How GOP presidential candidates are reacting to the Supreme Court affirmative action decision

The Supreme Court Thursday struck down affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, creating a seismic shift in the landscape of higher education and racial equity. 

The decision, hailed by conservatives and slammed by Democrats, will have long-standing implications over the racial makeup of colleges and universities and the types of opportunities students of color are afforded.

The 2024 Republican presidential candidates were largely unified in praising the decision. Here’s a look at what they’ve said so far.

Former President Trump

Former President Trump called the ruling “a great day for America,” while his allies credited him for the decision. 

“People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing. It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world. Our greatest minds must be cherished and that’s what this wonderful day has brought. We’re going back to all merit-based—and that’s the way it should be!”

The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA, Inc. gave Trump credit for the ruling. Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court, and all three were in Thursday’s majority.

“President Donald Trump made today’s historic decision to end the racist college admissions process possible because he delivered on his promise to appoint constitutionalist justices,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the PAC. “America is a better nation as a result of the historic rulings led by Donald Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the decision, but separately took a shot at Trump, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination.

“College admissions should be based on merit and applicants should not be judged on their race or ethnicity,” DeSantis said in tweet. “The Supreme Court has correctly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities.”

Separately, the governor’s campaign team posted a clip from a 2015 NBC interview with Trump in which he said he was fine with affirmative action. 

“I’m fine with affirmative action. We’ve lived with it for a long time. And I lived with it for a long time. And I’ve had great relationships with lots of people,” then-candidate Trump tells host Chuck Todd in the interview. 

When asked by Todd whether it should be expanded, Trump said: “You have to also go free market. You have to do capability. You have to do a lot things.” 

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley

Haley was one of the first candidates to hail the decision, saying it would give students a better shot at achieving the American dream. Haley, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, is one of several GOP candidates of color running in the GOP primary.

“The world admires America because we value freedom and opportunity. The Supreme Court reaffirmed those values today. Picking winners and losers based on race is fundamentally wrong,” Haley said in a statement.

“This decision will help every student—no matter their background—have a better opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” she added.

Former Vice President Pence

Pence in a tweet said he was “pleased” by the decision, adding that he “played a role in appointing three of the Justices” that were part of the majority opinion.

“There is no place for discrimination based on race in the United States, and I am pleased that the Supreme Court has put an end to this egregious violation of civil and constitutional rights in admissions processes, which only served to perpetuate racism,” Pence tweeted. He included photos in the tweet showing him with conservative Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.

“I am honored to have played a role in appointing three of the Justices that ensured today’s welcomed decision, and as President I will continue to appoint judges who will strictly apply the law rather than twisting it to serve woke and progressive ends,” he added.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) 

Scott in an interview on Fox News hailed the decision.

“We will not be judged solely by the color of our skin. That’s what the ruling said today, but that is the story of America. That is the story of American progress, and we can all celebrate that today,” he said.

“I’m running for president because I know America can do for anyone what she’s done for me, but sending the message that somehow the color of your skin means that you will not be able to achieve your goals from an educational perspective, from an income perspective, or family formation, that is a lie from the pit of hell,” he said.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said in a tweet with a corresponding video that race-based admission “is the single greatest form of institutional racism in America today.”

Ramaswamy vowed he would go further on ending affirmative action if he were elected president.

“As President, I will end it in every sphere of American life. Meritocracy and ‘equity’ are fundamentally incompatible. Mark my words: ‘elite’ universities will now start to play complex games to achieve the same results using shadow tactics like deprioritizing test scores. This is unlawful and I will instruct the Justice Department to end these illegal practices,” he said.

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas)

Hurd did not say whether he agreed with the decision in a tweet Thursday but suggested the country was “failing to prepare too many of our black and brown students for higher education.”

“With or without affirmative action, we are failing to prepare too many of our black and brown students for higher education. That’s the problem. We have income inequality because we have education inequality. Our elementary, middle, and high schools need the right support from state governments and the federal government … otherwise this is going to continue to plague our kids for generations to come,” he tweeted.