Indiana Senator Mike Braun Responds To ‘Misunderstood’ Remarks: States Should Decide Legality Of Interracial Marriage

Senator Mike Braun, R-Ind., said that interracial marriage should be a decision for states, not the federal government or Supreme Court, to determine.

He made the remarks during a press conference after being asked whether the legality of interracial marriage should be left for individual states to determine. Braun said the matter should be left up to the states.

“I think that that's something that if you're not wanting the Supreme Court to weigh in on issues like that, you're not going to be able to have your cake and eat it too. I think that's hypocritical,” he said, referring to the need for states to be free from federal meddling.

With that statement, he asserted that freedom to marry is not a constitutional right and that depriving people of their right to marry on the basis of something like race is not unconstitutional. In response to the outrage over his response, Braun apologized and said he misunderstood the question.

“Earlier during a virtual press conference I misunderstood a line of questioning that ended up being about interracial marriage, let me be clear on that issue — there is no question the Constitution prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race,” Braun said in a statement to The Hill.

“That is not something that is even up for debate, and I condemn racism in any form, at all levels, and by any states, entities, or individuals,” Braun clarified.

However, The Times of Northwest Indiana noted that the question was asked multiple times to make sure Braun really understood the nature of what was being asked.

For context, he was initially asked the question in relation to abortion rights. Then a reporter brought up whether interracial marriage should be left up to the states or if the federal government should intervene based on civil rights laws.

According to what Braun said on Tuesday, he believes that states should be free to determine their own laws and governance, and that the federal government should refrain from weighing in on states’ issues.

“I'm not saying that rule would apply in general, depending on the topic, but it should mostly be in general, because it's hard to have it on issues that you just are interested in when you deny it for others with a different point of view,” Braun said.

Most people in the U.S. approve of interracial marriage, 87% according to a Gallup poll. Only 20% approved of interracial marriage back in 1967 when the Supreme Court struck down all rules making interracial marriage illegal in the famous case of Loving v. Virginia.