Harrison Butker, Whoopi Goldberg, and Colin Kaepernick (Photos via Getty Images)
Whoopi Goldberg has made a shocking announcement about Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker after his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College’s graduation.

Following the backlash Harrison Butker received for his graduation speech, Whoopi Goldberg is speaking out to support the NFL player.

The Kansas City Chiefs player’s 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College covered a variety of societal concerns, including gender roles, LGBTQ+ rights, and abortion. However, his remarks caused backlash.

The criticism has become so severe that a petition urging his dismissal had amassed more than 115,000 signatures as of Thursday.

Goldberg linked the situation to that of former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who faced criticism for kneeling during the national anthem beginning in 2016 to raise awareness about police brutality and racial inequity in the United States.

“I like when people say what they need to say,” Goldberg said. “He’s at a Catholic college, he’s a Catholic. These are his beliefs, and he’s welcome to them. I don’t have to accept them. In the same way, we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours. I’m OK with him saying whatever he said.”

Sara Haines Shared Her Thoughts As Well

Goldberg’s cohost, Sara Haines, cited calls for Harrison Butker’s removal from his position on the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs when she stated she doesn’t want individuals “shut down or fired,” despite her own harsh criticism of Butker’s opinions.

She also disagreed with Goldberg’s comparison to Colin Kaepernick, who previously sparked uproar in conservative circles by refusing to stand during the National Anthem at NFL games to protest police brutality in America.

Haines called the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s actions as “standing up for the rights of many and saying, in a social justice moment, a reminder that we’re not there yet,” while she criticized Butker for being “divergent from the majority of Catholics” when he disparaged other people with his words, via ENews.com.

Haines argued that Butker is “not walking with Jesus” by using his religion to oppress people.

Harrison Butker Gained The Most Attention For His Remarks About Women Choosing To Pursue A Career

Harrison Butker (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has sparked controversy, anger, and discussion in a speech to a college.

His most talked about comments were of him telling women to stay in the kitchen essentially.

“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said. “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 started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” Butker went on.