Harrison Butker triggers backlash from left for commencement speech: 'Being treated like a criminal'

OutKick host Charly Arnolt argued Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been "treated like a criminal" as he continues to garner criticism for his commencement speech at a private Catholic school earlier this week. 

"He's being treated like a criminal. He didn't do anything that was criminally wrong or criminally inappropriate," the host of "OutKick the Morning" told Todd Piro during "Fox & Friends First" on Friday. 

"Look at his teammate Rashee Rice facing eight charges right now for a car accident he was responsible for. Is anyone calling for him to lose his position on the team? Absolutely not, so this just shows when you have conservative values, and you speak those out loud, here's what happens."

CHIEFS' HARRISON BUTKER GOES AFTER BIDEN OVER ABORTION STANCE AS A CATHOLIC

Butker received both praise and backlash after criticizing Biden and abortion, while also encouraging women to embrace their roles as "homemakers" while speaking to students at Benedictine College. 

Harrison Butker celebrates on the field with his baby and wife Isabelle after defeating the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri.  (Tom Pennington)

"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives," the Super Bowl champion said. "I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? 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.

"I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on this stage today and able to be the man that I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

Feb 8, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) during a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII at Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

The NFL released a statement on Thursday distancing itself from Butker, saying the kicker spoke from a "personal capacity" during the commencement address.

CLICK HERE TO READ HARRISON BUTKER’S FULL SPEECH

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement sent to People magazine. "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."

The media has been quick to criticize the NFL star for his controversial remarks, with the co-hosts of "The View" tearing into Butker for his religious beliefs and recommending he go to therapy. 

"I would really encourage him, really encourage him to find the best parts of faith and not diverge into extremist beliefs," Sara Haines, "The View" co-host said on Thursday.

Butker's comments triggered a Change.org petition, signed by more than 180,000 people, demanding he be released by the Chiefs. Gracie Hunt, daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that she understood Butker's stance. 

"I can only speak from my own experience, which is I've had the most incredible mom, who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up. And I understand that there are many women out there who can't make that decision. But for me and my life, I know it was really formative and in shaping me and my siblings into who we are," she said.

Arnolt insisted Butker was not trying to instill his beliefs into anyone else, only share them with fellow Catholics as they graduated from college. 

"People want to say that he is pushing his beliefs onto the masses. That's not what happened. He was specifically speaking to a group, Benedictine College. This was where he was invited to speak," Arnolt said. 

OutKick founder Clay Travis and Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo echoed Arnolt's sentiment during "The Ingraham Angle" on Thursday, highlighting the importance of the family values Butker detailed in his speech.

"Harrison Butker would have been better off actually being accused of beating up a woman, which unfortunately has happened a great deal in the NFL because people in sports, media and larger society would have had a lot less of an issue with that," Travis told Laura Ingraham. "He would have been a lot better off getting a DUI. He would have been better off, as you just pointed out, being his teammate, dealing with all sorts of criminal charges than actually being a guy who spoke truth and said what needs to be said, I think frequently to young college graduates, which is men aren't doing their best job of, taking care of a society, and a lot of women aren't either." 

"The most important thing we have to do in this life, in my opinion, and I've got three kids, is try and instill values and growth in the next generation," he continued. 

Arroyo also noted the NFL's double standard in its response to Butker's speech as opposed to his teammates' various arrests. 

"He said we are both called men and women to be moms and dads," Arroyo said. "That's our greatest calling, our greatest vocation, and if you want to remake society for the better, do that, but in a league where 41 members of Butler's team, the Chiefs, have been arrested multiple times, I hardly think Harrison Butker's little speech at Benedictine College is the moral crisis in the NFL."

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos, Chantz Martin and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report. 

Bailee Hill is an associate editor with Fox News Digital. Story ideas can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.