Whoopi Goldberg is facing criticism and online trolling after she remarked on the stabbing incident of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina. Goldberg commented on the tragic incident, stating, “A young woman is dead. Let’s take that into consideration. And yes, a man who should have been behind bars was loose and out.” She further emphasized, “He was a schizophrenic man. His mother begged them to take him and put him away. So stop politicizing this. This is not political. This has to do with how we take care of our sick Americans when they are in need.”The comments have sparked a wave of criticism online, with many accusing Goldberg of downplaying the severity of the crime, shifting focus away from the victim and sympathizing with the accused Decarlos Brown Jr. Critics argue that her remarks inadvertently politicize the tragedy and detract from the need for justice for Zarutska. The incident has also reignited debates about mental health care and public safety.

It appears that The View is tapping into what people care about. Just a day after it returned for Season 29, the chatfest featured a discussion about the murder of a Ukrainian refugee. During that time, “Whoopi” (a reference to moderator Whoopi Goldberg) trended at number one on X.

The ladies were talking about the fatal stabbing of a young woman, Iryna Zarutska, on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina last month. She was killed by a schizophrenic man, DeCarlos Brown Jr., who’d been charged 14 times in the past; the Department of Justice charged Brown yesterday.

President Donald Trump‘s administration then had a press conference. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt made accusations that Democrats and the media were more focused on virtue-signaling than on protecting their communities.

In response, Goldberg said:

You know, look, a young woman is dead. Let’s take that into consideration. And yes, a man who should’ve been behind bars was loose and out. Well, listen, he was a schizophrenic man. His mother begged them to take him and put him away. So stop politicizing this. This is not political. This has to do with how we take care of our sick Americans when they are in need. So if y’all could stop cutting funding for places…

Joy Behar stated that, because cutting funding to certain programs has resulted in many with mental health issues not receiving care they need, it is a political issue. She noted that billions were cut in services that aim to help such individuals.

In response to later discussion, Goldberg added:

Well, the other thing is, stop trying to place blood on people’s hands. Nobody in this country wanted that young lady to die. Nobody, nobody.

But the problem is, it’s not red or blue. Crime doesn’t care. No one comes up to you with a gun and says, ‘Are you a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent?’ you know. But every time you blame somebody for this, it makes people say, ‘Well, you let it happen because you made these cuts.’ You’re not saying to us, ‘We’re overcrowded. We’re making cuts so we can build different facilities or we’re training new people’  You gotta help! You gotta help.

STABBING CRIME BEING USED FOR POLITICAL GAIN? As the Department of Justice charges a man in the stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee, ‘The View’ co-hosts react to the White House blasting outlets over crime coverage