Donald Trump suggests he won’t seek to roll back same-sex marriage
Donald Trump has said he won’t seek to abolish same-sex marriage when he appoints new Supreme Court justices.
Speaking on Sunday of his plans for the Supreme Court, the President-elect said he had no plans to appoint justices to the court who would abolish same-sex marriage because “it was already settled”.
But he did say he wanted to roll back abortion rights, saying he hoped justices in the US’s top court would send the issue “back to the states”.
He made his remarks on these issues in his first interview since winning the presidential election last week, speaking to CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Of whether the justices appointed would be opposed to the Obergefell v Hodges ruling which legalised same-sex marriage in 2015, Trump said: “It’s irrelevant”.
Adding: “Because it was already settled. It’s law. It was settled in the supreme court. I mean it’s done.”
But he sent a different message about 1973 ruling Roe v Wade which protected abortion rights.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to… I’m pro-life. The judges will be pro-life,” he said.
Following the death of justice Antonin Scalia back in February, the US Supreme Court has had eight justices.
The vacant seat has become a contentious issue, with Republicans in the Senate effectively blocking Obama’s choice for the seat Merrick Garland.
Human rights activists have become increasingly concerned at what a Trump appointment could mean for the makeup of the Supreme Court bench.
As well as speaking on abortion rights and same-sex marriage, Trump softened his stance on Obamacare, saying he would keep some parts of the reforms.
He also said he planned to deport 3 million migrants without official documents, those with criminal records.
