Only on Brody File: Inside Marco Rubio's Meeting With Pastors, Says He Will Never Change Position On Traditional Marriage and Life Issues

11-30-2015
4636465132001

In an exquisitely calm demeanor and tone, GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio explains to pastors in Iowa why he’s accepting financial support from billionaire donor Paul Singer, a major republican donor who is aggressively trying to encourage GOP politicians to support gay marriage. “When someone cooperates with my campaign, they are buying into my agenda. I am not buying into their agenda and that has been very clear in my history,” Rubio told the pastors in a closed door meeting last week in Iowa. “Mr. Singer has never ever tried to change my mind or deeply discuss with me the issue. He knows where I stand on the issue.” And for those that think Rubio will change his mind on marriage or the life issue? Well, he has some news for you. “If I were to change my position on those issues or even waver on them, I would now be in direct conflict with my church and I would be in direct conflict with what I teach my children. And at that point, I can tell you then I’ve lost the essence of who I am. So that’s just not going to happen...I have never changed a political position for a campaign donor."

The Brody File had exclusive access inside this meeting with pastors. The meeting was arranged by the influential American Renewal Project. Their purpose is to return America to its Judeo-Christian principles and is currently in the process of recruiting hundreds of pastors to run for political office around the country. Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal are some of the presidential candidates that have spoken at their events.You can watch the video below along with a partial transcription.

The concern about Singer’s support for Rubio has been a topic in some evangelical circles but the way Rubio handled the potentially toxic question didn’t just put his deft also political skill on display but it revealed something deeper. He showed these pastors that his core beliefs are strong. How so? Look, he could have given an answer with a few lines and have been done with it. Instead, he talked about how he is an example to his family and that his kids are watching him. It was a deeply personal issue because the truth is; Rubio is solid on the social issues. There’s no doubt about it, especially after watching him in front of pastors last week. Still, the skeptics and critics will hate because that’s what they do. Oy-gevalt.

I’ll have a complete report on our inside access with Rubio and the pastors this Wednesday on The 700 Club. My story will air nationwide and will also include clips from my one-on-one interview as well. Rubio is really starting to make a concerted outreach to evangelicals and evangelicals are definitely intrigued the more they hear him speak.

MANDATORY COURTESY: CBN NEWS/ THE BRODY FILE

Question by evangelical pastor: “What gives me pause is a guy like Paul Singer who has endorsed you. We’ve heard Donald Trump say, ‘well, when I give them money, they do what I say,’ how do we know, as an evangelical who’s deeply concerned about life, religious liberty and marriage in particular, all of those, how do I know that he’s not going to direct you, that he’s not going to sway a large amount of influence over you because he has fought vehemently for same-sex marriage and now he’s backing you. What is it that he sees in you that he doesn’t see in somebody else?

Marco Rubio: “Virtually every candidate running for president has sought his help in this campaign. He supported me in 2010, he supported Senator Cruz in 2012, he supported Mike Lee in Utah, he supported a lot of people running for president.”

Marco Rubio: “This is honest, this is the truth. Mr. Singer has never ever tried to change my mind or deeply discuss with me the issue. He knows where I stand on the issue. He’s quite frankly largely motivated in politics not so much by the marriage issue, he feels strongly about that issue and is on record as such but the thing that actually motivates him in politics is his association with the Federalist Society, his belief in federalism and also his support of the state of Israel. To the extent that I’ve discussed issues with him those are largely the ones.”

Marco Rubio: “I have always been very clear about where I stand on issues. In fact I put it in writing. I have the most detailed public policy documents of any candidate for president…because my policies are in writing and specific, when someone cooperates with my campaign, they are buying into my agenda. I am not buying into their agenda and that has been very clear in my history.” (applause).

Marco Rubio: “If I were to change my position on those issues that I don’t consider political issues, the definition of marriage is a legal issue but the issue of life to me is not a political issue. It’s a human rights issue. If I were to change my position on those issues or even waver on them, I would now be in direct conflict with my church and I would be in direct conflict with what I teach my children. And at that point, I can tell you then I’ve lost the essence of who I am. So that’s just not going to happen. I feel strongly about those issues especially on the issue of life.”

Marco Rubio: “I must tell you, in the republican party, me and other candidates are going to have donors that disagree with us on some issues and that ain’t the only one but at the end of the day, people buy into our agenda, I don’t buy into theirs. I have never changed a political position for a campaign donor because the truth of the matter is, to be completely blunt, there’s money on both sides of every issue and so if that is really what motivated someone to do it, you’d raise money either way.

Marco Rubio: “I respect people who disagree with me. People have a right to be wrong! No just kidding (laughter). I respect people who disagree with me but they don’t set my agenda for me. Never have and never will.”

 

Blog Keywords: 

Blog Posts: 

The Brody File