With one day left before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump announced that he would “strongly consider” appointing justices to the Supreme Court who would be committed to overturning the decision that legalized same-sex marriage.
“If I'm elected, I would be very strong on putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could change things,” Trump told "Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace. “I don't like the way they ruled. I disagree with the Supreme Court from the standpoint they should have given the state -- it should be a states' rights issue."
When Wallace pressed Trump to clarify whether his comments meant he would try to appoint justices to overrule the decision on same-sex marriage, Trump said, "I would strongly consider that, yes."
The Supreme Court ruled in June that the constitution requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a decision that several Republican presidential candidates have roundly criticized.
Trump’s comments come amid a concerted effort to appeal to socially conservative voters and compel his base to caucus on Monday. Some on the right have alleged that Trump would not defend social conservatism if elected to the presidency, given his past stances on issues like abortion and health care.
The latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll shows Trump leading the Republican field by 5 percentage points, with Sen. Ted Cruz behind him at 23 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio at 15 percent.