Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said “we’re a nation of laws” when asked about the Kentucky clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue gay marriage licenses.
Trump, appearing on “Morning Joe” Friday, explained that it is a “very sticky situation, a terrible situation,” and that “the simple answer is let her clerks do it.”
Eugene Robinson: Let me ask you about that Kentucky court clerk. You were asked about it at your appearance yesterday and said you hadn’t had time to look into it. So now what do you think? She’s refusing to grant same-sex marriage licenses. She’s been ordered by a court to do it, now she’s been ordered to jail. Some of your opponents are standing with her and saying she has a right to do this. What do you think?
Donald Trump: Well, look, the decision came down from the Supreme Court, Gene, so I’m a believer on both sides of the picture. I would say the simple answer is let her clerks do it. Now from what I understand, she’s not letting her clerks do it either. The other simple answer is rather than going through this because it’s really a very, very sticky situation, a terrible situation, 30 miles away they have other places. They have many other places where you get licensed. and you have them actually quite nearby. That’s another alternative. I hate to see her being put in jail. I understand what they’re doing. It would be certainly nice if she didn’t do it but other people in her office do it. But from what I understand, she won’t allow other people in her office to do it.
Scarborough: But Donald, bottom line is though, the Supreme Court makes a decision. That’s the law of the land. Right?
Trump: You have to go with it. I mean you have to go with it. The decision has been made, and that is the law of the land.
Scarborough: That’s the law of the land. Cokie, a lot of Republicans are talking like it’s 1963.
Cokie Roberts: Or 1863.
Mika Brzezinski: As Mike Huckabee said, “I urge people to interpret the law the way they see it.” Really?
Scarborough: That’s lawlessness.
Roberts: What she did is clearly against the law.
Trump: And Gene, she can take a pass and let somebody else in the office do it in terms of religious. So you know, it’s a very tough situation. But we are a nation, as I said yesterday, we’re a nation of laws. And I was talking about borders, and I was talking about other things, but it applies to this also. And the Supreme Court has ruled. Would be nice to have other people in her office do what they have to do.