Watch: Gay news anchor asks Donald Trump if he’s a homophobe
A gay news anchor directly asked Presidential hopeful Donald Trump whether he is homophobic in an interview today.
A once hardline opponent of LGBT rights, Mr Trump – who is currently leading the Republican presidential field – has softened his stance on LGBT rights in recent months.
In an interview with out CNN host Don Lemon, Mr Trump was asked outright if he thought he was homophobic.
Mr Lemon said: “Let me ask you this question, if you answer directly. Do you think that you are homophobic?”
Trump replied: “No, I think that I’m a very nice person. I love people.”
“I have to tell you, when you look at those polls… it’s across the board. The Tea Party, the evangelicals, I’m leading with evangelicals! I love them, they love me.”
“You know why? They think I’m going to do a great job for the country.”
“The far right does like me, but you know who else likes me? Democrats like me. liberals like me, it’s straight across the board.”
Mr Trump used to claim he opposes equal marriage because he “don’t feel good about it” – but following the Supreme Court ruling he has conceded that opposing equality is now a “dead issue”, and even admitted attending gay weddings. He has also claimed that employees should not be sacked based on their sexuality.
Mr Trump delivered a rambling unscripted speech to a listed anti-LGBT hate group last month – but bizarrely failed to mention homosexuality once.
Elsewhere in the interview, the billionaire tried to dispel perceptions of him as racist, arguing that he had been unfairly treated by the press – and polls indicated that received support from African-American communities.
Watch the interview below:
