Every GOP Presidential Candidate Weighs In On The Supreme Court’s Gay Marriage Ruling

The monumental gay marriage ruling today by the Supreme Court was wholly expected by most people on both sides of the political aisle. The justices voted 5-4 in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage throughout all 50 states, which sent many celebrities and liberals alike into a tizzy, as the Inquisitr noted.

What many people are wondering though, is how do the 2016 GOP presidential candidates (all 13 of them, minus Donald Trump) feel about the issue? From a brief description of their opinions below, you’ll find that some take a hardline approach, while others are slightly more reserved and accepting of the new law of the land, courtesy of BuzzFeed.

Rick Perry – former Gov. of Texas

“I am disappointed the Supreme Court today chose to change the centuries old definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. I’m a firm believer in traditional marriage, and I also believe the 10th Amendment leaves it to each state to decide this issue. I fundamentally disagree with the court rewriting the law and assaulting the 10th Amendment. Our founding fathers did not intend for the judicial branch to legislate from the bench, and as president, I would appoint strict Constitutional conservatives who will apply the law as written.”

Mike Huckabee – former Gov. of Arkansas

“The Supreme Court has spoken with a very divided voice on something only the Supreme Being can do — redefine marriage. I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat.”

Rick Santorum – former senator from Pennsylvania

“Today, five unelected justices decided to redefine the foundational unit that binds together our society without public debate or input. Now is the people’s opportunity respond because the future of the institution of marriage is too important to not have a public debate. The Court is one of three co-equal branches of government and, just as they have in cases from Dred Scott to Plessy, the Court has an imperfect track record. The stakes are too high and the issue too important to simply cede the will of the people to five unaccountable justices.”

Dr. Ben Carson – former pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins

“While I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision, their ruling is now the law of the land. I call on Congress to make sure deeply held religious views are respected and protected. The government must never force Christians to violate their religious beliefs. I support same sex civil unions but to me, and millions like me, marriage is a religious service not a government form.”

Carly Fiorina – former CEO of Hewlett-Packard

“This is only the latest example of an activist Court ignoring its constitutional duty to say what the law is and not what the law should be. Justice Alito spoke for so many of us when he said that ‘[t]oday’s decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage … All Americans, whatever their thinking on that issue, should worry about what the majority’s claim of power portends.”

Lindsey Graham – senior senator from South Carolina

“I am a proud defender of traditional marriage and believe the people of each state should have the right to determine their marriage laws. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that state bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional, and I will respect the Court’s decision. Furthermore, given the quickly changing tide of public opinion on this issue, I do not believe that an attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution could possibly gain the support of three-fourths of the states or a supermajority in the U.S. Congress. Rather than pursing a divisive effort that would be doomed to fail, I am committing myself to ensuring the protection of religious liberties of all Americans. No person of faith should ever be forced by the federal government to take action that goes against his or her conscience or the tenets of their religion. As president, I would staunchly defend religious liberty in this nation and would devote the necessary federal resources to the protection of all Americans from any effort to hinder the free and full exercise of their rights. While we have differences, it is time for us to move forward together respectfully and as one people.”

Ted Cruz – junior senator from Texas

“It has no connection to the Untied States Constitution, they are simply making it up. It is lawless, and in doing so they have undermined the fundamental legitimacy of the United States Supreme Court.”

Scott Walker – Gov. of Wisconsin, set to announce his candidacy shortly

“I believe this Supreme Court decision is a grave mistake. Five unelected judges have taken it upon themselves to redefine the institution of marriage, an institution that the author of this decision acknowledges ‘has been with us for millennia.’ In 2006 I, like millions of Americans, voted to amend our state constitution to protect the institution of marriage from exactly this type of judicial activism. The states are the proper place for these decisions to be made, and as we have seen repeatedly over the last few days, we will need a conservative president who will appoint men and women to the Court who will faithfully interpret the Constitution and laws of our land without injecting their own political agendas. As a result of this decision, the only alternative left for the American people is to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to reaffirm the ability of the states to continue to define marriage.”

Chris Christie – Gov. of New Jersey, also set to announce his candidacy very soon

To see what Sen. Marco Rubio, and Governors Jeb Bush and Bobby Jindal have to say on the issue, click on this link, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. Jindal has also proclaimed that the state of Louisiana will not recognize the ruling just yet, calling it an “all out assault on religious freedom.”

Which GOP candidate do you agree with most? Let us know in the comments section.

[Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images]