Harrison Butker spoke to local Kansas City media at training camp today for the first time since his controversial May commencement speech at Benedictine College.

Butker became a lightning rod for suggesting that some of its female graduates looked forward to being wives and mothers more than entering the working world.

The Chiefs kicker isn’t backing down from those comments.

Butker recently signed a $25.6 million contract with the Chiefs to become the highest-paid place kicker in the NFL. He is coming off a career-best season in which he hit 94.3 percent of his field goal attempts and was a perfect 11-for-11 in field goals for the Chiefs’ most recent Super Bowl run.

Today, Butker said he “respected all the viewpoints” of people who disagreed with his speech, which included criticisms of President Joe Biden and his handling of COVID-19, and comments on abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and euthanasia.

“I prayed about it, I thought about it, and I was very intentional with what I said,” Butker said of his speech. “I stand by what I said.

“I really believe if people knew me as a person, and understood that it was coming from a place of love, and not a place of trying to attract or put people down,” Butker added. “I only want the best for people, that’s what I was trying to say there. I think the people that were in that gymnasium all understood what I was saying.”

Butker was criticized by many in the sports world, including Serena Williams at the ESPY Awards and a former Chiefs cheerleader.

“I’ve been in the league now seven years and I do have a platform,” Butker added Wednesday. “So with that comes people that want me to state what I believe to be very important.”

“I’m going to continue to say what I believe to be true and love everyone along the way.”

The Chiefs start the quest for their third-straight championship on Sept. 5 against the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters across Missouri are once again deciding on a big funding issue for the police department in Kansas City.

It’s Amendment 4. Voters decided on it two years ago. But in April, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered the state to run the vote again following a lawsuit form Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Bedford beats Johnson County Sheriff Hayden in August Primary

Amendment 4 passed pretty overwhelmingly two years ago and amendment supporters seemed confident it would again.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled after the vote back in 2022 the ballot measure was misleading because it said it wouldn’t increase city spending. Now it says it could cost the city up to $38 million a year but also points out the city is already funding the department at what that new minimum level would be of 25% instead of 20.

Lucas has previously said the amendment hurts the city’s ability to work with police on creative solutions and is against anything that means more state control of local policing.

The Missouri lawmaker who first proposed the amendment in 2022 after the city had been looking to move millions in police funding into other crime prevention programs argues Kansas City has local control with KC residents on the police board.

“What the mayor wants is political control of the police department to rest within City Hall and I think the last thing we need is a bunch of woke politicians in City Hall defunding our police department. So I’m comfortable with the structure we have right now and I hope we keep it into the future,” said Missouri Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville).

See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri

Other than the mayor, the board of police commissioners positions are selected by the governor.

Another vocal opponent of the amendment Tuesday has been MORE2, saying they aren’t against police funding, but against people who don’t live here deciding how the city should spend its money.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.

The race has been called for the Republican primary in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, was declared the winner of the GOP primary race on Tuesday. 

The seat is currently represented by 36-year-old Rep. Jake LaTurner, who left it open after announcing he would not be seeking re-election this cycle.

POLLING GURU NATE SILVER CHANGES HIS PREDICTION FROM TRUMP ELECTORAL VICTORY TO ‘TOSS-UP’

“An America First Patriot and a true friend of MAGA, Derek is now running for Congress, where he will work tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Secure the Border, Uphold the Rule of Law, Support our Veterans, Strengthen our Military, Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, and Champion our Incredible Farmers and Ranchers,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post endorsing Schmidt. “Derek Schmidt has my Complete and Total Endorsement – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

The primary saw a large pool of candidates, including former Health and Human Services official Jeff Kahrs, Michael Ogle, Shawn Tiffany, and Chad Young.

Trump-endorsed Republican congressional candidate Derek Schmidt. (Derek Schmidt for Congress)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan handicapper, reported that the seat has been held “Solid Republican” for the last 30 years.