An 'American original': 6 tributes to 'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson

5. Ben Carson

In a statement, retired pediatric neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate Ben Carson shared his memory of the late Robertson. 

"I'll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA," he wrote on an X account he shares with his wife, Candy. 

"We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, home-cooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends. The genuine sense of faith and fellowship was tangible — something that's all too rare these days."

Carson, who served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the first Trump administration, called Robertson an "American original who never backed down from the truth."

"His legacy of faith, family, and freedom will live on," Carson wrote. "Praying for Miss Kay and the entire Robertson family."

Carson cited 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.' — 2 Timothy 4:7.