Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has praised Kim Davis, the elected clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
Appearing Friday on CNN's New Day, Santorum told host Chris Cuomo: "What Kim Davis did, in my opinion, was heroic."
"I commend her for standing up for her principles. Putting her in jail is ridiculous. It is an extreme position," he said.
A federal judge on Thursday found Davis in contempt for refusing to comply with his ruling ordering her to issue marriage licenses to all qualified couples. Rather than issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court struck down gay marriage bans in all 50 states, Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses to all couples. Four couples, two of whom are gay, filed a federal lawsuit. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to intervene in the case.
Deputy clerks issued marriage licenses to six gay couples on Friday.
Santorum, an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, said that the Supreme Court "acted unconstitutionally" when it declared that gay couples have a constitutional right to wed.
"Why are we putting someone in jail because they have a religious exception?" he rhetorically asked.
(Related: Hundreds rally in support of Kim Davis outside jail.)
Appearing Friday on CNN's New Day, Santorum told host Chris Cuomo: "What Kim Davis did, in my opinion, was heroic."
"I commend her for standing up for her principles. Putting her in jail is ridiculous. It is an extreme position," he said.
A federal judge on Thursday found Davis in contempt for refusing to comply with his ruling ordering her to issue marriage licenses to all qualified couples. Rather than issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court struck down gay marriage bans in all 50 states, Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses to all couples. Four couples, two of whom are gay, filed a federal lawsuit. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to intervene in the case.
Deputy clerks issued marriage licenses to six gay couples on Friday.
Santorum, an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, said that the Supreme Court "acted unconstitutionally" when it declared that gay couples have a constitutional right to wed.
"Why are we putting someone in jail because they have a religious exception?" he rhetorically asked.
(Related: Hundreds rally in support of Kim Davis outside jail.)
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine