Chris Kluwe, former NFL punter, terminated from position following anti-MAGA demonstration

Chris Kluwe, a former punter for the Vikings, was dismissed from his position as a high school football coach due to a speech he gave criticizing the Make America Great Again movement at a city council meeting in California in February.

The 43-year-old Kluwe, who was arrested and charged with disturbance of an assembly after the Feb. 18 incident, revealed to TMZ that Edison High School served him termination papers on Wednesday.

During the Huntington Beach council meeting, he ranted about a library plaque and what he called “propaganda” references to the MAGA movement.

He then took a step toward the council before being dragged out and arrested.

“I’m bummed that I won’t get to work with the kids anymore,” Kluwe told TMZ on Friday. “They always got excited when they figured out I played in the NFL.”

Kluwe told USA Today he was offered the chance to resign before his termination.

“First thing [vice principal of supervision Ed Begany] said was, ‘Hey, the school’s just getting too much attention and we’re going to have to let you go’ so essentially they fired me,” Kluwe told the outlet. “They did give me the offer to resign, but I told them that they would have to fire me because I wanted this community to know that this is what MAGA does.

“They take away resources from the community to make themselves feel better. I don’t know where Edison’s going to find another former professional football player to coach freshman football.”

Kluwe had been coaching at the school since 2019.

The eight-year punter (2005-12) of the Vikings said he has received plenty of backlash but insists that the feedback since his outburst has largely been the opposite.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” Kluwe said. “It’s been a lot of people saying, ‘Thank you for sticking up for the library’ and a lot of local people saying, ‘Thank you for sticking up against the council.’”

Kluwe also said he had at least one Edison High School parent express their support and that they were unhappy with his firing.

Since the viral council meeting rant, Kluwe has said he’s open to running for public office, as activism has been a part of his life for some time now.