Duggar Kids Bullied? Mike Huckabee Claims That '19 Kids and Counting' Stars Were Bullied by 'Snobby Sophisticates'

Fans of the Duggar family have openly expressed their admiration for their family values as well as the wholesome way that the Duggar children are raised by their parents Jim Bob and Michelle. But it seems like not everyone adores the Duggars as Mike Huckabee claims that the kids were bullied by "snobby sophisticates."

In his book titled "God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy," the former Republican presidential candidate and Arkansas governor says that Jim Bob and Michelle's children are "every parent's dream" in their "attitudes toward each other, their parents, and their chores."

Huckabee goes on to claim that Josh, Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and the rest of the Duggar children "endured relentless and vicious ridicule from the snobby and snotty sophisticates."

These purported bullies "exemplify their own jealousy of how well behaved the Duggar kids are compared to the little hellions and yuppie larvae created by the critics of the Duggars."

In recent months, the Duggar family has also had their fair share of backlash as back in November, almost 200,000 people signed a petition on Change.org calling for TLC to cancel "19 Kids and Counting." Petition organizer Jim Wissick writes that the Duggars "have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people."

Many came to the defense of the family as the hashtag #DefendTheDuggars was started by LifeSiteNews, and the American Family Association also released a statement in support of the Duggars.

During the height of the controversy, the family's Facebook page got 50,000 more fans in a week and Jim Bob said that the petition only gave "more exposure" to the family.

"Our show is the number one show on TLC," said Jim Bob at the Booster Banquet at Hannibal-LaGrange University. "We love everybody. It's a small group creating this fuss. All it has done is give us more exposure."

"God is expanding our borders through the national media," he added.