"I think we may have all caught an STD": Twitter reacts to Phil Robertson's bizarre CPAC speech

Shortly before Jeb Bush takes the stage, "Duck Dynasty" founder rants about STDs, guns, and Hitler

Published February 27, 2015 7:43PM (EST)

Phil Robertson               (AP/A&E/Zach Dilgard)
Phil Robertson (AP/A&E/Zach Dilgard)

A little more than a year after he sparked controversy with a GQ interview in which he compared homosexuality with terrorism and bestiality, "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson received the Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

Accepting the award, Robertson delivered a meandering speech that dwelled on religion, guns, sexually transmitted diseases, Adolf Hitler, and Josef Stalin.

"Hold on to the Constitution. Hold on to your weapons. That's what got us here," Robertson declared, in a typical line.

The Robertson family patriarch also imparted this advice to attendees: "Make sure you carry your Bible with you and your woman. Safety! Safety!"

In one of the more bizarre portions of the speech, Robertson railed against sexual promiscuity, telling the crowd that sexually transmitted infections represent the "revenge of the hippies."

Awkwardly, Robertson was something of a warm-up act for Jeb Bush, a leading Republican presidential contender, who probably wants little do with a man who's renowned on the right primarily because he compared gay people to goat-fuckers. NRA President Wayne LaPierre actually spoke between Robertson and Bush, but the proximity of Bush and Robertson's speeches provided fodder for commentators on Twitter. Here are some of the real-time reactions to the speech.

MSNBC's Benjy Sarlin:

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Time's Zeke Miller:

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The Boston Globe's Matt Viser:

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The Washington Post's Greg Sargent:

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Bush himself, who not-so-subtly hinted that he was more than ready for Robertson to get off the stage:

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And in case there was any doubt about how the Bush camp felt, here's GOP strategist and close Bush associate Ana Navarro:

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By Luke Brinker

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