TV host declares Marco Rubio ‘the candidate of yesterday’ over same-sex marriage
CNN presenter Jake Tapper confronted the Republican presidential candidate over his same-sex marriage views.
Marco Rubio, currently US Senator for Florida, recently announced his bid to run for President of the United States, and denounced Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton as being a politician of “yesterday”.
On CNN, Mr Tapper confronted Senator Rubio over his views on same-sex marriage. He said: “You are casting yourself as a candidate of a new generation, but there is an issue where you are very out of step with younger voters, even younger Republican voters.
“According to a poll, 61% of Republican voters under the age of 30, I believe, support same-sex marriage. On that issue, same-sex marriage, you’re the candidate of yesterday.”
Sen Rubio replied: “That is an issue that will largely be determined at a state level. Marriage laws have always been defined by the states.
“I’ve not, for example ever supported a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage because I believe states define marriage in their laws. If in fact people feel that way, as that poll says, then they can petition the state legislature to change the law.
“There is still a significant number of Americans that believe that the definition of marriage should be that of one man and one woman as it has been for thousands of years.”
Mr Tapper pointed out it is a minority of Americans who hold that opinion, to which Sen Rubio said: “They’re a large minority, there are parts of this country that still believe that way.
But irrespective of that, we’re in a republic, if you want to change the marriage laws of your state, go to your state legislature, and get your legislators to change it.
“I don’t believe the court system is the appropriate way to do it, and I don’t believe Washington and the Supreme Court is the appropriate way to do it.”
Senator Rubio’s home sate of Florida repealed its ban on same-sex adoption yesterday.
