During a recent White House briefing, a CNN reporter inquired whether Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was still welcome at the upcoming White House celebration honoring the Super Bowl champions.
This question stemmed from Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he criticized President Joe Biden and expressed views against abortion rights, among other contentious statements.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded that the entire Chiefs team, including Butker, is invited to the White House as per tradition. “What I can say is all of the team, per usual when there is a championship team, gets invited,” Jean-Pierre stated. She reiterated that the invitation extends to all team members, without specifying individual attendances. “It’s an invitation that goes to the team, and so it’s up to the team who comes and who doesn’t come,” she added.
Some questioned the reporter after her Butker inquiry:
Butker’s speech had ignited a media firestorm as he voiced strong opinions against abortion and criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which he referred to as “tyranny.” He also made remarks directly targeting President Biden, questioning the president’s public expressions of Catholic faith in contrast with his pro-choice stance.
These remarks led to public backlash, including a Change.org petition calling for Butker’s dismissal from the Chiefs, citing his speech as misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ+. In his speech, Butker also encouraged male graduates to “fight against the cultural emasculation of men” and linked several issues including abortion and surrogacy to what he described as “the pervasiveness of disorder.”
Butker had attended the White House visit with the Chiefs in June 2023, and the team is scheduled to visit again this summer to celebrate their championship victory. The ongoing controversy places his participation in this traditional visit under scrutiny.
