Sen. Braun Rescinds Interracial Marriage Remarks: Report

INDIANA — Sen. Mike Braun walked back a statement Tuesday that the U.S. Supreme Court should not have federally legalized interracial marriage more than five decades ago, according to a report from the IndyStar.

Braun made the remarks as a part of conversation about "judicial activism" during a media call Tuesday and said that the issues decided in Loving v. Virginia in 1967 should have been left to the states to decide.

Hours later, he rescinded the comments, saying he misunderstood the "line of questioning" and that he condemned all forms of racism, according to the report.

During the media call, Braun was critical of what he called judicial activism and stated he thought the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 legalizing abortion was a "mistake" and an overreach.

When The Times of Northwest Indiana reporter Dan Carden inquired if he applied the same line of thought to the Loving v. Virginia case and whether the legality of interracial marriage should have been left up to the states over 50 years ago, Braun continued to speak against the U.S. Supreme Court making decisions for the 50 states.

"When you want that diversity to shine within our federal system, there are going to be rules and proceedings, they're going to be out of sync with maybe what other states would do," Braun said. "It's the beauty of the system, and that's where the differences among points of view in our 50 states ought to express themselves."