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A handful of 2024 Republican presidential candidates made the news rounds on Sunday morning, voicing support for the controversial trio of Supreme Court rulings delivered last week that have sparked calls from the left to “pack up” the court.
Within two days, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action policies on college admissions, against President Biden’s student loan bailout, and for a graphic designer’s right to refuse to create wedding websites for same-sex couples.
Former Vice President Mike Pence voiced his support for all three Supreme Court decisions during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“From the time the Supreme Court recognized same-sex marriage, the court had made a commitment that they would continue to respect the freedom of religion and freedom of conscience of every American,” he said, referring to the web designer case.
2024 Republican presidential candidates Mike Pence, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie (Getty Images)
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On the affirmative action case, Pence argued that what may have been a necessary solution to discrimination on college campuses in the 1960s is no longer necessary in today’s environment.
“It is a great honor for the extraordinary achievements of minority students on our campuses,” he said. “And I do believe that as a country we can move forward and embrace the idea that we will all be judged not by our skin color, but by the content of our character and, in this case, our GPA.”
On the student loan decision, Pence echoed conservative sentiments that the president’s plan would have unfairly harmed working people.
“The majority of people who would have benefited from this student loan forgiveness are people with multiple degrees,” he said. “So you’re going to say to working Americans, to truck drivers, to people who work in commerce, ‘We’re going to collect your taxes and pay off some of the student loan debt from doctors and lawyers and PhD students'”
Mike Pence meets Ukrainian President Zelensky on a secret trip on June 29, 2023. (Fox news)
Former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told “Fox News Sunday” that the web designer case was a “fantastic victory for individual liberty and liberty.”
“First of all, the Democrats are angry because things didn’t go their way, but the people won. This is about empowering people in their rights,” she said. “Gay people have the right to get married in the same way a web designer has the right to say, according to their religion, that they don’t want it. So the people won in these cases.”
Republican presidential nominee and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley holds a town hall meeting in Nevada, Iowa on March 9, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the decision in the web designer case was wrongly seen as discriminating against LGBTQ people.
“This company has no right not to serve people belonging to a protected class,” he argued. “But in the same way, the government has no right to tell a company how to use their expressive skills. And so the fact is that this company cannot refuse LGBTQ people, couples, to enter and try to gain entry. to this company. That’s not the case at all. It’s a mischaracterization of it.”
Republican presidential nominee and former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie delivers remarks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton on June 23, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Former Texas Representative Will Hurd said in “State of the Union” that the Supreme Court ruling in the web designer case made him “uncomfortable” but that his opinion should be protected regardless.
“This was about protecting a person’s ability to express themselves,” he said. “And I’ll be honest: This decision makes me uncomfortable because we’re protecting speech that I don’t agree with, and I personally don’t agree with anti-LGBTQ sentiment. But we need to protect speech, even if we don’t like of or disagree with that speech. That is a fundamental element in our country.”
Former Texas Representative Will Hurd speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Progressives have renewed calls to expand or “package” the Supreme Court’s makeup and impose conditions on judges following the court’s decision Thursday in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Friday’s decisions in Biden v. Nebraska and 303 Creative LLC. against Elenis.
In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court made a 6-3 decision denying the use of race as a factor in college admissions as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
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In 303 Creative LLC. v. Elenis, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer, has the First Amendment right to refuse to create same-sex wedding websites if it conflicts with her religious beliefs.
In Biden v. Nebraska, the Supreme Court ruled that Biden’s plan to cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt was unconstitutional, leading the president to argue that the court “misinterpreted the Constitution.”
Jessica Chasmar is a digital writer on the Fox News and Fox Business political team. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
