Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) joined several Republican lawmakers and 2024 presidential candidates who praised the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday that ended the consideration of race in college admissions, including at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
"College admissions should be based on merit and applicants should not be judged on their race or ethnicity," DeSantis tweeted, echoing multiple candidates who approved of the ruling. "The Supreme Court has correctly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities."
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Conservative activists have long argued that affirmative action, a system of using race consciousness among organizations, is discriminatory. Many celebrated the ruling within hours of it being issued by the Supreme Court.
Former President Donald Trump, the leading contender to become the GOP's next standard-bearer, touted the ruling, calling it a "great day for America."
"People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded. This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing," Trump said in a statement. "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!"
Trump and DeSantis are the two leading candidates in the GOP 2024 race, as they are the only contenders who consistently pull double-digit numbers in national polls. Although their respective campaigns have spent months swiping at each other over policy matters, the two men were in agreement that the Supreme Court ruling was a positive decision for the nation.
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Trump's campaign accused DeSantis of copying the former president's immigration agenda this week after DeSantis unveiled his "No Excuses" immigration plan in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday. DeSantis's plan primarily focuses on stemming illegal migration, building a border wall, addressing the cartels smuggling immigrants, and working with states to step up immigration enforcement.
Yet Thursday's ruling shows Trump and DeSantis are more likely to agree on core conservative policies, as are other 2024 rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.