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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was booed by fans after missing another kick, adding to the scrutiny surrounding his performances and fuelling talk of a so-called "Trump Curse."
Butker endured another difficult outing as the Chiefs hosted the New York Jets on Sunday, with his struggles coming to a head just before halftime. Kansas City held a two-point lead and had an opportunity to extend it to five before the break. The Chiefs moved into field-goal range, giving Butker a chance to make amends for his recent misses.
However, his first attempt from 56 yards was unsuccessful, although a Jets defender's offside penalty gave him another opportunity. Butker was unable to take advantage, sending his second attempt from 51 yards wide right.
As Butker left the field, CBS cameras showed Chiefs fans booing the kicker, while Justin Tucker watched from the sidelines. Tucker was recently signed to Kansas City's practice squad as cover amid concerns over Butker's struggles.
The veteran's problems have largely come from long range, with Butker now converting just two of his eight attempts from 50 yards or more. Against the Jets, he had two opportunities to make a field goal from beyond 50 yards but failed on both occasions.
Butker's continued struggles will raise further questions over how long the Chiefs are prepared to stick with him. The 30-year-old faces pressure to improve quickly, with Tucker waiting in the wings should Kansas City decide to make a change.
The latest miss has also fueled talk of the so-called Trump Curse, with Butker becoming the latest high-profile figure linked to the trend.
Butker has been outspoken in his support for Donald Trump and conservative values in recent years, earning both praise and criticism from Chiefs and NFL fans.
The so-called Trump Curse has become a running joke among sports fans after several teams and athletes backed by the president subsequently suffered high-profile defeats.
Trump attended Super Bowl LIX after publicly supporting the Chiefs, only for Patrick Mahomes and Co. to lose 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The joke resurfaced when Trump attended the Washington Commanders' clash with the Detroit Lions, which ended in a 44-22 defeat for the home side.
It then spread to the NBA during the 2026 Finals, when the New York Knicks lost 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, with Trump in attendance.
The supposed curse has since returned to the NFL, with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffering an injury during his team's 28-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. Butker's latest struggles have now given fans another reason to invoke the trend.