With one of his players organizing a political action committee, Kansas City Chiefs owner and Republican donor Clark Hunt says he has no problem with players speaking out on issues and elections.
‘Obviously we have players on both sides of the political spectrum, on both sides of whichever controversial issue you want to bring up,’ the Chiefs’ owner said, as quoted by the Kansas City Star. ‘I’m not at all concerned when our players use their platform to try and make a difference for what they believe in.’
No member of the two-time defending Super Bowl champions has exercised that right more than kicker Harrison Butker. He sparked outrage by giving a polarizing commencement speech at Benedictine College back in May and has since thrown his support behind Donald Trump.
‘I’m supporting the president that’s going to be the most pro-life president,’ he said last week while at a campaign event in Missouri for US Senator Josh Hawley, who is up against Democrat Lucas Kunce. ‘The topic is the most crucial topic for me. I want us to be fighting for the most vulnerable, fighting for the unborn, and that’s what we should prioritize.’
Butker has recently launched his own political action committee focused on encouraging Christians to vote.
‘We’re seeing our values under attack every day,’ reads the PAC website. ‘In our schools, in the media, and even from our own government. But we have a chance to fight back and reclaim the traditional values that have made this country great. That’s why UPRIGHT PAC was founded.’
Butker first made what he called a ‘very intentional’ foray into politics in May, when he delivered a polarizing commencement address at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas.
The three-time Super Bowl champion said, among other things, that most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children, and that some Catholic leaders were ‘pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.’
Butker also assailed Pride month, an important time for the LGBTQ+ community, and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.
The NFL distanced itself from Butker’s comments, issuing a statement afterward that said: ‘His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.’
‘I’ve just decided, ”You know what? There’s things that I believe wholeheartedly that I think will make this world a better place,” and I’m going to preach that,’ Butker said when asked about the address during training camp. ‘If people don’t agree, they don’t agree, but I’m going to continue to say what I believe to be true and love everyone along the way.’
Hunt has supported a number of conservative candidates in recent years, including South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham. His real-estate company, Hunt Midwest, has donated far more.
Recently there was a $750,000 donation to the Koch family PAC, Americans for Prosperity, as well as $195,800 and $189,200 donations to the National Republican Congressional and Senatorial Committees, respectively.
Hunt was critical of NFL players protesting racist police brutality in 2017, but never ordered anyone not to do so.
The Hunt family has supported a group urging Missouri voters to reject a ballot measure that would overturn a near-total ban on abortion in the state through Unity Hunt, the company that oversees the assets of the Lamar Hunt family.
The Chiefs have declined to comment on the $300,000 donation other than confirming to The Kansas City Star that the money was wired by Clark Hunt’s half-brother, Lamar Hunt Jr., through his account with Unity Hunt.
Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said last month that he would not endorse Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in the November election, even as the former president repeatedly referred to his wife, Brittany, as a supporter of his campaign.
‘I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate,’ Mahomes said. ‘My place is to inform people to get registered to vote. It’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for them and their family.’
Those comments came less than a day after Taylor Swift, who is dating the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and has become friends with the Mahomes family, endorsed Harris for the presidency. That led Trump to tell Fox News: ‘I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better, if you want to know the truth. She’s a big Trump fan. I like Brittany. I think Brittany is great.’
Patrick Mahomes was asked Wednesday about Trump’s references to his wife and said ‘at the end of the day, it’s about me and my family and how we treat other people.’
‘I think you see Brittany does a lot in the community. I do a lot in the community to help bring people up, and give people an opportunity to use their voice,’ he said. ‘In political times, people are going to use stuff here and there, but I can’t let that affect how I go about my business every single day of my life, and trying to live it to the best of my ability.’
Kelce, meanwhile, has been quiet on the political front while his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, is supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
NFL owners have traditionally been Republicans. In 2020, OpenSecrets.com revealed that the owners’ political donations went to GOP candidates, 9-1, heading into Trump’s defeat against President Joe Biden.
New England Patriots owner Robert donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, while New York Jets owner Woody Johnson served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
