Ted Cruz: Supreme Court ‘follows the opinions of Manhattan and Washington, D.C.’

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said the U.S. Supreme Court follows the opinions of “Manhattan and Washington, D.C.” in the wake of the high court’s recent decision on gay marriage.

Mr. Cruz, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, said he disagrees with the notion that the court follows public opinion.

“The court’s views are radically out of step with public opinion,” Mr. Cruz told NPR’s Steve Inskeep. “Justice [Antonin] Scalia, in his dissent, he powerfully pointed out: These are nine lawyers. They all went to either Harvard or Yale law school. There is not one single evangelical Protestant on this court.”

“These are all elites on the I-95 Acela corridor,” he continued. “I agree that the Supreme Court follows the opinions of Manhattan and Washington D.C., but it doesn’t follow the opinions of America.”

Mr. Cruz also said that in the wake of last week’s decision upholding health insurance subsidies that comprise a key plank of President Obama’s health care law, a whole lot of Republicans in Washington are “thrilled” that they don’t have to deal with the issue in Congress and can blame the court for it.

“And with respect to marriage, Republican presidential candidate after Republican presidential candidate [have] put out statements that said this is the law of the land, we must accept it and move on,” he said. “Those are word for word the talking points of Barack Obama.”

Mr. Cruz has called for a constitutional amendment to make members of the Supreme Court subject to periodic judicial retention elections.

“That is very much front and center something I intend to campaign on,” Mr. Cruz said. “And marriage and religious liberty are going to be integral, I believe, to motivating the American people to come out and vote for what’s, ultimately, restoring our constitutional system.”