Reporters grilled Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid about kicker Harrison Butker’s much-criticized commencement speech — and asked if Butker would be visiting the White House with the team.
Butker became a hero to conservatives and an object of rage with critics when he delivered a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas railing against and abortion and birth control and gender identity that also contained a pretty clear shot at President Joe Biden:
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 has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.
He also made remarks about women and careers that were widely criticized.
At a Chiefs press conference this week, Reid tried to brush aside the controversy, telling reporters he hadn’t even discussed the matter with Butker.
But reporters pressed Reid on how he would deal with complaints from women in the organization, and whether Butker would go with the team to the White House:
REPORTER: Have y’all talked with Harrison at all, just about his, his comments and what he said in the commencement?
ANDY REID: Yeah. Listen, I talk to Harrison all the time, so I, that’s not, that’s not — I think, I didn’t talk to him about this, didn’t think we needed to.
We’re, we’re, we’re a microcosm of of life. Everybody from different areas, religions, different races. And so, we all get along, we all respect each other’s, you know, opinions and not necessarily do we, do we go by those, but we, you know, we respect everybody to have a voice.
It’s a great thing about America. And, and we’re just, like I said, a microcosm of that. And, I wish, you know, my wish is that, you know, everybody could kind of follow that. So, yeah.
REPORTER: He mentioned something about the president, do you expect him to go to the White House with you all and still be with the program?
ANDY REID: Oh, I’m sure he will, yeah. Yeah.
REPORTER: And is there a frustration, this offseason’s had a lot of off field distractions.
ANDY REID: Yeah. Listen, we don’t want those things obviously, to happen, but things do happen, and you work through it. And, and my thing is, if you’re, you know, it’s important that you learn from it. And that you end it. That’s important.
REPORTER: With, with so many of the women just on staff here and in the building. I mean, his comments kind of touched on women in the workforce. I mean, what do you tell them if they come to you with a concern about when you’re speaking ill of, you know, women in general?
ANDY REID: Yeah. That hasn’t happened. I don’t think he was speaking ill of women, but he has his opinions, and we all respect that. I let you guys in this room, and you have a lot of opinions that I don’t like. So.
REPORTER: When a player says something that can be deemed controversial, even though some people support it, some people don’t. How do you help that not become a distraction for this team? With as much attention as on Harrison’s comments?
ANDY REID: The guys are good with that. They understand. I mean, they understand how things work. I mean, everybody’s got their own opinion, and that’s what’s so great about this country. You can share those things and you work through it. And that’s what, you know, that’s what guys do.
The White House has already said Butker is welcome to attend the reception celebrating the team’s Super Bowl victory.
Watch above via The Kansas City Chiefs.
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