Marriage is about love and commitment, and Donald Trump has got it all wrong.
So said George Takei, who appeared on MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" on Monday to discuss Trump's views on marriage equality.
Over the weekend, the 2016 presidential candidate had told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he is "for traditional marriage." Takei had his own sit-down with Trump back in 2012, during which they discussed same-sex marriage. The two apparently "agreed to disagree."
"He was for traditional marriage, despite the fact that he'd been married three times," Takei said Monday of Trump, whose exes include Ivana Zelníčková and Marla Maples. "That is not traditional. I approve of his three-time marriage because you want to find the person that you love. But the important thing here is to understand that our democracy is a dynamic democracy, and our Constitution is a living document -- it's not carved in stone. Over the years, the whole arc of our democracy has been to adjust to the times, to expand equality to more and more people."
Trump married Melania Knauss, a model 24 years his junior, in 2005. Takei married partner Brad Altman in 2008. The latter two have been together for 28 years.
The "Star Trek" actor also challenged the business mogul's views on the significance of a marital union.
"Over the years, we've come to understand what marriage really means and that's love," Takei said. "It's centered on love. ... I think Donald Trump's interpretation of marriage is something that he himself doesn't really believe in, because traditional marriage is where two people love each other, commit to each other, care for each other over the years. It is a meaningful ceremony. His interpretation of that is not recognizing what real marriage is."
Takei concluded by saying that Trump’s current rhetoric is catering to the far right wing as he attempts to land the 2016 GOP nomination.
Three years ago, Takei and Trump lunched at the Trump Tower Grill in New York City and broached the subject of same-sex marriage. At the time, Takei said he was hopeful he could change Trump’s views.
"It was a lively and engaging hour-long conversation that touched upon his personal position on marriage equality," Takei wrote on Facebook. "He confided that he recently attended a same-sex wedding and that he'd found it 'beautiful.' ... I hope that my chat with The Don might have some effect on his stance on the subject."
