Jeb Bush: ‘Religious Beliefs’ Should Allow Bakers To Discriminate Against Same-Sex Couples

Watch as Jeb Bush says he thinks wedding-related vendors should be legally protected from doing business with marrying same-sex couples.

In an interview that aired Sunday, still-officially-undeclared presidential candidate Jeb Bush sat down with Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) to talk same-sex marriage, “religious freedom,” and what he sees as the nation’s “crumbling” moral foundation. In the first part of the interview, Bush claimed that “traditional marriage” is the only way “children born in poverty” will ever succeed, and promised to fight same-sex marriage regardless of the Supreme Court’s impending ruling.

LOOK:Breaking: Jeb Bush Says Only Traditional Marriage Can Give ‘Children Born In Poverty’ A Chance

In this third part of the interview, Bush says he supports the concept that wedding-related vendors – bakers, florists, photographers – should be given the legal right to discriminate against marrying same-sex couples based on their professed religious or moral beliefs.

CBN’s David Brody asks the former Florida governor if he is “OK” if wedding vendors don’t provide their services to same-sex couples.

“Yes, absolutely if it’s based on a religious belief,” Bush responds.

““A big country, a tolerant country ought to be able to figure out the difference between discriminating [against]someone because of their sexual orientation and not forcing someone to participate in a wedding that they find goes against their moral beliefs,” Bush offered. “We should be able to figure this out. This should not be that complicated gosh it is right now.”

Clearly referring to Barronelle Stutzman, Bush also used an example of a Washington florist on trial for discriminating against a Same-sex couple. He parroted the false statement that she could lose everything if she loses her case.

“She’s lost a lot because o all this,” Bush claimed, again, falsely. In fact, she’s the recipient of more than $100,000 via a GoFundMe campaign, and several other fundraisers.

In truth, unless her attorneys charge her high fees, Bush’s claim is wholly false. She has been fined $1001 in one case, and in a separate case, the attorney for the same-sex couple told The New Civil Rights Movement by telephone they are not looking for substantial damages.

 

Video and screenshot image via CBN/The Brody File