President Barack Obama hailed the Supreme Court ruling that ensures the right of same-sex couples to marry, saying it’s “made our union a little more perfect.”
Praising a Supreme Court ruling from the Rose Garden for the second day in a row, Obama called it a day when “justice arrives like a thunderbolt.” He called the 5-4 ruling a victory for gay and lesbian couples, their children and families and the allies and supporters who have long called for marriage equality.
“And this ruling is a victory for America,” said Obama. “This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.”
Dozens of White House aides who stood in the Rose Garden to watch Obama, applauded his remarks long after he finished and walked into the Oval Office.
Obama’s remarks came after he called Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the case, as he celebrated in front of the Supreme Court.
"I just wanted to say congratulations," Obama said as CNN broadcast his remarks. He added: "Your leadership on this has changed the country.”
Vice President Joe Biden, who famously endorsed gay marriage ahead of Obama, said it was a day “for history to remember as one where, as a nation, our laws finally recognize that all people should be treated with respect and dignity—and that all marriages, at their root, are defined by unconditional love.”