Ted Cruz could find himself in hot water among his supporters after a new recording surfaced Wednesday in which the Republican presidential hopeful tells a groups of potential donors that repealing marriage equality is not a priority.
In a December big-dollar fundraiser in Manhattan, where socially moderate gay rights supporters were present, Cruz said that he would not make fighting same-sex marriage a top priority, according to Politico, which obtained the recording. Cruz flatly says, "No," when he was asked by one potential donor asked if the issue was a "top three priority."
"I would say defending the Constitution is a top priority." Cruz said in the recording, Politico reported. "And that cuts across the whole spectrum -- whether it's defending [the] First Amendment, defending religious liberty." He added: People of New York may well resolve the marriage question differently than the people of Florida or Texas or Ohio. ... That's why we have 50 states -- to allow a diversity of views. And so that is a core commitment.”
The answer may have put Cruz in better light among the Madison Avenue donors, but could put him at odds with his Evangelical Christian base, who staunchly believe that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.
In June, Cruz told NPR that opposing gay marriage "is very much front and center something I intend to campaign on." He added: "And marriage and religious liberty are going to be integral, I believe, to motivating the American people to come out and vote for what's, ultimately, restoring our constitutional system." Cruz also said in July that Supreme Court’s decision allowing same-sex marriage was the "very definition of tyranny," The Hill reported.
Another recording surfaced earlier this month from the same fundraiser. Cruz made comments that began a back-and-forth with Donald Trump over whether or not he and Ben Carson had the "judgment" to be president.
"Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that's a question of strength, but it's also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them," Cruz said, according to the audio posted by the Times. "So my approach, much to the frustration of the media, has been to bear hug both of them, and smother them with love."
