Rick Santorum told CNN’s Piers Morgan Friday that as president he would change the laws of the nation to reflect “God’s will,” and to make same-sex marriage illegal. This is consistent with Santorum’s previous statement, including that he would force legally married same-sex couples to be divorced by the state should he become president. Santorum has been doubling down his theocratic rhetoric, and moving away from his claims that marriage equality is merely a “public policy” issue.
Transcript and video via Think Progress:
MORGAN: Given your stance on gay marriage, for example, could you see any circumstances where you might change that in a way that you hardened your position on an issue like abortion, could you see yourself potentially softening your position on gay marriage?
SANTORUM: No, you know, marriage is an institution that existed before governments existed. It’s something that reflects nature and reflects God and God’s will for us. And both from the standpoint of faith and reason it makes all the sense in the world. And it’s beneficial for society. […]
MORGAN: So when you say you respect their rights, isn’t their legal right in New York now to get married?
SANTORUM: Well, it’s a law. But it’s not a natural right. I mean, it’s a law. There are lots of laws that are not rights. […]
MORGAN: Would you change the law?
SANTORUM: I would change the law to make a uniform definition of marriage in this country, because I think — like the uniform definition for life –
MORGAN: If you were president you would try and outlaw gay marriage? You would make it illegal to get married?…Are you going to try to make it illegal for gay people to get married?
SANTORUM: All I would say is that marriage has been voted on 32 times in this country in 32 states, from Maine to California and 32 times the people of this country have said that marriage is between a man and a woman and the public should have a say about this.
By the way, the former Senator apparently forgets that Congress, not the president, makes laws.