Controversial Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker joined his teammates at the White House reception on Friday – despite slamming President Joe Biden in a recent speech.
The Kansas City star stood in the back row as Biden welcomed the Super Bowl winners to DC to celebrate their second successive Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Earlier this month, Butker branded Biden ‘delusional’ and accused him of ‘supporting the murder of innocent babies’ during a commencement speech in Kansas.
‘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,’ Butker said.
‘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.’
Butker also tackled Biden’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those comments prompted some uncertainty as to whether the kicker, 28, would join Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Co in the nation’s capital.
But Butker was part of the group that posed for photos with the President and listened as Biden paid tribute to their victorious 2023 season – and remembered the fatal mass shooting that followed at the Super Bowl parade.
Butker could even be seen cracking a smile towards the end of the ceremony, after the President put on a red Chiefs helmet.
At the Chiefs’ 2023 Super Bowl celebration at the White House, Butker wore a tie which carried a pro-life Latin phrase.
Abortion has become an even more polarizing topic in the United States since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, which legalized abortion.
Butker previously said he has no plans for another silent protest during this year’s event, but he insisted ‘a lot of thought’ went into last year’s message.
President Biden spoke on the South Lawn about the team’s success and the shooting at the Super Bowl parade, which killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan and wounded two dozen others.
‘We saw pride, give away to tragedy,’ he said Friday. ‘A beloved mom, a local DJ, was gunned down. Dozens were injured. Among the chaos, this team stepped up again.’
Kansas City running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire sheltered a young child as the tragedy unfolded nearby, while offensive lineman Trey Smith helped calm a kid and gave him a WWE championship belt.
‘Trey helped pull people to safety,’ Biden said. ‘One teen remembers Coach Reid giving him a hug, telling him “just breathe, just breathe.”
‘One boy was separated from his dad, Clyde helped keep him from harm. Clyde is exceptional. This team is exceptional.’
After he gave his speech, the President joked, ‘I’d have Travis come up here but God only knows what he’d say,’ before inviting Kelce up to the mic
‘My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see you all again,’ Kelce joked briefly – a flashback to the year prior when he tried taking the mic at the event.
‘I’m not gonna lie President Biden, they told me if I came up here I’d get tased so I’m gonna go back to my spot,’ Kelce said before shaking Biden’s hand.
After that, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt gave a speech. Once that ended, Biden was handed a Chiefs helmet that he successfully put on his head.
It’s long-standing tradition for championship sports teams, both professional and collegiate, to be invited to the White House.
The Chiefs have won the Super Bowl three times in the past five years. In 2023, they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, first lady Jill Biden’s favorite football team. She grew up near Philadelphia and attended the game.
This year, Mahomes and Co beat the San Francisco 49ers.
