Instead of pointing fingers at permissive judges or poor mental health for the horrific mass shooting in Shreveport, a writer for New York Magazine has decided to blame … the patriarchy.
The outlet claimed that 31-year-old U.S. Army veteran Shamar Elkins, the man accused of killing eight children, including seven of his own, was the victim of a society that believes women belong to men.
“It is tempting to treat Elkins’s actions as the isolated incident of a madman. But poor mental health is never a reasonable explanation for attempting to execute one’s wife and children,” <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/shreveport-killing-shamar-elkins-mental-health-patriarchy.html">wrote</a> Brittney Cooper, a Cut contributor who “writes about race and systems of power.”
“Patriarchy offers a better explanation for this violence,” she went on. “Patriarchy teaches men that women and children belong to them, that they are property that men get to have, as a male rite of passage. Men are taught, in what bell hooks famously called a ‘white supremacist capitalist patriarchy,’ to measure their worth and value by the size of their bank account, the size of their genitals, and the size of their families. These are forms of toxic self-value, predicated as they are on women and children having no agency or dreams of their own.”
Cooper went on to lament “the rise of the manosphere” and “a nation being led by a group of right-wing extremists with Neanderthal ideas about gender and sexuality.”
“Men who kill their wives and children are not just bad apples who needed a free month of BetterHelp. These killings are the natural outcome of a country enamored with patriarchy and determined to make sure that men can freely dominate women,” she insists.
Readers on social media pushed back strongly on this theory.
“Well you couldn&#8217;t make it about racism, so I guess Patriarchy seemed like a good idea. Though I bet if you tried you could make it about racism and how mostly female mental health professionals won&#8217;t take on poor Black male clients. Of course then, no patriarchy. Tough,” one sarcastic commenter <a href="https://x.com/thevanosam/status/2046572431159038339">wrote</a>.
“The race is inconvenient, so we switch to a gender motive. He was a criminal, a gun criminal no less. But instead of being locked up, the people that screech constantly about gun violence, went easy on him as they always do. It’s a story about leftist policies causing more death,” another person <a href="https://x.com/occhipig/status/2046549453838897514">added</a>.
Elkins, who appeared to be targeting his own “descendants,” opened fire in three different homes across Shreveport on April 19. He was shot and killed by police after he attempted to carjack a vehicle to escape.
Shreveport officials described the shooting as domestic violence, saying Elkins shot the mother of his children and another woman, as well as his seven children and one of their cousins, per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/21/shamar-elkins-shreveport-louisiana-shooter/89710200007/">USA Today</a>. 
The outlet noted that Elkins married Shaneiqua Pugh in April 2024. A woman named Christina Snow sued Elkins for child support and was granted joint custody of their child, Sariahh, in 2017. Sariahh was one of the victims of the shooting.

Shreveport shooting

NY Mag Points To Tired Leftist Trope To Explain Horrific Murders

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A gunman who appeared to be targeting his own &#8220;descendants&#8221; opened fire in three different homes across the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday night — and was shot and killed after he attempted to carjack a vehicle in order to escape.
The suspect in the horrific murder spree was identified later in the day as 31-year-old U.S. Army veteran Shamar Elkins.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/8-kids-ages-1-to-14-killed-in-mass-shootings-across-shreveport-louisiana/">report</a> published Sunday by The New York Post, Elkins shot ten people, eight of them fatally, in two homes on one street and one other home on a nearby street. The two survivors were adult women, and all eight of the deceased were children ranging in age from one year old to 14 years old. Some of the children are believed to be his.
&#8220;The individual responsible once leaving this scene performed a carjacking right here in close proximity to the corner of West 79th and Lynnwood, at which point in time, Shreveport police patrol officers got behind that vehicle in a chase incident,&#8221; Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said during a press conference. The suspect was shot and killed by police.
&#8220;You have three different scenes, the shooting itself occurred just down the road over here, the 300 block of West 79th,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisiana-shreveport-mass-shooting-rcna340868">Bordelon added</a>. “There’s also another shooting related to this on Harrison Street, and then there’s an adjacent residence on West 79 where one of the victims ran to after the shooting.&#8221;
&#8220;This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,&#8221; Police Chief Wayne Smith said, noting that the official crime scene included the scene of the carjacking in addition to the three homes.
&#8220;This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport. So, right now we’re going to process the information and it&#8217;s in very good hands,&#8221; Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. &#8220;It’s a terrible morning.&#8221;
A motive for the shooting has not been determined, although several reports indicated that the suspect may have been involved with one of the women who was shot.

Gunman Identified After Horrific Killing Spree Targeting ‘Descendants’

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Louisiana police have charged a man with impaired driving after his car slammed into a crowd during a community parade on Saturday, injuring several people, some critically.
Louisiana State Police said they arrested Todd Landry, 57, and charged him with driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring and careless operation following the incident in New Iberia, Louisiana.
He is also accused of having an open container with an alcoholic beverage in the vehicle.
The incident occurred during a Lao New Year celebration, the Louisiana State Police said in a statement.
&#8220;Multiple pedestrians&#8221; were struck by the vehicle as Landry drove it, police said.
Earlier, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said at least 15 people had been injured.
Landry showed signs of impairment, and a breath sample showed he had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.137%, police said. The legal BAC limit for drivers in most U.S. states is 0.08%.
Reuters could not determine if Landry had a lawyer.
Acadian Ambulance posted on social media that it transported 13 people to the hospital. Two of them were airlifted, the ambulance service wrote on X.
Organizers of the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival said on Facebook they were cancelling Saturday evening&#8217;s music concerts, as well as alcohol sales.
&#8220;We are profoundly saddened by the news of the incident near the festival grounds,&#8221; the organizers said on Facebook. &#8220;We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time.&#8221;
The three-day festival held every Easter weekend includes live music, parades and other activities celebrating the Lao New Year.
(Reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco; Editing by Sergio Non, Matthew Lewis and Kevin Buckland)

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A Tuesday hearing could determine whether abortion pills can be shipped across the country without an in-person doctor visit, a practice that has led to an increase in abortions across the United States – even in states where medication abortions are illegal.
Magistrate Judge David Ayo will hear a case from the state of Louisiana challenging regulations put in place by President Joe Biden’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that enabled the widespread shipment of the abortion drug mifepristone without an in-person doctor visit. Louisiana argues that the policy undercuts laws it passed to ban medication abortions and has asked the judge to block the regulations while the suit is litigated. 
“As much as we celebrated the fall of Roe v.  Wade, the Dobbs decision has been effectively nullified by the mail-order regime that the Biden FDA has initiated and continues to perpetuate across this country. So we have to win this case for unborn babies and their mothers,” said Erik Baptist, a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom who is representing Louisiana.
During a call with pro-life leaders attended by The Daily Wire on Monday, Baptist described the case as the &#8220;most important&#8221; court battle for the pro-life movement since the Dobbs decision.
“When the Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision and overturned Roe v. Wade, it had the expectation to send the issue back to the people, to their representatives, and also to the states,” he said. “But what happened was that the Biden administration anticipated the Dobbs decision, and then when it came out, tried to nullify that decision.”
The suit, which was filed in November, was also joined by Rosalie Markezich, a woman who says her ex-boyfriend coerced her into ending the life of their unborn child after he ordered illegal abortion pills online.
States like California and New York have enacted “shield laws” to protect abortionists from being extradited to states where they have sent abortion pills in violation of state laws.
Baptist said that the Biden administration used the FDA&#8217;s removal of the in-person requirement to push out the abortion pill throughout the country. In Louisiana, he said that there were as many as 1,000 illegal abortions every month facilitated by the mailing in of abortion drugs. Data released in December by the pro-abortion Society of Family Planning <a href="https://societyfp.org/research/wecount/wecount-june-2025-data/">revealed</a> that the number of monthly abortions across the country continued to increase in 2025 from 2024, which was itself an increase from 2023.
Ayo was appointed to the position by judges in the Western District of Louisiana, who were all appointed by Republican presidents, except for one. The hearing will examine both the merits of the case and a motion from the Justice Department to dismiss the case.
The FDA has so far resisted calls from pro-life lawmakers and advocates to put the in-person requirements back in place. In a filing in the case last month, the Justice Department argued that the mail-order abortion regulations do not undermine state laws and that ending the policy could undercut a safety review the FDA says that it is currently conducting into mifepristone.
The Department of Health and Human Services told The Daily Wire it does not comment on pending litigation.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who held a hearing last month on the dangers of the abortion pill, said during the Monday call that the Trump administration should restore the in-person requirement for dispensing the pill that was in place before COVID.
Mifepristone cuts off the nutrients that an unborn child needs to survive in the womb. Another drug is then taken to expel the deceased baby from the mother.
Polling released last week by Cygnal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-voters-want-action-on-mail-order-abortion-pill-as-midterms-loom?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Republican+Voters+Want+Action+On+Mail-Order+Abortion+Pill+As+Midterms+Loom">showed</a> that a large majority of Republican primary voters want the FDA to take action to crack down on mail-order abortions before the 2026 midterm elections. Nearly a third of Republican primary voters said they would be less excited to vote if Republicans backed away from pro-life policies.

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The Justice Department said Tuesday that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be shipped through the mail do not infringe on a state’s ability to protect the unborn.
The position was taken in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.213952/gov.uscourts.lawd.213952.51.0_1.pdf">court filing</a> asking a judge not to grant a request from Louisiana to block the current regulations that allow mifepristone to be sent through the mail. The filing said that the FDA was currently reviewing the safety standards for mifepristone, and a ruling blocking the current standard could be “disruptive.” 
“Louisiana suffers no sovereign injury because it remains free to make and enforce its pro-life policies after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org,” the Justice Department said. “Nor are Defendants standing in the way of Louisiana enforcing its abortion laws against out-of- state prescribers of mifepristone.”
Louisiana and a woman named Rosalie Markezich sued the FDA last November, seeking to have a judge suspend the FDA’s current Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy standards for mifepristone. Markezich says she was coerced into taking abortion pills illegally ordered and sent into Louisiana by her ex-boyfriend. 
A White House official told The Daily Wire that nothing in the filing should be construed as the White House “defending&#8221; former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration&#8217;s abortion drug policies.
“We’ve been very clear we have issues with that as well,” the White House official noted, saying that the Trump administration has raised issues with mifepristone, which is why it was conducting a study into mifepristone. 
“Legally speaking, it’s a question of standing,” the official said. “All we are really saying with this filing is, let’s not short-circuit this process, and let the agency, that is doing what a lot of the pro-life groups want, let them do what they’ve been tasked to do, and let that process play out.” 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-leftist-network-of-websites-floods-red-states-with-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences-2">previously reported</a>, leftist activists have been shipping abortion pills into states all across the country, even in red states like Louisiana, where medication abortions are technically illegal. This mailing of abortion pills, which was greenlit by the Biden administration as a COVID measure, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/despite-dobbs-more-babies-are-still-being-aborted-in-the-united-states">fueled an increase</a> in abortions across the country after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. 
Shield laws passed in states like California and New York have been enacted, preventing Republican attorneys general from being able to prosecute the doctors sending abortion pills into their states. States like Louisiana say the FDA regulations give pro-abortion doctors the cover to ship the pills. 
Both FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have said that they are conducting a study on the abortion pill, but pro-life advocates and lawmakers have demanded quicker action. 
“Given this widespread debate over the safety of mifepristone, FDA has concluded that the best path forward is for the agency to reconsider the restrictions on mifepristone based on all the evidence before the agency,” the Justice Department said on Tuesday. “As noted above, that evidence will include FDA’s own study.”
The department also said that a ruling by a judge to block the current mifepristone regulations would “threaten to short circuit the agency’s orderly review and study of the safety risks of mifepristone by asking this Court for an immediate stay of the 2023 REMS Modification approved three years ago.”
When reached for comment, the Justice Department said that it was committed to President Donald Trump&#8217;s pro-life agenda.
“This Department of Justice remains committed to advancing President Trump’s pro-life agenda, including through dismissing criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits against peaceful pro-life advocates targeted by the previous administration, and using the FACE Act to protect pro-life pregnancy centers,&#8221; a spokesman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;In this filing, the Department of Justice simply requested more time from the court for the FDA to complete its review of mifepristone REMS. As the Supreme Court recognized in a unanimous ruling less than two years ago, it is the role of the FDA – not the federal courts – to evaluate drug safety data and impose appropriate precautions.”
The department asserted that neither Louisiana nor Markezich was facing any immediate harm from the current regulations. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which is defending Markezich, disagreed. 
“Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the Biden-era abortion-by-mail scheme has allowed thousands of abortion drugs to flow into Louisiana each year. We&#8217;re calling on the FDA to put a stop to it,” ADF wrote on X. “Yesterday, they submitted their reply brief in our lawsuit, Louisiana v. FDA. With [Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill] we’re asking the Court to end illegal mail-order abortions now. They agree that Biden’s scheme is unlawful, but they want to spend another year or more conducting a study. Justice delayed is justice denied. Stand with Rosalie and the State of Louisiana.”
Murrill <a href="https://x.com/AGLizMurrill/status/2016566792412365188">said</a> that the filing shows that the FDA admits the current regulations are “flawed but claims that Louisiana can’t sue to stop the 1,000 dangerous abortions a month in Louisiana that the REMS allows. That is an affront to our sovereignty and the dignity of women and the unborn. FDA should stand with us for life, not with [Gavin Newsom] and [Kathy Hochul].”
The filing was also criticized by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has called for Makary’s ousting over his handling of the abortion pill study. 
“Today’s denial of justice by the DOJ is completely unacceptable. It slams the door on women like Rosalie Markezich and their babies, who are suffering very real harm as the Trump-Vance administration refuses to reimplement basic guardrails on deadly mail-order abortion drugs,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Abortion drugs accessible by mail are killing more Americans than fentanyl, cocaine or heroin combined.”
The FDA told The Daily Wire that it does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy.

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Holds Press Conference On Protecting Children From Harmful Medical Interventions

FDA Claims Mail-Order Abortion Policies Are Not Preventing States From Protecting The Unborn

FDA Says Mail-Order Abortion Policies Not Preventing States From Protecting The Unborn

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President Donald Trump announced on Sunday night that Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry will serve as special envoy to Greenland as the president keeps his sights set on the large mineral-rich territory.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115760829286615399">said</a> that Landry, who previously served as a U.S. congressman and Louisiana&#8217;s attorney general, &#8220;understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.&#8221; Landry said his appointment as special envoy to Greenland will not interfere with his job as governor.
“Thank you @realDonaldTrump!&#8221; Landry <a href="https://x.com/LAGovJeffLandry/status/2002950029494124986">wrote</a> on X. &#8220;It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!&#8221;
After making a strong push to acquire Greenland earlier this year, the Trump administration has said little about the proposal, but the president has not forgotten about his goals for the northern territory that sits in a strategic position between North America and Russia.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-absolutely-considering-annexing-greenland-i-dont-take-anything-off-the-table">said</a> in March that he was discussing with his advisers ways the United States could take over Greenland, such as purchasing it from Denmark, and gave “100%” certainty that “we’ll get Greenland.” Greenland is currently a territory of Denmark but operates as a somewhat autonomous country.
“You have ships sailing outside Greenland from Russia, from China and from many other places. And we’re not going to allow things to happen that are going to be — that are going to hurt the world or the United States,” Trump added at the time.
After Trump appointed Landry as special envoy on Sunday night, leaders in Greenland and Denmark expressed concern that Trump was once again making moves in his plan to take over the territory.
&#8220;We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-trump-landry-special-envoy-7df618b975f25f7a606ec84f6d82bff9">Associated Press</a>. “They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security.”
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&#8220;Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland,” the two leaders added. “We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity.”
The Trump administration argues that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security, while it could also provide the United States with rare earth minerals and oil. The Trump administration also wants to gain an advantage over Russia and China, which have both sought to influence and use Greenland for their own interests.

Donald Trump, Jeff Landry

Trump Taps Republican Governor As Special Envoy To Greenland: ‘Make Greenland A Part Of The U.S.’

Trump Taps Republican Governor As Special Envoy To Greenland: 'Make Greenland A Part Of The U.S.'

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Louisiana sued the FDA this week for allowing the unfettered mailing of abortion drugs across the country.
The suit, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.213952/gov.uscourts.lawd.213952.1.0.pdf">filed</a> Monday by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, accused the FDA of enabling leftist activists to mail abortion pills into states like Louisiana, where chemical abortions are illegal. Murrill asked the court to strike down the FDA’s approval during the Biden administration of mail-order abortion pills.
“Every year, doctors and activists in states like California and New York mail a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved abortion drug called mifepristone to thousands of Louisiana residents for the express purpose of causing abortions in Louisiana that are blatantly unlawful,” the suit said. “This extra-territorial mailing of abortion drugs is illegal under state law—and it is the direct result of the Biden Administration’s 2023 agency action expressly facilitating this scheme. That action is the subject of this lawsuit.”
In 2023, the Biden administration changed the Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone, the drug used in over 60% of all abortions, allowing it to be sent through the mail.
Mifepristone works by starving an unborn child to death by cutting it off from the necessary nutrients provided by its mother. A different drug is then taken to induce labor and expel the deceased baby.
Murrill argued in the suit that the FDA’s regulations for mifepristone are “arbitrary and capricious” and violate the Comstock Act, a federal law that bans the mailing of abortion drugs. Joining the suit was Rosalie Markezich, a woman who says her boyfriend ordered illegal abortion pills from California and was then pressured into taking them to end the life of her unborn child.
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In response to a request for comment on the suit, the Department of Health and Human Services said that it does not comment on pending litigation. HHS did point The Daily Wire to its commitment to conducting a study on the reported adverse effects of mifepristone.
“The Biden administration removed mifepristone’s in-person dispensing rule without studying the safety risks. We are filling that gap. Last month, I joined [FDA Commissioner Marty Makary] in writing to state attorneys general, pledging to review all the evidence — including real-world outcomes — on the safety of this drug. Recent studies already point to serious risks when mifepristone is used without proper medical oversight,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1973866621245567344">said</a> earlier this month.
The suit comes after pro-life advocates were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-lifers-demand-answers-from-trump-admin-after-shocking-abortion-pill-approval?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Pro-Lifers+Demand+Answers+From+Trump+Admin+After+‘Shocking’+Abortion+Pill+Approval">shocked</a> last week after the FDA approved a new generic mifepristone pill. Fifty-two Republican senators sent a <a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/2025.10.09%20-%20Letter%20from%20Senator%20Graham%20et%20al%20to%20HHS%20and%20FDA%20re%20Mifepristone.pdf">letter</a> on Thursday to the FDA and HHS urging them to scrap the regulations that allow the mailing of abortion drugs.
The FDA has said that it was required by law to approve the new generic drug and noted that it was conducting a review of the Biden guidelines. On a press call on Wednesday, SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said she was skeptical of that reasoning.
“This standard only seems to apply to this particular drug. It [has] certainly not been the standard for other drugs where there were questions that needed to be asked, that needed to get answers from those that were developing the drugs,” she said.

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Phil Robertson, whose company and family became the center of the popular A&amp;E television series &#8220;Duck Dynasty,&#8221; died just months after receiving an Alzheimer&#8217;s diagnosis, his family said on Sunday. Robertson was 79.
In a social media <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKGJwF3yWMl/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, the Robertson family said their &#8220;father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord.&#8221; An avid outdoorsman, Robertson invented his first duck call in 1972, which was patented, and he started his company the next year. Decades later — under the leadership of his son, Willie — Duck Commander became a multi-million-dollar business and was featured in the show &#8220;Duck Dynasty,&#8221; which aired for 11 seasons between 2012 and 2017 and became one of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/22/duck-dynasty-reboot-launches-this-summer-starring-original-cast-next-generation-of-robertson-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most-watched</a> reality shows on TV.
Robertson is survived by his wife, Kay, his sons Alan, Jase, Jep, and Willie, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Robertson&#8217;s condition seemed to worsen in recent months, according to his son, Jase, who <a href="https://people.com/phil-robertson-dead-duck-dynasty-star-was-79-11741649" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in December that the Alzheimer&#8217;s &#8220;accelerated, and it&#8217;s causing problems with his entire body,&#8221; adding, &#8220;He&#8217;s just not doing well. He&#8217;s really struggling.&#8221;
On the show and in his life, Robertson often spoke about his Christian faith and how God guided him out of poverty and gave him a successful business and loving family.
&#8220;He reminded us so often of the words of Paul, &#8216;you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him,&#8221; the Robertson family wrote. &#8220;Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again.&#8221;
Robertson grew up with six siblings in a poor Louisiana family, and from an early age, hunting became an important part of his life. In high school, Robertson excelled in multiple sports and earned a scholarship to play quarterback at Louisiana Tech University. He <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/phil-robertson-duck-dynasty-star-and-former-louisiana-tech-qb-dies-at-79/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played</a> two seasons in 1966 and 1967, winning the starting quarterback role ahead of the legendary Terry Bradshaw, who went on to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft and won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Robertson didn&#8217;t come back to play in the 1968 season, instead choosing to pursue his passion for hunting.
&#8220;Terry went for the bucks, and I chased after the ducks,&#8221; Robertson <a href="https://duckcommander.com/pages/phil-robertson?srsltid=AfmBOoq5ZDMZorUOAucxejxsookh7rZCgaEdXp538od_9hI6Kv0YGxHc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Robertson married Marsha Kay Carroway in 1966, and the couple had four children together, including other &#8220;Duck Dynasty&#8221; stars Jase, Willie, and Jep. The two remained married until Robertson&#8217;s death.
Robertson also spoke out about his conservative political views and was a supporter of President Donald Trump, appearing on stage alongside the president at a rally in West Monroe, Louisiana, in 2019. Jase <a href="https://x.com/conservmillen/status/1926807932336763291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> conservative podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey in February that Robertson shared the message of Jesus personally with Trump during the 2016 campaign, a message that the president remembered nearly four years later.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;He shared the story of Jesus and he wrote it down, and so he handed the paper to President Trump, and he&#8217;s like, &#8216;You need to move on that. This needs to be the core of everything you do,'&#8221; Jase said. &#8220;So we&#8217;re fast-forwarding four years, and he came to Monroe, and my dad was there &#8230; and President Trump pulled out of his pocket that same gospel presentation that my dad had given to him four years before.&#8221;
&#8220;Duck Dynasty&#8221; shared a clip of some of Robertson&#8217;s moments on the show, posting on social media, &#8220;We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve. <a href="https://t.co/UTlw1SvlcH">pic.twitter.com/UTlw1SvlcH</a>
&mdash; Duck Dynasty (@DuckDynastyAE) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuckDynastyAE/status/1926815312126632026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Phil Robertson

‘Duck Dynasty’ Patriarch And Devout Christian Phil Robertson Dies At 79

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A conservative group on Sunday launched a campaign urging Louisiana lawmakers to save funding for the state&#8217;s school choice program.
The Club for Growth rolled out a 30-second TV spot on Sunday political programs across Louisiana, pushing for lawmakers to save the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise program, which provides scholarships that students can use to attend private schools. Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled State Senate are considering slashing up to $44 million from the program in order to help pay for stipends for teachers.
&#8220;Lawmakers have a choice,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy8sVWTPVo8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TV spot,</a> which was first shared with The Daily Wire, says.
&#8220;Lift up our kids or gut their futures. Some state senators have grabbed their knives planning to slash $44 million in funding for Governor Landry&#8217;s LA GATOR program putting 6,000 life-changing scholarships on the chopping block, dashing the hopes of 6,000 low income kids. Those aren&#8217;t just numbers, they&#8217;re futures. Tell lawmakers, &#8216;Don&#8217;t cut their lifeline.'&#8221;
The ad features Senate President Cameron Henry, who has <a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/04/10/teacher-pay-vs-la-gator-lawmakers-may-cut-landrys-signature-school-voucher-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> expressed support for cutting the program to fund $2,000 stipends for public school teachers.
The Club for Growth, which has backed school choice proposals across the country, launched a six-figure TV, digital, and phone campaign dissuading lawmakers from cutting the program in April. Their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW00gbtZGH0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first ad</a> featured Governor Landry discussing how his school choice program would give parents more control over the education of their children.
Last week, the Louisiana House passed a budget including over $90 million in funding for the scholarship program, the full amount requested by the governor.
The Louisiana Department of Education says it determined that 35,000 of the 40,000 applications for the 2025-2026 school year were eligible. The amount of scholarships that will be awarded depends on how much money is appropriated for the program by the legislature.
Priority is given to students who are already in the program, students with disabilities, or from families making less than 250% of the federal poverty level, and students with siblings in the program. Students with disabilities can be awarded up to $15,253, while impoverished students can get $7,626. All others are eligible for $5,243.
The Club for Growth has already backed several successful campaigns for school choice measures, including in Tennessee and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-conservative-org-launches-campaign-to-pass-school-choice-in-two-red-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana</a>. The Trump administration has made school choice a major component of its education policy, with President Donald Trump promising to dismantle the Department of Education and return control of education to the states.

Back view of little girl attending a class in elementary school.

Conservative Group Urges Louisiana Republicans To Save School Choice From The ‘Chopping Block’

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