect for the families, we were extremely circumspect in not using that video.

Problem is, it can end up on social networks.

ALYSSA FARAH FIFFIN:

HOSTIN: Over-and-over.

GRIFFIN : Sunny is my favorite. All perspectives are welcome here. I’ll say this, when I was at the Department of Defense when we had service members who were kill in action, before we would acknowledge it, ever put out a statement, we notified next of kin. This outlet was bound to inform the families as soon as possible.

However, I believe that seeing such things can bring justice. I don’t know that the social justice movement that was so, you know, just came to such a strength in the summer of 2020 would’ve if we didn’t see that heartbreaking, endless footage of George Floyd. While it may seem gratuitous, there’s something that makes me believe we can make a difference by seeing it.

GOLDBERG – I can’t believe I’ve seen police officers die on camera. This is what I saw. Children are the best.

GRIFFIN: Yeah.

HOSTIN: Yeah.

CHANG: Yeah.

GOLDBERG: How many children? We know they were in there, and to see them – we knew they didn’t do anything. They didn’t go in there running, we knew that. We knew that they were bull – that they were not telling the truth from the giddy-up. We knew that it was there, and we saw it. It’s all that I value, and yet, to let this slip without informing my parents or giving them an opportunity to re-steel; we see it everywhere every day.

HOSTIN: Yeah.

GOLDBERG: For them not to have given them a heads-up – these are real people.

CHANG: In real pain.

GOLDBERG – These children are not fakes.

CHANG: In real pain.

GOLDBERG The bullet – You can still hear the shooting.

HOSTIN – Did you notice a change in the way the children cried out to you?

GOLDBERG : They left the gunshots in. We will return.