Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) said Wednesday that a Muslim 14-year-old should not have been arrested for bringing a homemade clock to his Irving, Texas school this week.
During an undercard Republican primary debate, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Jindal how he would strike a balance between vigilance and discrimination considering the Monday arrest of Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested Monday because police thought the homemade clock he brought to school looked like a “movie bomb.”
“I don’t think a 14-year-old should ever get arrested for bringing a clock to school,” Jindal responded, adding: “I’m glad that police are careful. I’m glad they are worried about security and safety issues.”
The Louisiana governor immediately pivoted from Mohamed’s case to that of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who made headlines in recent weeks for refusing court orders to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples to the point of landing in jail for contempt of court.
“The biggest discrimination is going on against Christian business owners and individuals who believe in traditional forms of marriage,” Jindal said. “They are throwing this woman in jail in Kentucky. Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about the Christian florist, the caterer, the musician, who said ‘Don’t discriminate against us. Don’t shut down our businesses and fine us thousands of dollars for believing marriage is between a man and a woman.'”
This post has been updated.
