The Supreme Court’s ruling that people can’t be fired from a job for being gay or transgender may put President Donald Trump at odds with some of his evangelical voters come Election Day, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The Monday decision was blasted by some conservatives. A lot of blame was placed on Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, who voted with the majority in the 6-3 ruling and penned the opinion.
Travis Weber, vice president for policy and government affairs at the Family Research Council, called it a “disappointing ruling,” adding that “it’s disappointing to see Justice Gorsuch lead the opinion for the majority. We had supported him, based on his originalist record.”
“This was not judging, this was legislating — a brute force attack on our constitutional system,” tweeted Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network.
Trump has been working to keep support from his religious voters. Last month he urged states to reopen churches even though the coronavirus outbreak was still spreading through many communities. He was praised by spiritual leaders for his demand to states.
He has also visited several religious sites in the wake of the ongoing protests calling for racial justice.
Recent polling indicates that Trump’s support from religious groups has been falling. His favorable rating among white evangelicals fell from a high of 77% in March to 66% in April and 62% in May, according to the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute. Among white Catholics, his approval dropped to 37% in May, down from 48% in April and 60% in March.
Some say the Supreme Court ruling won’t fare well for Trump come Election Day while others say one ruling won’t make a difference.
A White House adviser told the newspaper that religious voters know Trump’s position and that the Supreme Court is independent.
Campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said the president’s “record appeals to conservatives, including Evangelicals, who supported him in 2016.”
Trump told reporters on Monday that even though some “people were surprised” by the court’s ruling, we will “live with their decision.”
The Trump administration had argued that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against workers, including in hiring and firing decisions, based on an employee’s sex, doesn’t extend to protect LGBT workers. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another Trump pick, issued a dissent on the ruling.