Lucky ducks! President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Among those special guests in attendance were Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson and NBA player Jason Collins.
Robertson, 41, was a guest of freshman Louisiana Rep. Vance McAllister, who he supported in last year’s election. The A&E star attended the speech with wife Korie Robertson, and was seen sitting in the audience wearing his famous American flag bandana. Their appearance was slightly controversial following the anti-gay remarks his father, Phil Robertson, said in GQ magazine, that resulted in his temporary suspension from their reality show.
“I am proud to have my close friend, constituent and small business owner, Willie Robertson, attend tonight’s State of the Union Address as my special guest,” McAllister said in a statement via The Los Angeles Times. “Willie is thankful for this opportunity and honored to attend. I look forward to the two of us representing the Fifth District in DC this evening and bringing some diversity to our nation’s capitol.”
Another celebrity in attendance Tuesday — and on the opposite side of the political spectrum — was Collins, 35, who became the first active male professional athlete to come out publicly as gay last April. The NBA center was a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama, who also invited two survivors of the Boston Marathon.
After Collins came out as gay, President Obama told the athlete that he “couldn’t be prouder” of him. “I think America should be proud that this is just one more step in this ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly,” Obama, 52, told reporters at the time via CBS News. “And everybody’s part of a family. And we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance, and not their sexual orientation. So I’m very proud of him.”
