KANSAS CITY —Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker continues to receive attention for last weekends commencement address where he said most of the women graduates were probably more excited about getting married and having children. He also railed against Pride month along with President Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion.
On Saturday, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used his social media account to show support for Butker. "I stand with Harrison Butker, Marshall wrote. "Families, babies, and strong mothers and fathers are a beautiful thing. No amount of liberal gaslighting and manufactured 'outrage' will change our convictions. Christ is King."
During his commencement address at Benedictine College, Butker said, “I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you." "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he said.
Butker said that his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
Butker also criticized as disparaging to the Catholic Church an article by The Associated Press highlighting a shift toward conservativism in some parts of the church.
The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered his roughly 20-minute address Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, which is located about 60 miles (97 kilometers) miles north of Kansas City. He received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees.
Butker, 28, referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month. Butker also took aim at Biden's policies, including his condemnation of the Supreme Court's reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.
Biden, who is Catholic, has a fraught history on the issue. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade decision, saying it went too far. He also opposed federal funding for abortions and supported restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy.
Butker also tackled Biden's response to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” he said. “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.