Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - February 24, 2025


Ep 1145 ｜ Phil Robertson’s Tragic Diagnosis & His Lasting Gospel Legacy ｜ Guests： Al & Jase Robertson


Episode Stats

Length

42 minutes

Words per Minute

177.56363

Word Count

7,616

Sentence Count

596

Misogynist Sentences

8

Hate Speech Sentences

5


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.960 Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame has sadly been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's and a blood disease.
00:00:09.800 And today, two of his sons, Al and Jace, are here to give us an update on how he's doing and also to talk about his legacy,
00:00:18.240 the times that he has shared the gospel with specifically President Trump, how that went,
00:00:23.700 but also just his legacy of boldness, of telling the truth, of bringing people to repentance,
00:00:30.480 as well as the love and hospitality that their mom has shown.
00:00:35.480 And so you're really going to enjoy this.
00:00:37.460 I was really uplifted by this, but also you'll be given some specific prayer requests for their family.
00:00:43.260 We'll also be talking about the reboot of Duck Dynasty with the new generations of the Robertson family.
00:00:50.740 This episode is brought to you by our friends at Good Ranchers.
00:00:53.880 Go to GoodRanchers.com, code Allie.
00:00:56.000 That's GoodRanchers.com, code Allie.
00:01:07.520 Al, Jace, thanks so much for taking the time to join us.
00:01:11.120 I so appreciate y'all and just truly love y'all's show so much.
00:01:15.040 First, I want to talk about Phil's diagnoses.
00:01:17.920 We haven't been seeing as much or hearing as much from him lately.
00:01:21.300 So, Jace, could you tell us what's going on?
00:01:24.660 Yeah, it's a very difficult question to answer because, you know, we're kind of in the bowels of the new normal.
00:01:34.760 And we realize that families across the globe have this same problem.
00:01:40.820 Your parents get old and things start going south physically.
00:01:45.540 And basically, the diagnosis that was given to us is he has some kind of blood disorder.
00:01:52.560 And they likened it to blood cancer where it kind of attacks his bones.
00:01:57.940 And so, he's had multiple back fractures and even one in his tailbone.
00:02:04.980 And so, he'll have to go do these procedures because they're not really correctable.
00:02:12.000 Yeah.
00:02:12.200 They just do a procedure that makes it stop hurting, which is, from my understanding, kind of giving you the redneck version of what I was told,
00:02:21.920 is they're basically just putting cement in his back.
00:02:25.040 But your back is not designed to have cement in it.
00:02:30.140 Especially for sections that don't have cement.
00:02:32.720 Yeah, it's supposed to be flexible.
00:02:34.600 And so, you know, you kind of have to, meanwhile, you have another diagnosis, which they said he has the early stages of Alzheimer's.
00:02:44.260 And they're like, it's a form of Alzheimer's.
00:02:55.880 And so, they're kind of working against each other because every time he has to go under for a procedure,
00:03:03.360 and they say sometimes that going under anesthesia progresses, these kind of mental states, it's like it's harder for him to come back to reality.
00:03:18.860 And so, you know, having said all that, it's kind of been stages over the last few months where you, what we call new normals.
00:03:28.760 And we used to say that with my daughter who was born with a craniofacial issue.
00:03:35.680 And my wife said that one time.
00:03:37.480 She said, well, this is just the new normal because every time something would happen, it would create other problems.
00:03:43.100 And so, that's kind of where we are.
00:03:45.520 Because overall, when people say, well, how's Phil doing?
00:03:49.240 You know, it's hard to explain that in a one sentence.
00:03:53.180 It's overall not great because he looks, what's the best word to use?
00:04:00.000 He emaciated.
00:04:01.320 Yeah, he just doesn't look well.
00:04:02.980 It's kind of shocking when people come visit him.
00:04:06.120 He's lost so much weight.
00:04:08.820 Yeah, he's gotten with him.
00:04:09.960 We've tried to do everything imaginable in the world to put weight on him.
00:04:16.180 And it's not that he's not eating.
00:04:17.660 He is just literally, his body is not putting on weight.
00:04:22.860 Yeah, just not reacting.
00:04:24.640 And, you know, my answer, Allie, is when people ask me, I say, well, it's day to day, literally, because we see him a lot.
00:04:32.440 And so, one day, he may be a little bit stronger mentally and physically than another day.
00:04:37.680 And so, you kind of just, it's like that.
00:04:39.680 You walk into it, not sure what to expect.
00:04:41.800 And, you know, our podcast audience obviously loves Dad.
00:04:45.160 And it was his podcast to begin with.
00:04:47.380 Jason and I just kind of tagged along at the beginning.
00:04:50.780 I was a guest that never left.
00:04:52.200 Yeah, Jason was the guest we never got rid of.
00:04:54.900 And so, you know, we started noticing it on the podcast, Jason and I probably before anybody else.
00:05:00.440 But even now that our audience knows, they could kind of look back and see.
00:05:04.520 And so, those signs were there, I think, early on on the Alzheimer's side.
00:05:08.800 But Jason's right.
00:05:09.580 This physical thing has just basically fast-forwarded probably his decline into that.
00:05:16.920 But I will say this.
00:05:18.700 My dad taught Jason and I and our brothers and our family and anybody that would listen that his life was in preparation of the great resurrection.
00:05:28.120 And so, he said for years, the resurrection looms larger.
00:05:32.400 And he's living that even now.
00:05:35.020 I mean, like, the idea is that we're not, like, super depressed about it or, like, just devastated by it.
00:05:42.340 We hate it.
00:05:43.280 It's hard to watch.
00:05:44.220 It's hard to be a part of a man that's always been so strong in your life.
00:05:47.400 But at the same time, we realize that the spiritual battle goes forward.
00:05:51.160 So, that's just kind of how we've approached it.
00:05:53.480 That's why we're still doing the podcast and still talking about Jesus.
00:05:56.140 Oh, yeah.
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00:07:20.760 And I'll just kind of piggyback on that.
00:07:27.660 When we went public with this, because obviously something was going on.
00:07:31.660 And for people like me, I don't do social media.
00:07:36.120 I basically live in a cave.
00:07:39.920 And so I think I forget sometimes that there's a lot of people who watch our family.
00:07:45.060 And I just started noticing everywhere I went, like grocery store, it's, how's your dad?
00:07:52.220 And it is compounded that times 1,000 when we went public with it.
00:07:57.000 And so I realized, okay, we need to go public with this.
00:08:03.140 And so we did.
00:08:03.880 But I will say in that moment was the first time I would say in six months that I felt like his spirit became better.
00:08:12.440 And I just really believe, you know, more now than ever, the power of prayer.
00:08:18.760 And you get as many people praying for my dad.
00:08:21.740 And we're very grateful for that because in all this kind of sadness and debilitating illness that he has, that there's no cure.
00:08:33.340 You know, I've had 1,000 people reach out to him and say, well, try this and try that.
00:08:38.720 But we have a team of doctors working around the clock and doing all this.
00:08:45.280 But when I noticed when I went down there, because I had actually called my kids and said,
00:08:49.860 look, if you want to see Papaw Phil, you need to do it right now.
00:08:54.600 Because I was thinking that he only had a few days to live.
00:08:58.620 This was, I guess, right before we went public.
00:09:02.260 And when we went public with it, I was amazed because I took my son down there.
00:09:07.080 And he was like, well, he's doing a lot better than I thought.
00:09:10.460 And I said, well, it's news to me.
00:09:12.840 This is the best I've seen him in months.
00:09:15.040 And so I just chalked it up to answered prayer.
00:09:18.580 And I sensed that.
00:09:19.400 I will say that most days, despite whatever, if he's in pain or if he's just checked out mentally, there's something.
00:09:28.540 There's a spirit about him that's at peace.
00:09:31.300 And it's really helped us the past few weeks dealing with what we're having to deal with on a daily basis.
00:09:38.480 Yeah, and we attribute that.
00:09:39.720 You know, you'll appreciate this.
00:09:41.220 One of the things I said on the podcast the day we talked about it and kind of went public with everything with dad is I remember being so moved because I was the Reagan was the first president I ever voted for.
00:09:53.440 And, you know, Reagan got to a point in his life journey where he had Alzheimer's.
00:09:57.900 And so basically had to step back from the public eye.
00:10:01.240 And when he did that, he wrote a letter and then he read the letter.
00:10:04.760 And when you go out and visit the Reagan library, the last thing you do before you go out and visit where his tomb is, is him reading that letter.
00:10:14.060 And I just remember sitting there in tears, so appreciative that he explained why he was leaving the stage.
00:10:20.120 And I told our audience, I said, you know, dad didn't write a letter because this happened pretty fast.
00:10:26.700 But you know what?
00:10:27.860 He doesn't have to because there are living letters that keep going forward.
00:10:33.340 It starts with us, me, Jace, his sons, his daughter, and it continues into everybody he's impacted for the kingdom.
00:10:41.000 And so there are all these living letters out there that are pointing back to Jesus because it's really never about us.
00:10:46.460 And so in a sense, I have that sort of same piece about his goal and our goal and what we're doing.
00:10:53.480 Well, thank you all so much for sharing that.
00:10:56.080 How's your mom doing?
00:10:58.080 Well, that's another developing story.
00:11:02.400 How many podcasts you got going today out of that?
00:11:06.020 You know, she keeps falling.
00:11:09.780 And, you know, despite all the struggles we've had, we've always used humor as, I guess, a way to cope.
00:11:18.740 There's no doubt about that.
00:11:20.100 And a lot of people take that wrong because we, you know, we laugh together, even about things that are not funny.
00:11:28.100 But I think it's because we all know, you know, we have each other's back and we love each other.
00:11:34.260 And it's a way to soothe this.
00:11:37.480 I preface what I'm going to say because so for some reason, you know, when you have these problems in your family,
00:11:44.380 and I'm sure families identify with this, people get declared the spokesman for dealing with the parents who can become difficult.
00:11:54.440 And so Willie and me have actually been declared, we have to go talk to my mom and dad when they don't want to do things that need to be done.
00:12:07.260 And so yesterday, Willie and I had to go out there because my mom had a had a fall.
00:12:15.160 And this is a common thing.
00:12:17.560 She she cannot stay upright.
00:12:19.260 And my dad, if he's in his right mind, we'll make a joke every time.
00:12:25.320 He's like, she's too top heavy.
00:12:28.200 He's like trying to correct the problem now from this.
00:12:32.260 And, you know, we laugh.
00:12:34.080 But I mean, my mom fell.
00:12:36.380 I guess that's been a week ago.
00:12:38.360 About a week and a half.
00:12:39.120 And she severely cut her leg.
00:12:42.020 In fact, I was getting up on stage, fixing to speak in Kentucky at an event.
00:12:48.160 And we have multiple people that basically stay with them 24 seven and sent me a picture.
00:12:55.400 So we're taking your mom to the hospital.
00:12:57.020 But he sent me a picture of her wound.
00:12:59.840 And it was horrific.
00:13:01.660 And because I was which, you know, in the moment, I'm literally getting up on stage.
00:13:07.320 And because I thought it was life threatening because it just looks so terrible on her leg.
00:13:12.380 It at me, I was it was to the bone on her leg right at her kneecap.
00:13:17.260 And fortunately, you know, they got her fixed up.
00:13:22.140 I mean, she has multiple stitches and she's in a brace.
00:13:24.700 But so for a small period of time, we said, look, we need to keep y'all up here with us.
00:13:32.800 And so we can keep an eye because my dad is day to day and my mom, she can't walk.
00:13:39.060 And so we were like and we're feeding them and their food snobs, which is funny because in my family, they taught us to be.
00:13:47.220 We're all food.
00:13:48.160 I mean, they want the best of the best of the best.
00:13:51.580 And what's that and what that has evolved to is basically their immediate family cooking for them.
00:13:59.460 The greatest meals that we can prepare multiple times a day, if possible.
00:14:04.200 So we're like, look, y'all are so far away from us.
00:14:07.440 You can't walk, you know.
00:14:09.540 And so they didn't want to do that.
00:14:11.620 And, you know, because they're just not they're at an age where they're not thinking rationally.
00:14:16.620 And it's asking a lot for other people.
00:14:20.260 And so Willie and I had to go out there because my mom was the problem.
00:14:24.900 And it was a difficult conversation.
00:14:29.400 And so because she just she she wants to be at our home and I get it.
00:14:35.080 You know, they've lived there 50 years like you can go back, but let's heal up.
00:14:39.520 Yeah.
00:14:39.960 And my dad was like, well, I got all my stuff.
00:14:42.440 And we're like, we will put an armed guard at your house that will, you know, look over your your dogs and your gun, which we actually did.
00:14:52.700 I'm not making that up.
00:14:53.760 So if anybody, you know, we have an armed redneck nearby and wants to go check out their stuff, you know, but, you know, they're at an age where I'm saying they're not thinking about all these things.
00:15:07.080 But after an hour of a difficult conversation, we we had a good laugh about it.
00:15:13.020 And because I'm like, Willie's like stayed in the obvious.
00:15:17.520 Hey, you can't walk.
00:15:19.440 And, you know, Phil doesn't know where he is on, you know, on a given day, which my dad laughs about it.
00:15:25.500 He's acknowledging that.
00:15:27.080 And so that's kind of where we're at.
00:15:30.020 But she's doing better.
00:15:31.400 I mean, I thought it was a lot more severe.
00:15:33.780 Yeah.
00:15:34.280 I mean, it was a severe injury, but she's really seems to be doing well.
00:15:40.500 Well, the most fun thing with them, Ali, is they they have transitioned that humor to us.
00:15:45.960 I think it's why we had a successful show on national television last night.
00:15:50.280 We went over and cooked hamburgers for him.
00:15:53.700 It was our night to cook.
00:15:55.000 And so mom's eating her hamburger and she's finishing it up.
00:15:59.380 And dad doesn't eat as much.
00:16:01.000 So he only ate half of his.
00:16:02.180 And he looked over at mom's plate and he said, Miss Kay, you had quite the appetite.
00:16:06.880 And so I looked at mom and she said, that's what we're here for.
00:16:11.520 And she put her hands up like that.
00:16:13.280 And I got so tickled because that's the way they've always been.
00:16:17.520 So it's like nothing will change that interaction and that dynamic, which is.
00:16:22.120 They haven't lost that.
00:16:23.340 They haven't lost it.
00:16:24.180 Yeah, I'll share this story that happened because I was given the bad.
00:16:28.120 But, you know, my mom, they're not getting, you know, as fed as much in the word.
00:16:34.240 I mean, these people are, you know, my parents, they are warriors for the Lord.
00:16:39.960 They have brought tens of thousands of people to the Lord.
00:16:43.320 Dad's worn out more Bibles than, you know, I've owned.
00:16:45.960 Yeah.
00:16:46.300 And my mom is the best of us as far as her hospitality and treating every person on the planet like they're the most spectacular person.
00:16:56.680 She's done this our whole life.
00:16:58.380 I mean, like we'll go to a football game or, you know, we took her to the Saints game because she's a big Saints fan.
00:17:03.620 And she basically hung out with all the people that were selling the concession products, you know, just talking about food.
00:17:12.160 We'd be in the Trump Hotel in New York City and she comes over and knocks on my door and says, I want you to meet Elisa.
00:17:18.680 She's my new best friend.
00:17:20.140 And she's like the lady cleaning the rooms.
00:17:22.180 I mean, that's that's mom.
00:17:23.580 He's always had that quality, which is, to me, a Jesus quality.
00:17:28.100 And them together is why I think they've made such a big impact.
00:17:33.680 But, you know, I was getting a little frustrated because it is frustrating and because you're trying to get them to realize the new normal is that you just be in here talking with our kids and your grandkids.
00:17:46.820 And this is life.
00:17:48.420 If you can just look at this, because my dad's a quarterback famously, and he doesn't like being on the sidelines.
00:17:54.540 And my mom, I say this affectionately, she's the diva of our family.
00:17:58.460 Also, she loves attention.
00:18:00.400 And so it's hard for them to be in a house, in a room, you know, sitting.
00:18:07.640 And so she she mentioned she said, well, maybe you can just give me a sermon or something.
00:18:13.600 She she said it frustratingly.
00:18:16.620 And I just thought, well, OK, I'll give you one.
00:18:21.020 And she was like, well, go ahead.
00:18:22.740 Jason preached at the drop of a hat, Allie.
00:18:25.300 I will.
00:18:25.860 I was I was doing some study about the afterlife because we had talked about that on a previous podcast, Allie.
00:18:32.820 And I said, you know, there's you remember that when Jesus was on the cross and he told the thief next to him today, you'll be with me in paradise.
00:18:44.960 And I said, there's been books written and everybody wonders, what is this paradise you speak?
00:18:50.660 What is it like?
00:18:51.520 And you probably won't find, you know, five people who can agree on exactly what he meant by that.
00:18:57.840 And so that's how I opened the line, which I noticed both of their heads just snapped to me and they were glued to me.
00:19:04.860 And I said, but I think we're missing the key point of that phrase.
00:19:08.660 What Jesus said is that he said, today you'll be with me in paradise.
00:19:15.200 And I said, just think of what paradise is as far as it relates to the Bible.
00:19:20.920 It's all about relationship.
00:19:22.600 God wanting to dwell with people.
00:19:25.860 And I and I just went on from there, quoted a lot of other verses.
00:19:29.480 I talked for almost an hour about about, you know, we get to experience life with the eternal son.
00:19:38.020 You know, we have a spirit on the earth and we will do this forever.
00:19:42.020 And I really, you know, it impacted them because they've been talking about it ever since.
00:19:48.860 But then I realized that, you know, it's hard for human beings to deal with struggles and death.
00:19:54.260 I mean, they're they're literally, you know, at the end of their life.
00:19:57.460 And they realize that.
00:19:59.120 And that's OK.
00:19:59.820 We're fine with that.
00:20:00.840 What's your line, Jase?
00:20:01.740 It's not the it's not the destination, but it's who you go on the journey with.
00:20:05.540 Exactly.
00:20:06.140 I use that illustration.
00:20:07.760 I said, if I, you know, because my mom always wants to go anywhere.
00:20:12.040 Are you ready to go?
00:20:12.740 Yeah.
00:20:12.940 And then she always said, well, where are we going?
00:20:15.480 Yeah.
00:20:15.640 Who's going?
00:20:16.580 And then it's like, where are we going?
00:20:18.060 It's irrelevant.
00:20:18.680 It's like, let's line out who's going.
00:20:20.680 And so I thought it was a wonderful moment.
00:20:23.300 I mean, I felt like the spirit kind of moved me in there in a frustrating conversation.
00:20:27.460 We were having to.
00:20:29.880 And I think they needed that, you know, in the in the moment.
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00:21:58.740 A few years ago when Phil was on my show, he told a story about sharing the gospel with
00:22:09.080 President Trump.
00:22:10.020 And I'm sure you guys know a lot of stories that the public doesn't know about your dad
00:22:15.440 just sharing the gospel.
00:22:17.140 Like, you know, Al, you just said Jace can preach at the drop of a hat.
00:22:20.500 I feel like Phil, just from what I know, I mean, he'll share the gospel with anyone at
00:22:25.480 the drop of a hat, and he'll do it, I think, in the clearest way that I've heard.
00:22:31.360 Like, I've said that multiple times privately and publicly.
00:22:34.040 I think Phil Robertson is one of the clearest explainers of the gospel and the most simple
00:22:40.840 but profound terms that I've heard.
00:22:43.400 And I've heard a lot of really good preachers, and I value, you know, the articulateness of
00:22:48.180 a lot of people, but he's just really clear.
00:22:50.860 So I was wondering if, like, any instances come to your mind of watching your dad share
00:22:55.540 the gospel with someone?
00:22:57.420 Well, there's several, but one I want to share is the first time I ever heard him do it publicly,
00:23:03.640 other than our church, you know, obviously teaching a class.
00:23:06.880 I was very young, and the business was very new.
00:23:10.760 And dad used to go and speak at a lot of Ducks Unlimited banquets and raising funds for
00:23:15.960 them.
00:23:16.360 But it was kind of getting his name out there and getting our duck call business out there.
00:23:19.560 But these are usually events where there's a lot of alcohol, and so it's just not the
00:23:22.880 best.
00:23:23.200 But, you know, sometimes he would share, still share, try to share Jesus, but it always didn't
00:23:27.540 go over so great.
00:23:28.340 But we were in New Orleans one time in the Superdome, and we had a booth there.
00:23:32.740 Now, Jason, I don't know if you were there or not, but dad gets up, and there's about
00:23:36.660 400 people.
00:23:37.800 Most of them are Cajuns, you know, from South Louisiana, and Anheuser-Busch was the sponsor
00:23:42.260 of the event.
00:23:43.020 It wasn't a church event.
00:23:44.240 It wasn't a church event.
00:23:45.260 And so there's a big, huge sign hanging above dad that said, Anheuser-Busch, King of Beers.
00:23:49.180 I'll never forget it.
00:23:50.420 And dad gets up, and he does his duck call demonstration.
00:23:53.320 Of course, all the people out there are drinking their, you know, Budweiser's and loving it and
00:23:57.180 all that feel good on a duck call, you know, and they're talking.
00:24:00.080 And then all of a sudden, he reaches into his bag, and he pulls out his Bible, and it
00:24:05.220 just got deathly quiet.
00:24:07.300 And he looks up at that sign, and he says, you know, Anheuser-Busch, he really is the
00:24:11.840 King of Beers.
00:24:12.520 Back in the day, boys, I used to drink many a Budweiser, but that led me down a bad road.
00:24:18.180 And so everybody's looking like, what's he doing?
00:24:22.920 And he said, he held up his Bible, and he says, he may be the King of Beers, but let me
00:24:27.760 tell you a little something about the King of Kings.
00:24:30.140 And then he just shared the gospel with this group.
00:24:32.540 And they were so shocked.
00:24:33.760 Of course, they hid their beer behind their legs, you know, under their chairs, because
00:24:37.800 all of a sudden, we done broke out into a church meeting here in the Superdome.
00:24:41.360 And he shared the gospel.
00:24:43.320 And I just remember him walking off stage, and it was kind of a moderate applause.
00:24:48.720 They weren't sure how to react.
00:24:49.880 And a guy was standing there that sold duck calls, and he said, Phil, you can't mix up
00:24:53.460 your religion and your business.
00:24:55.720 You'll lose them both.
00:24:56.980 And I remember him saying to this guy, he said, did you not hear what I was talking about?
00:25:02.000 Dead men coming out of the ground, sins being removed.
00:25:04.780 He was like, without Christ, there would be no business.
00:25:07.960 And so I think that set the culture for not only our company, but our family.
00:25:13.640 And so everything we do, you're right, is a fruit that comes from being a part of him.
00:25:19.040 Yeah, I would echo that.
00:25:20.580 He has a talent about saying very blunt things that people seem to not be that offended about.
00:25:30.040 It's there's something.
00:25:31.400 And I think maybe it comes from his past, which was so broken.
00:25:34.700 And he's so transparent about and vulnerable about.
00:25:37.520 I mean, they made a movie about it and he was fine with it.
00:25:40.960 But, uh, you brought up Trump because I mean, I got to hear that.
00:25:45.860 And, and, you know, the tone of the conversation, of course they wanted our support, but then
00:25:51.180 he was asking more about what can we do, you know, as, as political government officials
00:26:00.540 to help like you people.
00:26:02.980 And my dad gave him zero things.
00:26:06.400 He said, here, here's what you need to do.
00:26:09.160 He said, no, I know, I don't have to ask you whether you're a sinner or not.
00:26:12.960 I'm, we, we know, you know, what you, what you've done.
00:26:16.220 And it, it, it, it was kind of a, but it was a, it, it wasn't a tense at all.
00:26:22.780 Right.
00:26:23.480 And he talked about, I appreciate it.
00:26:25.720 Thin and death.
00:26:26.960 And he's like, Hey, you're not getting any younger.
00:26:30.140 And, uh, there's people after you.
00:26:31.900 He was actually kind of predicting actually prophecy about.
00:26:35.760 This was back in 16.
00:26:37.260 So yeah, exactly.
00:26:38.100 He was like, Hey, somebody, you know, they're, they're going to try to kill you and all that.
00:26:42.280 So it was, it was actually really profound when I think back on that.
00:26:46.420 And he shared the, the story of Jesus and he, he wrote it down and he had the, uh, what's
00:26:53.260 the phrase he always uses for the symbols, uh, hieroglyphics, hieroglyphics, like the arrow
00:26:58.880 pointing down and the cross and the tomb and the arrow, you know, coming back and the
00:27:05.660 arrow coming back down as Jesus coming down.
00:27:08.460 And so you can kind of figure out what that means about Jesus came to earth.
00:27:12.140 He died.
00:27:12.580 He's, he's raised.
00:27:13.920 He went to the right hand where he's at right now.
00:27:16.180 And he's coming back.
00:27:17.300 And so he handed the paper, uh, to president Trump and he's like, you need to move on that.
00:27:24.100 This needs to be the core of everything you do.
00:27:29.620 I mean, it was very profound.
00:27:31.480 So I'll say all that to say this one tidbit of the story.
00:27:35.660 So later on, he came to Monroe and I forgot exactly what was going on, but my family got
00:27:42.320 involved and I think Willie entered.
00:27:44.360 It was when he was running in 2020 when he lost, it was that.
00:27:47.880 Okay.
00:27:48.340 So that campaign.
00:27:49.520 So we're now fast forwarding four years.
00:27:51.880 Well, my dad was there.
00:27:53.260 I think my dad led a prayer at the event.
00:27:55.200 We were all there.
00:27:55.880 My whole family went in this place.
00:27:57.460 You could not stick another person in the Monroe civic center.
00:28:00.100 Well, while Willie, I think was introducing him, my dad was standing behind him and president
00:28:08.240 Trump pulled out of his pocket that same gospel presentation that my dad had given to him
00:28:17.120 four years before.
00:28:18.220 And he's like, I still, I want you to know, I still have this.
00:28:22.480 I hadn't forgotten.
00:28:23.060 It's beautiful.
00:28:23.940 I hadn't forgotten.
00:28:24.500 So I thought that made the story more powerful.
00:28:27.920 Yes.
00:28:28.600 And that, you know, you can say what you want to about the gospel, but people don't just
00:28:35.340 ignore it.
00:28:36.200 Yeah.
00:28:36.400 Uh, and I thought that was, uh, uh, a very proud moment.
00:28:41.620 Yeah.
00:28:41.980 And of course, in dad fashion, when he shook his hand, he had written a few more verses
00:28:45.520 down.
00:28:46.360 And when he shook Trump's hand, he handed him that, you know, it was one of those handshakes
00:28:50.140 where you got a little something in your hand and it was a few more verses just to consider.
00:28:54.320 Oh yeah, that was true.
00:28:56.220 Well, you know, fast forward to him, you know, surviving that assassination attempt.
00:29:00.880 That's why it didn't, didn't shock me that all of a sudden, you know, he started talking
00:29:06.460 about God more.
00:29:07.680 He, uh, uh, but he felt like God had raised him up for this.
00:29:10.980 Yeah.
00:29:11.140 And I thought, well, it makes sense to me from where I'm looking at the sidelines of this,
00:29:16.040 uh, encounter with my dad and understanding the gospel and really what people like us,
00:29:22.060 you know, that he first phrased are all about.
00:29:26.400 And, uh, I, I, I think he found his way, you know, with, with.
00:29:30.880 You know, relationship with God in some capacity to your point, my dad has always had the same
00:29:36.140 passion when he shares Jesus as if just some guy that somebody brought that nobody could
00:29:41.580 do anything with that they would say, well, you know what, this guy, he's got nowhere
00:29:45.160 else to turn.
00:29:45.900 Let's get him to feel.
00:29:46.960 I heard that my whole life.
00:29:48.720 He had just the same passion with that guy sitting in his living room next to dad's chair
00:29:53.140 as he did speaking to the president of the United States with him.
00:29:56.860 It is.
00:29:57.240 It doesn't matter the stature of the person.
00:30:00.360 And everybody has an opportunity.
00:30:01.860 And so I think he showed that passion all the way.
00:30:03.920 Yeah.
00:30:04.140 And if you think about it, that my dad's probably one of the few people that ever had a conversation
00:30:10.700 with the president and didn't ask for anything, nothing, nothing.
00:30:14.640 He never said, Oh, yeah.
00:30:16.620 Oh, by the way, why don't you get these game wardens off my back?
00:30:20.920 And on the, you know, why don't you talk to Canada and get some more ducks down there?
00:30:24.540 Whatever, you know.
00:30:26.120 Right.
00:30:27.000 Oh, my goodness.
00:30:29.240 Yeah.
00:30:29.800 I think that's probably part of why Trump respected him and probably responded as graciously as
00:30:36.200 he did.
00:30:36.540 One, I think Trump, like, is an amenable person.
00:30:39.000 But also, I think there's something about Phil, which I think this is probably true of
00:30:44.440 Jesus, that, like, there's a meekness and humility about their appearance, but also confidence.
00:30:49.900 And not a lot of people, like, have that exact kind of balance.
00:30:54.180 But I think that is part of what makes him so, like, why people receive him so well.
00:31:01.800 And while they will listen, why they will listen to the harsh truths, because even if it is harsh or even if it is
00:31:07.940 blunt, it doesn't come across as judgment.
00:31:10.780 It comes across as concern.
00:31:12.240 I think we could all learn something from that, because I think that's, you know,
00:31:17.040 we all want to be full of grace and truth like Jesus was, and it's hard to do.
00:31:21.580 Yeah.
00:31:22.040 And yet be loving.
00:31:23.240 And you're right.
00:31:24.140 People would come in.
00:31:25.180 Dad said, all right, tell me a story.
00:31:27.080 I know you've been messing up.
00:31:28.820 I mean, like, that would be the lead.
00:31:30.860 And they'd be like, well, yeah, Mr. Phil, you know, they'd just start into it.
00:31:34.560 But it was like they didn't take offense.
00:31:36.580 Like, I don't know.
00:31:37.560 I guess if you thought about it, you took it into your pastor, and they may be offended by this.
00:31:42.120 But somehow, Dad, just being who he was, and maybe it was the whole package, the beard and the hunting and his own story, it just always came across.
00:31:52.100 We always compare it to John the Baptist, you know, because John the Baptist was pretty rough around the edges, and he was pretty harsh at times.
00:31:59.380 But you know what?
00:32:00.160 He was who he was, and everybody seemed to appreciate that and respect that.
00:32:04.980 Well, that's what's been so different now is I've seen my dad do things here in the last year in a soft kind of way that we've never seen, which my wife had an interesting conversation about this.
00:32:23.120 Because I kind of went through that upset stage, which really my upset stage was during duck season, because, you know, you have to remember, we have duck hunted, and I'm saying my dad and I, we hunt every day of the duck season, 60 days.
00:32:39.700 And we've done that since I was eight years old.
00:32:42.640 And so this year.
00:32:43.460 We're going on almost 50 years.
00:32:45.080 Yeah, this year, you know, he went opening day, and he was miserable.
00:32:48.920 And it wasn't that we didn't have a lot of ducks.
00:32:51.520 It was the best day we had all year, but he didn't participate, and he didn't say much.
00:32:56.700 And I was like, after the hunt, I was like, we got off on the bang.
00:33:00.780 I was like, Phil, what's wrong?
00:33:02.840 And he's like, I just can't do it.
00:33:05.100 You know, he just, he felt bad in the moment.
00:33:08.160 You know, I wasn't really sure what the problem was.
00:33:10.620 Yeah.
00:33:10.980 But so then the rest of the season, you know, was just so hollow, because I literally, on
00:33:17.260 several occasions, would, like, go to speak to, you know, my dad.
00:33:22.860 Because if you've been hunting with somebody that long, you forget that they're not there.
00:33:27.240 So that was kind of when I went through the sad part.
00:33:30.320 And so at that time, you know, my dad was, you know, he told, like, my wife, he loved her.
00:33:37.520 Well, he's never done that.
00:33:39.260 It's not that he doesn't love her.
00:33:41.020 Yeah.
00:33:41.320 But he's just not a touchy-feely guy.
00:33:44.120 And, you know, it, like, meant the world to her.
00:33:47.240 And I was like, well, it disturbs me.
00:33:50.520 And she's like, what do you mean?
00:33:52.580 What are you talking about?
00:33:53.280 I was like, he's just not mentally right.
00:33:56.840 It's different.
00:33:57.500 And she got so upset with me about it.
00:34:01.280 But I was like, but now I kind of, I think I realized that, too, it's him more, you know,
00:34:07.060 being a little softer in this kind of new normal situation that's that.
00:34:12.100 And it's kind of been a process even before what he's going through now.
00:34:15.760 Because when we found Phyllis, who's dad's daughter, actually, she found us.
00:34:20.760 He showed a tenderness and compassion to her that I had never seen him.
00:34:25.080 That I didn't know he was capable of.
00:34:26.300 And a friend of ours told us, she said, you know, look, you boys, you got raised in a
00:34:30.520 certain home.
00:34:31.240 He's going to be different towards her.
00:34:32.760 And I thought, you don't know my dad, you know, and she was exactly right.
00:34:38.320 And I have daughters.
00:34:39.220 Jace has a daughter.
00:34:40.320 You're a daughter, Allie.
00:34:41.680 And which, by the way, I know your dad, we've become fast friends since he was on our podcast.
00:34:46.540 You and he were on our podcast.
00:34:48.540 But it's, you know, it was something special and unique.
00:34:51.860 And so, you know, God through his later years now is giving him a tenderness.
00:34:55.940 He told me the first time we visited him when he came, moved into town, he looked up at
00:35:01.060 me and said, now keep visiting me.
00:35:03.080 Don't stop visiting me.
00:35:04.820 And I mean, it touched me because I just thought, he doesn't normally say that.
00:35:09.900 I mean, he would never say that.
00:35:11.020 So, you know what?
00:35:11.940 Every time I'm in town, because at least I travel there, I've been right over there
00:35:15.920 visiting, talking to him.
00:35:17.180 Because I thought, you know what?
00:35:18.500 He let me know it matters to him at this point in his life.
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00:36:23.740 It's so funny.
00:36:24.800 We had brought up Trump.
00:36:25.800 I thought of a funny story.
00:36:27.140 I don't know if we've ever shared this.
00:36:28.680 Maybe we have.
00:36:29.420 I don't think so.
00:36:30.400 It's breaking news.
00:36:31.360 Uh, maybe breaking news.
00:36:33.040 So one time the president, while he's president actually calls my dad, I was there, but my
00:36:39.620 dad was getting up to speak at an event.
00:36:43.120 And so my dad, we, we've already described how he is.
00:36:47.300 He's like, who is it?
00:36:48.160 It's like, it's the president of the United States.
00:36:50.540 He said, tell him I'll call him back.
00:36:52.520 I'm fixed to preach Jesus.
00:36:53.980 Which was shocking to everyone.
00:36:58.640 Cause who minds waiting five minutes?
00:37:00.620 He was talking to the press.
00:37:01.660 I mean, I would have.
00:37:03.080 Like turn that into my icebreaker in the speech, but he didn't do it.
00:37:07.860 And of course, then everybody was like, well, how are you going to call him back?
00:37:11.900 And he's like, yeah, that's a good point.
00:37:14.780 How does that even happen?
00:37:16.420 Trump called him back the next day and had a great conversation.
00:37:20.700 We were in the car and really just congratulated dad for his book and just talked about what
00:37:25.340 an influence he was on the country.
00:37:26.940 And, you know, again, I think still just remembering, uh, the impact that who dad was and the way
00:37:33.600 he was.
00:37:34.100 So, you know, it was pretty powerful.
00:37:36.040 Yeah.
00:37:36.640 Yeah.
00:37:37.320 But who's not offended?
00:37:38.760 And the president wasn't offended.
00:37:40.340 No.
00:37:40.500 He was like, well, cause he, he understood, but I was getting back to that gospel presentation.
00:37:46.220 I think he understood.
00:37:48.120 Now I'm just speculating.
00:37:50.120 This is what my dad's all about, you know?
00:37:52.800 And it's really, I don't care who you are.
00:37:55.100 This is a life-threatening situation.
00:37:58.000 I mean, this is an emergency.
00:37:59.400 I'm fixing to share Jesus with these people.
00:38:01.620 So call me back.
00:38:02.960 Yeah.
00:38:03.520 Wow.
00:38:04.280 Um, I'm curious about, we only have a few minutes left.
00:38:06.900 I'm curious about the revamping of Duck Dynasty, the TV show, like who's going to be a part
00:38:13.380 of it and is it going to be strange without Phil or was that always part of the plan and
00:38:18.660 what's that going to be like?
00:38:21.020 Well, I can comment on that cause I wasn't sure myself.
00:38:24.800 And, uh, I, I felt like the first time Duck Dynasty happened, everybody was talking about
00:38:31.980 this.
00:38:32.440 Of course, me and my dad were saying this will never work because they were saying, let's
00:38:38.660 make a show about your family, but we're not going to shoot any ducks because, because
00:38:44.700 all we'd ever done was hunting shows and hunting.
00:38:46.700 Yeah.
00:38:47.160 To put it in context, we had done actual hunting videos.
00:38:50.980 And, uh, so we're, you know, ducks were like shown in like real life hunting.
00:38:56.220 I was like, who would watch that?
00:38:58.600 Nobody we know.
00:38:59.600 I mean, we do hunting shows.
00:39:00.960 We don't family shows.
00:39:02.580 So that's not going to work.
00:39:03.480 But, uh, so I, you know, the day they showed up, I thought, well, they're doing it.
00:39:08.800 Well, so I had heard, uh, that there might be a version of Duck Dynasty coming back and
00:39:17.100 I didn't believe it until I saw it.
00:39:18.980 But then when I saw the camera show up, I thought, well, they're back cause it's a mighty
00:39:23.560 throng of them.
00:39:24.940 Um, and so basically what's happened is cause the number one question we get before my dad
00:39:32.120 and before now, oh yeah, is duck down?
00:39:34.880 He said, I heard it's coming back.
00:39:36.540 And another one is size still alive because he's been, he's been dead like four times.
00:39:40.640 That's another, well, I just, there's another recent post saying he's gone on to be with
00:39:48.440 the Lord and size like, Hey Jack, not yet.
00:39:51.180 But, uh, so that's not true wherever that's coming from.
00:39:54.080 But, uh, so what I was going to say, long story to say, the question is people say, well,
00:39:59.720 when are y'all going to come back on TV?
00:40:01.720 But what they fail to realize is, you know, Duck Dynasty, as much as you realize it's a
00:40:06.560 TV show and they, the TV people plan a lot of what we did, that was our life.
00:40:13.280 Everything you saw was, was real.
00:40:15.520 I worked at the duck command.
00:40:16.880 Like when the cameras would leave, I would be building duck calls.
00:40:19.580 It wasn't so, well, since then we all have our own families.
00:40:24.080 That are huge.
00:40:25.320 And so we can't even all meet.
00:40:27.380 I mean, I'm not built.
00:40:28.880 I'm technically an employee of duck, duck commander.
00:40:32.200 They send me a check, but they're doing that.
00:40:34.400 So my face can be on their packaging, you know, but I'm not in the room building duck calls
00:40:39.500 anymore.
00:40:39.820 So most of Willie's, uh, kids, I think all of them in some capacity work, work in here.
00:40:48.080 Right.
00:40:48.860 And so I think they are doing pipe.
00:40:51.220 Yeah.
00:40:51.500 The TV people got wind of that and they're like, well, it's a whole, then they're having
00:40:56.580 to deal with people like me, Willie's kids.
00:40:58.840 Cause I'm officially, I, you know, I get to tell them what to do and whatever.
00:41:02.260 And so, uh, it's kind of a reboot on that.
00:41:05.820 It's like the next generation and, uh, all the family, I think make, will make a cameo
00:41:11.660 appearance in some compare.
00:41:13.080 I haven't been filmed yet, but they, I had a meeting with them.
00:41:16.180 So, uh, I will still appear all up here.
00:41:19.280 I know mom's been on episode size, but actually you said my dad, uh, I don't, I guess I can
00:41:25.280 say this.
00:41:25.880 I think you will see my dad at some point.
00:41:28.840 Yeah.
00:41:28.880 Somewhere.
00:41:29.760 Yeah.
00:41:30.320 So where's Waldo to find him?
00:41:32.420 Yeah.
00:41:32.580 Yeah.
00:41:33.480 Okay.
00:41:33.920 But like in all TV shows, we have no control over the edit.
00:41:38.240 So, uh, right, right.
00:41:40.160 Well, thank you all so much for this.
00:41:42.000 And I could listen to y'all talk all day, but I just appreciate the remembrance of, you
00:41:48.360 know, just the legacy that your dad is still leaving, but has left in how y'all are really
00:41:53.800 his missives and that's a really beautiful thing and something that, gosh, I aspire to
00:42:00.160 as a parent.
00:42:01.520 So thank y'all for that.
00:42:02.880 And just how y'all honor him so much.
00:42:05.020 There's so many people in this audience and obviously y'all's audience, but this audience
00:42:08.380 too, who have been impacted.
00:42:09.520 I have friends who have heard the gospel for the first time from Phil.
00:42:13.760 So I just appreciate him and your mom so much.
00:42:16.320 Cause like you said, hospitality, that is a huge Jesus trait that, you know, I aspire to.
00:42:22.400 I want to say to your audience that, and I know they love you.
00:42:26.240 You're one of our favorite people in media.
00:42:28.580 You're amazing because not only are you there with cutting edge, what's going on politically
00:42:32.540 and culturally, but also you're a Bible warrior like we are.
00:42:36.520 And of course I follow you on social media.
00:42:38.820 I love your mom and dad.
00:42:40.180 They become friends of mine.
00:42:41.380 So what you're doing is making an impact on the kingdom.
00:42:44.780 So thank you for that.
00:42:45.660 We're honored to be on your podcast.
00:42:47.360 Well, thank you so much.
00:42:48.340 I appreciate that.
00:42:49.420 And thanks for taking the time to come on.
00:42:50.920 Absolutely.
00:42:52.840 No problem.