Donald Trump tells reporter to sit down after dodging question on gay marriage
Donald Trump repeatedly told a reporter to “sit down” on Saturday after he asked whether the candidate backs the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality. Trump never answered the question, speaking in vague references to previous policy stances.
After victories on Saturday in Kentucky and Louisiana, Trump held a news conference in Florida and David Martosko of the Daily Mail asked Trump to clarify his position on same-sex marriage.
“We have policy on it, and I’ve said it very, very strongly, and I think you know it,” Trump shot back at Martosko. “And it’s all done and, you know, how many times do I have to say it?”
Trump has alleged to never have supported marriage equality, calling himself a believer in “traditional” marriage. He has stated that it’s impossible for Congress to overturn the law, and, most recently, he told Fox News that he would work to reverse the Obergefell ruling with conservative nominees to the Supreme Court.
Trump insisted he’d given an answer about same-sex marriage before. “I’ve said it 150 times,” he told the reporter. “We’re not here for discussing that. But everybody knows how I feel on it.”
Martosko tried to explain that Trump hadn’t clarified whether he wants to overturn the ruling because he disagrees with its premise that discrimination against same-sex couples who want to get married is a violation of the Constitution.
“David, sit down please,” he repeated while moving onto another question. “David, David, sit down, you know my position.”
In a follow-up story, Martosko said he’d cornered Trump afterward while the candidate greeted supporters:
“As Trump worked his way through a crowd of well-wishers after the event, DailyMail.com asked him pointedly whether or not he agrees with the Obergefell ruling. ‘I’ve answered this question a bunch of different times,’ he replied. Informed that he hadn’t in fact answered that question in the past, Trump promised a telephone interview – ‘a long conversation’ about the subject on Sunday. ‘I’ve answered that question so many times,’ Trump protested. ‘Call me tomorrow.'”