CLEVELAND – Phil Robertson from the TV show Duck Dynasty told PJM that former presidential hopefuls Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.), Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) “need to learn how to forgive and love their neighbor.”
“When the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘how many times should we forgive someone who sins against us? Seven?’ Which to them was a lot, because in America about three strikes and you’re out. You do me wrong three times and you’re out. But they were being generous by saying, ‘How many times should we forgive someone, Lord? Seven?’ And Jesus’ reply was ‘70 times 7,’” Robertson told PJM at the Republican National Convention.
“My advice to all the nominees, potential nominees, the 17 people, the Bushes, Cruz, if I were them, I would be long on forgiveness for whatever happens during the nomination process,” he added. “The people have spoken and they said Donald Trump is the man. Therefore, as a loyal Republican, I’m backing Donald Trump. That’s the hand we’ve been dealt. How could you be worse than Hillary Clinton? How could it be possible?”
Robertson said Kasich, Cruz and Bush “gave their word that they would back the nominee.” The Bush family and Kasich are absent from the convention.
“They were doing that to make sure Trump was going to back whichever one of them, but when he won there were some that reneged. They need to learn how to forgive and love their neighbor. I would start there and it will work itself out,” he said.
“We’re not going to change this nation just by electing different leadership, by the way – there has to be God put back into the fabric of American government. Bad people produce bad government. That’s the way it works,” Robertson continued. “Our people need to be better and we’ll have a better government. If our people are good and virtuous and righteous – righteousness exalts a nation, sins a disgrace to any people, so we’re trying to get a little spiritual part to end all of this.”
PJM asked Robertson why he thinks voters should back Trump over Libertarian nominee former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.
“Trump has said enough in my mind. He will have conservative appointees to the Supreme Court. He’s given us a list of them. That’s a good thing. We need to get control of our borders. He said that. We are certainty going to have to do something about this terrorism. We’re going to have to do something about it and pretty quick, so the bottom line is, you say, I think I’ll go with old Trump. He’s said enough for me to say, you know what, he says he’s against aborting children. I, as a conservative, I’m thinking, you know what, I’m going with Trump,” Robertson said.
“He doesn’t have a record, but I’m listening to what he’s saying. There are a lot of people who’ve mobilized behind him. All I know for sure is I know what we’ll get if the other side wins, and then I’m going to have live in the woods for the next four years,” he added.
Robertson said America is “a dangerous place” right now.
“I don’t know how many shoot-them-ups we’re going to have to have before someone says, you know what, America is turning into a killing field. I mean, there’s a lot of killing going on – on our streets without ISIS. Add ISIS to it. He says he’s a law and order man. We’re going to need one,” he said. “I know one thing – it’s not the cops’ problem because if you got rid of all the cops, can you imagine what this thing would be like? If you’re seeing it collapse with law enforcement, what would happen if we didn’t have them?”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member