Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones defended fellow teammate Harrison Butker after coming under intense criticism for praising Christianity during a commencement speech last Saturday.
Butker's speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic institution, criticized President Joe Biden, the LGBTQ community, and encouraged graduating women to embrace their role as a "homemaker." In response to Butker's comments, a petition was created on Change.org calling for Butker's dismissal from the Kansas City Chiefs. The petition currently has over 187,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
Today, Jones responded to the petition and threw support behind his fellow teammate.
"I love you Harrison! My brotha," Jones wrote. I love you @buttkicker7! My brotha đź«‚ https://t.co/sV48gXePHL
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) May 17, 2024
Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Kansas Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt, also defended Butker during a Friday appearance on Fox News.
“I can only speak from my own experience, which is I’ve had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up,” said Hunt, 25. “And I understand that there are many women out there who can’t make that decision but for me in my life, I know it was really formative in shaping me and my siblings to be who we are.” Gracie Hunt, the Chiefs owner’s daughter, being interviewed about Harrison Butker in a pickle ball outfit at a Baptist church and 100% backing him, is somehow perfect: pic.twitter.com/1RUOwBqN4N
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 17, 2024
Hunt said she understood the sentiment expressed by Butker regarding women embracing their role as wives and mothers, adding: "I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he’s accomplished on and off the field."
On Wednesday, the official account for Kansas City appeared to doxx Butker’s city of residence in an X post, though the post was later deleted.
“We apologize for our previous tweet. It was shared in error,” the team apologized Wednesday evening.
On Thursday, Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey responded to Butker's doxxing, noting the incident appeared to be directly in response to the Kansas City Chief's player's Saturday commencement speech.
"I will enforce the Missouri Human Rights Act to ensure Missourians are not targeted for their free exercise of religion," Bailey wrote.
On Thursday, the NFL released a statement distancing itself from Butker's speech.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives,” Butker said during his speech. “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,” he said.
