Refusing to hold back their criticism, Hoda Kobt and Jenna Bush Hager slammed Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker for his “misogynistic” graduation speech.
During the latest episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna, Bush Hager kicked off the conversation by giving credit to her husband, Henry Hager, for treating her as an “equal partner.”
“Who is [Harrison Butker] to tell us?” Bush Hager stated. Kobt chimed and directed her comment to the NFL player. “Don’t speak for us. I think that’s kind of the thing. Stop speaking for women out there.”
Bush Hager pointed out that being a stay-at-home parent is a luxury that some couples don’t have. “It’s an elitist concept to begin with,” she explained.
Kotb then said, “I think that there’s a thing about someone speaking for [someone]. And [Harrison Butker] may be speaking for a lot of people, but you can’t speak for everyone. Women get to decide what they want to do.”
Harrison Butker made headlines following his now-infamous Benedictine College graduation speech over the weekend.
While hitting the political talking points of abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and the “degenerate cultural values and media,” Butker decided to exclusively address the female graduates. He stated that they have had the most “diabolical lies” told to them.
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world,” Harrison Butker said. “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.”
He then said that he was blessed that his wife Isabelle embraced her role as a “homemaker,” which he believes is one of the most important titles of all.
The NFL has spoken out and stated that Butker’s opinions are not a reflection of the organization as a whole.
Benedictine College Graduating Student Speaks Out About Harrison Butker’s Speech
Speaking from someone who witnessed Harrison Butker’s speech in person, Benedictine College graduating student Susannah Leisengang posted a video on TikTok detailing the experience.
“Yeah, it was f—ing horrible,” Leisengang declared. “Some of us did boo. Me and my roommate definitely did.”
However, she admitted there weren’t a lot of people supporting her and her roommate’s opinion. “There was a standing ovation from everyone in the room except from me, my roommate, and about 10-15 other women.”
Although she acknowledges that her alma mater is a “Catholic and conservative college,” she noted that the men at the event reacted horribly.
“A lot of men were like, f— yeah!” she recalled. “They were excited but it was horrible. Most of the women were looking back and forth like what the f— is going on?”
Leisegang then said that she thought Harrison Butker wasn’t fully prepared to make that speech. “Like did he just come here to speak about politics and his views on women? That’s all you got for graduation commencement speech?” she asked. “You kidding?”
Ending her video on a positive note, Leisegang added, “I’m excited for what my career brings me and no, I’m not a f—ing homemaker.”