11:58 am ET, June 29, 2023
Trump and other 2024 GOP presidential candidates are praising the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling
From CNN’s Sydney Kashiwaki and Kristen Holmes
Former President Donald Trump takes the stage to address the Republican Women’s Luncheon in Concord, New Hampshire, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
John Tully/The New York Times/Redux
Former President Donald Trump: “This is a great day for America. Everything else necessary for success, including the future greatness of our country, is finally being rewarded to those of extraordinary ability. This is the verdict that everyone has been waiting for and the outcome is amazing. Keep us competitive with the rest of the world. Our best minds are to be admired, and that is what this wonderful The day has brought it. We go back on all merits – as it should be!”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “College admissions should be based on merit and applicants should not be judged based on their race or ethnicity. The Supreme Court has rightly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities.”
Nikki Haley: “The world admires America because we value freedom and opportunity. SCOTUS reaffirmed those values today. Picking winners and losers based on race is fundamentally wrong. “This decision will help every student—regardless of their background—have a better chance to achieve the American Dream,” he said in a statement.
Former Vice President Mike Pence: “Race-based discrimination has no place in America, and I’m glad the Supreme Court put an end to this egregious violation of civil and constitutional rights in admissions processes that have only served to perpetuate racism. I’m proud. I played a key role in appointing the three justices who upheld today’s welcome ruling, and as president woke up to the twisting of the law.” “I will continue to appoint judges who work for progressive causes,” he said in the statement.
Vivek Ramasamy: “I am pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has finally stopped affirmative action in one of the worst failed trials in American history,” he said in a statement.
Larry Elder: “I am opposed to race-based admissions to colleges and universities. When California banned the use of race-based college admissions, the graduation rates of black students actually rose because they went to universities that matched their ability levels. To work hard, get good grades, do well on standardized tests, they wanted to. They will only be penalized when it comes to admission in a college or university,” he said in a statement.
CNN’s Kit Maher contributed to this report.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Coffee maven. Professional food trailblazer. Twitter buff.”