Having determined Republican White House hopeful Ted Cruz uniquely qualified to “make him a good duck gumbo,” controversial reality TV star Phil Robertson officially endorsed the Texas senator for president last week. Now, the endorsement is featured in a $700,000 ad buy that will run on both radio and TV, airing during "Duck Dynasty" and the NFL playoffs next week, the Cruz campaign announced Tuesday.
“My qualifications for President of the United States are rather narrow,” said Robertson, the patriarch of A&E's "Duck Dynasty," in a video released by the Cruz campaign last Wednesday. “Is he or she Godly, does he or she love us, can he or she do the job, and finally would they kill a duck and put him in a pot and make him a good duck gumbo?”
“I’ve looked at the candidates,” Robertson said. “Ted Cruz is my man.”
RELATED: ‘Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson: ‘I do like me some Trump’
Indeed, he is. The video shows Cruz and Robertson duck hunting together in full camouflage. Although, no ducks — nor duck gumbo — made the final cut.
Robertson gained notoriety in 2013 when he made offensive comments about gay and black people in an interview with GQ.
“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” Robertson said. “That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical .... Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there— bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”
The 69-year-old also suggested that “blacks,” with whom he worked in Louisiana cotton fields as a child, were happier in “pre-entitlement” days. A&E temporarily suspended Robertson from the show following the interview — a move that drew heated criticism from conservative firebrands such as Sarah Palin, former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and of course, Ted Cruz.
Robertson said Americans would vote for Cruz, who’s currently battling attacks about his eligibility to run for president, because he’s “one of us.”
In a statement Wednesday, Cruz said he was “thrilled” to have Robertson’s support.
“The Robertson’s [sic] are a strong family of great Christian faith and conservative values,” said Cruz, who’s aggressively courting evangelical voters. “Phil’s story of starting off with something small and working hard to achieve the American dream is inspiring. Much like my parents, and many other Americans, who started a small business and worked hard to provide for our family. If we as conservatives come together in 2016 and fight for the values that have made this country exceptional, we will win the White House and turn this country around.”
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Jan. 13, and has been updated to reflect the news of a $700,000 ad buy.