In an interview today with evangelical Pat Robertson, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump answered a question abotu the kind of judges he would want on the Supreme Court. Trump briefly said he wanted “pro-life conservatives” on the nation’s highest court and said recently-deceased pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia is his model.
A transcript and video of Trump’s answer is not available, but multiple reporters on Twitter who watched the speech all tweeted Trump’s answer to Robertson’s question.
Pat Robertson asks what Trump is looking for in #SCOTUS pick. @realDonaldTrump says “Prolife, very conservative…” pic.twitter.com/Xin4Nc581p
— Jason Calvi (@jcalvi) February 24, 2016
Asked by Pat Robertson about SCOTUS vacancy.. Trump quickly answered he wants “pro-life” pick, cites Scalia as model for justice.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 24, 2016
Trump to Pat Robertson: 1st criteria for #SCOTUS nominee: “pro-life”
— Peter Montgomery (@petemont) February 24, 2016
Trump tells Pat Robertson his top quality for SCOTUS nominee is being pro-life
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 24, 2016
But some pro-life advocates are doubtful that that’s really the direction Trump would go for a Surpeme Court justice if elected president. Matt Bowman of Alliance Defending Freedom tweeted:
@AliciaMarks1 @jcalvi I don’t trust him; it’s just important to know what he is telling Evangelical audiences.
— Matt Bowman (@mattbowman2000) February 24, 2016
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In an interview earlier this month, Trump said he thinks the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that ushered in an era of 48 million abortions was “wrongly decided.” Trump said he would appoint “very good judges” who would ultimately “change it” but he opposed Roe without specifically saying it should be overturned.
“It’s been very strongly decided but it can be changed,” Trump told Brody. “Things are put there and they’re passed but they can be unpassed with time but it’s going to take time because you have a lot of judges to go.”
Previously, Trump issued an op-ed condemning Roe v. Wade but stopped short of saying it should be reversed.