Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Breaks Silence After Cancellation Chaos Over Viral Speech

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker isn’t backing down amid calls for cancellation and ongoing debate over his now-viral Benedictine College commencement speech.

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Butker delivered his first public comments on the matter Friday at the Regina Caeli Academy’s Courage Under Fire gala in Nashville, Tennessee, openly and boldly defending his graduation speech, which hit out at President Joe Biden, abortion, and more.

The Super Bowl star said the gala’s theme, “Courage Under Fire,” was serendipitously decided well before the controversy broke out, and its appropriateness couldn’t be overstated.

“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said. “Over the past few days, my beliefs — or what people think I believe — have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe.”

He added, “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But, as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion.”

And he wasn’t done there. Butker said he has decided to share about his Catholic faith “consciously” and does “not regret at all,” fully recognizing it will impact how some view him.

Ultimately, he said what matters most is standing by Jesus, not the world.

“If we have truth and charity, we should trust in the Lord’s providence and let the Holy Ghost do the rest of the work,” Butker said. “It is not people but Jesus Christ who I am trying to please.”

Watch his latest remarks:

As CBN News previously reported, Butker has been the non-stop focus of debate over his initial graduation speech, which touched upon politics, among other issues.

But his message to female graduates seemed to grab the most attention.

“For the ladies present today: congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Butker said during the now-viral commencement address. “You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives.”

He continued:

“I want to speak directly to you, briefly, because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? 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 began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.”

Watch the original speech:

A Change.org survey calling for Butker’s firing has begun to stall around 227,000 signatures despite, at first, quickly rallying hundreds of thousands of Americans against the player and his free speech rights.

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