Gregory T. Angelo, who helms the gay
GOP group Log Cabin Republicans, has asserted that President Donald
Trump is a “pro-LGBT” president.
Less than two months after the
president's inauguration, Angelo told HuffPost's Michelangelo
Signorile at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that
Trump was “the most pro-LGBT Republican president in history.”
In an interview from CPAC over the
weekend, Angelo stood by his claim and suggested that Trump was
stronger on LGBT rights than President Barack Obama and former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at least on the issue of marriage
equality.
“This president is the first
president to enter the White House who believes that marriage
equality is settled law of the land,” Angelo
said. “Barack Obama didn't believe that when he entered the
White House. Hillary Clinton only came around to that position in
2013.”
Trump has on many occasions said that
he's opposed to extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.
Calling the issue “settled” is not the same as supporting
marriage equality. Obama and Clinton celebrated the Supreme Court's
2015 landmark ruling that struck down state marriage bans. During a
Fox News debate in early 2016, Trump
called the court's ruling an “illegitimate and wrong ruling.”
In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network's (CBN)
David Brody, then-candidate Trump
said that opponents of marriage equality can trust him on the issue.
(Related: Donald
Trump: Gay marriage is a like an unattractive golf putter.)
Angelo added that the media neglects to
mention the “pro-LGBT things [Trump] has done.”
“The facts speak for themselves. I
don't want to keep belaboring these points, but: [Trump] entered the
White House as first president saying he supports that marriage
equality is settled law of the land, sent a letter of congratulations
and commemoration [on Log Cabin's 40th anniversary], and
has people in his cabinet who support marriage equality,” Angelo
said.
It's also worth noting that many
members of Trump's cabinet are vocally opposed to LGBT rights,
including Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General Jeff Sessions,
Housing Secretary Ben Carson, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and
Energy Secretary Rick Perry, to name a few.