Former president Donald Trump and other Republican presidential candidates–including two who are ethnic minorities–lauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision declaring that colleges cannot use race when considering which students to admit.
Because of the ruling nixing this type of affirmative action policy, Trump called June 29 “a great day for America.”
“People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our country, are finally being rewarded,” he said in a news release from his campaign. “This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for, and the result was amazing.”
Agreement From DeSantis, Too
The former president’s closest GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, agreed the decision was correct.The decision marks a return to the American ideal that people will succeed based on their strengths, without consideration for racial classifications, the former president said.
‘Fundamentally Wrong’ To Use Race
Fellow GOP presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, both children of immigrants from India, joined Trump in praising the decision.“The world admires America because we value freedom [and] opportunity. SCOTUS reaffirmed those values today,” Haley said in a tweet. “Picking winners & losers based on race is fundamentally wrong. This decision will help every student—no matter their background—have a better opportunity to achieve the American dream.”
However, a pair of other prominent minorities, former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, both reacted with disappointment.
“Affirmative action was never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society,” former President Obama wrote on Twitter. “But for generations of students who had been systematically excluded from most of America’s key institutions—it gave us the chance to show we more than deserved a seat at the table.”
“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s time to redouble our efforts,” he said.
Michelle Obama issued a lengthy statement that concluded, “Today, my heart breaks for any young person out there who’s wondering what their future holds–and what kinds of chances will be open to them.”