Matt Walsh urges conservatives to show courage in the face of challenges in his keynote speech following Butker’s defiance against a left-wing mob

NASHVILLE — Daily Wire host Matt Walsh said during a keynote address on Friday night that conservatives “are called to courage in these times” to stand up to the deadly progression of leftist ideology.

Walsh’s speech at the “Courage Under Fire” event in Nashville was preceded by an address from Chiefs star kicker Harrison Butker, who made his first public remarks on Friday night following his viral commencement speech at a Catholic university that caused a leftist meltdown. In his speech, Butker said that the “shocking level of hate” he has received will not deter him from being “unapologetic” about his faith.

During Walsh’s speech, the Daily Wire host addressed the dangerous ideology of progressivism, which he said “progresses in the way that cancer progresses,” and told those in the audience that leftism can be fought against with “just enough courage.”

“All that matters to the progressive woke person is the individual ego, the individual’s desire,” Walsh said. “Everything in the world exists to service that and whatever stands in the way of his immediate pleasure and satisfaction, or whatever he perceives to be standing in its way, must be annihilated. It must not exist. It has no right to exist.”

Walsh added that he is regularly asked by conservatives what the woke progressives’ end goal is when they try to redefine words, history, and basic biological reality.

“Well, there is no plan,” he said. “You can tear down the statues. You redefine the words, you bring the institutions crumbling down, sever the bonds of the family. And when that’s done, keep doing it in an endless cycle of destruction. See, there is no step two to this plan.”

The Left’s hatred for conservative family values was made evident in the past week as highlighted by Walsh’s fellow speaker, Butker. The three-time Super Bowl champion said during his speech on Friday, “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now.”

“In my seven years in the NFL, I’ve become familiar with positive and negative comments. But the majority of them revolve around my performance on the field,” Butker added. “But, as to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most, my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I’ve become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all.”

BREAKING: In first public remarks since his commencement speech sparked a liberal meltdown, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker makes very clear he’s not backing down from his faith. @buttkicker7 pic.twitter.com/q3Vh0KpvTg

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 25, 2024

Butker’s unapologetic stand for his faith and traditional values was applauded by those in attendance at the gala, which was put on by Regina Caeli Academy, a classical homeschool hybrid academy for Catholic families. Butker serves on the board of directors for Regina Caeli Academy.

The room gave the Chiefs kicker a standing ovation when he walked on stage to make his first public remarks since his viral commencement speech. Butker has also been publicly supported by his head coach Andy Reid, as well as star teammates Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones.

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Other speakers at the gala included pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, actor Nick Searcy, and Father Donald Calloway. The “Courage Under Fire” event, which was put on by Regina Caeli Academy and sponsored by The Daily Wire’s kids entertainment company Bentkey, was attended by numerous influential figures in politics and conservative media, including Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing, and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles. Walsh and Knowles were also presented with “Courage Under Fire Honorees in the Culture” awards at the gala.

“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being afraid and then acting in spite of it,” Walsh said in his speech. “And we are called to courage in these times — not very much courage, really not a lot actually. Nobody’s being asked to risk their lives at this point. I mean, we are all sitting here in this wonderful event and having a great time.”

“It’s actually not a lot of courage that we need. Shame on us all the more for failing to show it,” he added. “We just need enough courage. Just enough to speak the truth. And then just let the chips fall where they may. To stand up and say, ‘here’s what’s right.’ And then, let the consequences come — whatever they are.”

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