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Former President Donald Trump is facing criticism from some conservatives after his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago hosted a same-sex marriage.
John Sullivan, vice chair and treasurer of the Tennessee Log Cabin Republicans and his husband Dan Medora, got married at Mar-a-Lago on February 23, according to an Instagram post from the organization, which is comprised of and advocates for LGBTQ+ Republicans.
"An amazing time was had by all @john__sullivan__ & @dmedo's unforgettable wedding at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, FL. A celebration of love and style that will be cherished forever. Thanks for the amazing weekend, fellas!" the Log Cabins Republicans of Tennessee wrote in the post.
Sullivan told Newsweek in a statement Friday the wedding was at "one of the most stunning locations in the world. He praised the Mar-a-Lago team as being "inclusive since day 1" and having a "fantastic time."
"It was a privilege and honor to host our guests there. It was absolutely perfect, magical and beyond our dreams. Our guests and we will cherish this very special time shared together," he said.
Some social conservatives reacted with anger to Trump's property hosting a same-sex wedding, underscoring tensions within the GOP.
Trump has sought to cast himself as the "most pro-gay president" in U.S. history and has at times used more moderate rhetoric on the LGBTQ+ community than other Republicans, despite embracing policies critics say would chip away at their rights. His more mild rhetoric has fueled some skepticism from some of the GOP's most religious, conservative voters.
While the wedding sparked criticism from some conservatives, polls show the majority of Americans, including about half of Republicans, support same-sex marriage. A June 2023 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage.
Among Republicans, that number was 49 percent, though the GOP platform from 2016, which was not updated in 2020, said that the U.S. "laws and government's regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman."
Christian activist Morgan Ariel responded to the wedding in a post to X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Donald Trump is hosting gay weddings at the Mar-a-Lago and people still think he's going to save America."
"Trump hosting gay weddings at Mar-a-lago is cringe af," wrote conservative commentator Stew Peters.
"Vote for Trump because he will uphold our values.. Ughhhh.. errr.. Nevermind..." wrote X user Russ Segner, who identifies as a supporter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis—whose embrace of right-wing social issues propelled him to national prominence but ultimately dropped out of the GOP presidential primary after struggling to build momentum in early-voting states.
Sullivan responded to conservative criticism over the wedding, writing that he and Medora respect the viewpoints of conservatives who do not support same-sex marriage.
"However, these individuals exist within the Democrat party as well. Regardless, we respect individual and religious freedoms and we know there is enough common ground shared with our fellow Americans to make progress on critical issues like restoring border security, ending foreign conflicts and securing energy independence, among other top items," he wrote.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email. Mar-a-Lago has previously hosted other LGBTQ+ events, including in 2022 when the Log Cabin Republicans held their Spirit of Lincoln gala at the property. According to Queerty, Trump gave a speech at the event, while former First Lady Melania Trump was given an award.
"We are fighting for the gay community, and we are fighting and fighting hard," Trump said at the event.
Update 3/1/2024 3:22 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from John Sullivan.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more