Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker officially endorsed Donald Trump Thursday at a Josh Hawley for Senate event.
“I’m supporting the president that’s going to be the most pro-life president,” Butker said. “It’s a topic that is the most crucial topic for me. I want us to be fighting for the most vulnerable, fighting for the unborn.
“That’s what we should prioritize and that’s obviously what Senator Hawley is doing as a man of faith. You have to vote for whoever is going to be the most pro-life. We have to be prayerful man to put God first and I think that’s what is going to be best for our country.”
Butker was able to attend the political event during the Chiefs’ bye week. Hawley is a United States senator from Missouri, but is seeking another term in Congress.
Along with Trump, Hawley will also be on the Nov. 5 ballot. The incumbent is a constitutional conservative who fights for religious liberty.
Butker’s endorsement for Trump is because of the former president’s pro-life record. The Chiefs kicker is an outspoken athlete that stands firm on his Catholic values.
This isn’t the first time Butker has made headlines for his political comments. The 29-year-old delivered the commencement speech at Benedictine College that sparked much controversy.
Some of his most viral comments from the speech included his opinion on a woman’s place in society.
“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,” he said, and added: “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.”
Since then, Butker has been labeled as a polarizing figure. However, the three-time Super Bowl Champion defended his controversial comments in August.
“I was really curious as to what people would be saying back to me and I respected all the viewpoints,” Butker said. “But in terms of what I said, I prayed about it and I thought about it and I was very intentional with what I said. I stand behind what I said. If people knew me as a person and understood that I was coming from a place of love, not a place of trying to attack of put people down, I only want the best for people. That’s what I was trying to say there and I think the people that were in that gymnasium all understood what I was saying.”
Butker isn’t the first athlete to endorse a presidential candidate. Kamala Harris and her campaign have created the initiative “Athletes for Harris”, which has been supported by Magic Johnson and Emmitt Smith.
