Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waged a series of attacks against President Biden’s leadership in a recent commencement speech, criticizing the president’s policies on abortion, gender ideology and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a commencement speech last Saturday at Benedictine College — a Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas — Butker claimed the negative parts of society in recent years can be blamed on “bad leaders who don’t stay in their lanes.”
“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” Butker said during his speech. “The bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”
“Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally,” he continued.
Biden is only the second Catholic U.S. president and has been forced to balance the hot-button issue of abortion with the Democratic Party base’s support of reproductive rights.
The president often attends Saturday evening mass with his family either near his home in Wilmington, Del., or in Washington, D.C., and the White House has maintained Biden’s faith is personal to him.
Biden has noted he is not “big on” abortion but openly supports the reproductive rights that were previously granted under Roe v. Wade.
He has not shied away from criticizing Republican leaders and states that have moved to restrict access to the medical procedure. His support for abortion access has prompted calls for the church to not offer him communion.
Butker’s remarks were an apparent reference to when Biden gestured the sign of the cross last month during a rally against abortion restrictions.
“He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people, it appears you can both Catholic and pro-choice,” Butker added. “He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns, to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common — they are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn’t cut it.”
The Biden administration has unveiled a series of protections for the LGBTQ community during the past three years, with the president unafraid to attack Republicans who fight against such policies.
The Hill reached out to the White House for further comment.