Some conservatives seem to be dismayed at Donald Trump’s comments on 60 Minutes last night — see the video above — that he is “fine” with same-sex marriage. Said Trump: “It’s done. . . . These cases have gone to the Supreme Court. They’ve been settled, and I’m fine with that.”
To which the only response is: Well, duh.
If you’re a social conservative who thought Trump would be a warrior against same-sex marriage, you’re a dupe. And if you’re a liberal who thought the same, you’re also a dupe, just for different reasons.
Contrary to liberals’ fever dreams, Donald Trump is the most socially progressive candidate the Republican party has ever put forward. He’s pro-life because it’s a requirement in Republican politics, and because one time two friends of his were going to abort their child but didn’t, and that kid turned out to be a “total superstar” (raising the obvious question: Would Trump be pro-life had the kid not been a “superstar”?). Likewise, while Trump has been pretty quiet about same-sex marriage, it’s always stood to reason that he’s not Jerry Falwell. After all, he’s spent his entire life seeking approval among the loftiest altitudes of Manhattan high society. The only reason Trump seems socially conservative to uninformed political observers is because he talks tough. But the rhetoric doesn’t reflect any substantive beliefs.
Setting aside the prospect of a dramatic Supreme Court decision – which would require a sea change on the Court, and probably in our wider political culture — the image of LGBT activists in the streets is, in fact, a touch ironic: Barack Obama’s support for same-sex marriage “evolved” over the course of his first term in the White House, and Hillary Clinton’s change of position was conveniently timed for her (second) run. Donald Trump is the only president to-date to support same-sex marriage at the time of his election.