GOP Senator Beats Quick Retreat After Saying Interracial Marriage Should Be Left To States

UNITED STATES - MARCH 15: Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., attends the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup on the PREVENT Pandemics Act in Dirksen Building on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - MARCH 15: Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., attends the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup on the PREVENT Pandemics Act in Dirksen Building on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Tom Williams/... UNITED STATES - MARCH 15: Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., attends the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup on the PREVENT Pandemics Act in Dirksen Building on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) on Tuesday said he believes the Supreme Court should have left the issue of interracial marriage up to states — before quickly issuing a statement claiming that he misunderstood the question.

During a conference call with Indiana reporters on Tuesday, Braun discussed how he would evaluate Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson as she undergoes confirmation hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Braun said that he did not want a justice who is an “activist,” citing Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that found abortion to be a constitutionally protected right.

After Braun argued that the Supreme Court shouldn’t “homogenize” issues nationwide, a reporter on the call asked whether Braun would be okay with the Supreme Court leaving the issue of interracial marriage up to the states.

“Yes, I think that’s something ― if you’re not wanting the Supreme Court to weigh in on issues like that, you’re not going to be able to have your cake and eat it too. I think that’s hypocritical,” Braun said.

When the same reporter tried to interject by asking Braun about the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, which established a right to privacy concerning contraceptive use, Braun continued arguing that a “whole host of issues” should have been left to the states.

“When it comes down to whatever they are, I’m going to say they’re not going to all make you happy within a given state,” Braun said. “But we’re better off having states manifest their points of view, rather than homogenizing it across the country as Roe v. Wade did.”

Shortly after a video clip of Braun’s comments circulated on social media and drew backlash, the GOP senator issued a statement, saying that he “misunderstood” the question.

“Earlier during a virtual press conference I misunderstood a line of questioning that ended up being about interracial marriage, let me be clear on that issue — there is no question the Constitution prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race, that is not something that is even up for debate, and I condemn racism in any form, at all levels and by any states, entities, or individuals,” Braun said in a statement.

Watch Braun’s remarks below:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    You know he’s lying because his spokecritter’s lips are moving.

  2. Supposedly Indiana had the largest number of klansmen during the rebirth of the KKK in the 1920s. I don’t know if that’s true, but Senator Braun makes me suspect it is.

  3. States rights, always harking back to slave times, like they’d made so much money then they couldn’t get over it. Almost like they’d been on the belly of our country like a fat tick since, waiting to kill us and dragging ever penny of blood along the way.

    States rights means California has more senators than Wyoming. If the successful can’t be at an advantage then the few rich shits left over from Reconstruction will continue to hide out in failing states they make fail and allow them access to the Fed money, which is what they think they deserve in the name of Jesus.

  4. Say it ain’t so, MiKKKe!

  5. Not merely a racist but a cowardly racist.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

113 more replies

Participants

Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for paulw Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for eldonlazar Avatar for braxtonbraggart Avatar for eggrollian Avatar for becca656 Avatar for jimtoday Avatar for inversion Avatar for dont Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for benthere Avatar for tena Avatar for jinnj Avatar for Anarchy_Bunker Avatar for aroundthetable Avatar for hahagoodman Avatar for read2much Avatar for drtv Avatar for godwit Avatar for sbscott Avatar for eaharrison Avatar for staggerlee Avatar for VeganMilitia

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: