Values Voter Summit: Top quotes from top Republicans
Photo: Austin Gunter
WASHINGTON, D.C. ' The best way to determine the credibility of a presidential candidate is through their own words.
Republican leaders, including presidential hopefuls Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Rick Santorum, gathered at the Values Voter Summit to address constituents who share their conservative values on Friday, Sept. 25.
The event is sponsored by The Family Research Council (FRC), a cause-oriented nonprofit dedicated 'to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview,' among other groups.
The following highlights are quotes straight from the horses' mouths.
Donald Trump
"Most importantly, I brought my Bible."
"It's so easy to [be politically correct] but who wants to do it? We need to get back to business."
"We have so many people that can be and should be attacked. We have a president who is extremely bad for everything the folks in this room stand for."
"If I'm the messenger, you get those prisoners [in Iran] back."
"I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created."
"I think this is going to be an election based on competence."
"If I win, we're going to make our military so big, so strong, [that] nobody will ever mess with us."
"The reason I ran is that I want to make this country great again."
Sen. Marco Rubio
"Our country was founded on a spiritual principle that every individual has rights given to you by God ' not [by] government."
'We [America] didn't become special by accident and we aren't going to stay that way without action.'
'I will empower our people rather than our government.'
'You cannot have a strong nation without having strong families.'
'Politicians do not create jobs. The American people create jobs.'
'America must stand for the value that all life is worthy of protection because all life comes from God.'
Sen. Ted Cruz
"I'm pretty sure the first democratic debate is gong to consist of Hillary Clinton and the Chipotle clerk."
"Our constitutional rights are under assault each and every day from Washington."
"I can't wait to stand on a debate stage next to Hillary Clinton."
"If you vote for me, under no circumstances will Iran be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons."
"How do we turn this country around? We rise up just like we did in 1980."
"Washington wants to split the vote. We have a simple task. If conservatives unite, we win."
Sen. Rick Santorum
"America is never going to be a great country if we're a country who kills our children in the womb."
"You know one person in this race who is always willing to fight for life, always willing to fight for the family."
"If you are not willing to fight for the Constitution of the United States of America, why are you running for president?"
"A year ago I was in ISIS magazine. I was the centerfold."
"I will stand with Israel, I will stand with our allies and I will defeat radical Islam."
"Every policy we pass in America should be in the best interest of Americans."
Dr. Ben Carson
"I get irritated when people complain about America ... if we were so bad then how come everybody is trying to get in here and nobody is trying to escape?"
"Anybody is welcome to come to America as far as I'm concerned ... but they don't get to change who we are."
"The last time I checked, we all have the chance to decide who we're advocating."
"If your representatives continue to vote to increase our debt ... you need to find out who they are and you need to throw them out of office."
"Every single federal regulation costs us money."
"What are our values? One nation under God."
Gov. Mike Huckabee
"I've lived the American dream ' I didn't just read about it."
"Let's approve the Keystone Pipeline and get Americans a pay raise."
"The GOP in the house are not doing anything different in the majority than they did in the minority"
"I want to come to Washington to burn down which is corrupt and build up our constitutional government."
"My dad used to tell me, 'Son if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember what you said.' "
"Most American workers have been punched in the gut by the economic policies."
"I do understand that simply making a speech is not leadership, simply proposing a piece of legislation is not leadership ... leadership means you get the job done."
Sen. John McCain
'America didn't invent human rights; human rights invented America.'
'No society that denies religious freedom can rightly claim to be good in some other way.'
'The right to life is, of course, the most sacred of all. No other rights exist without it.'
'Our greatest moral obligation is to oppose the taking of innocent lives.'
'We are allowing the Middle East to become drastically more dangerous while squandering our influence there.'
'We need a president of the United States who will lead not from behind, but from the front.'
Gov. Rick Perry
"Our country needs a leader who is humble, not another 'divider in chief.' "
"Demeaning people of Hispanic heritage is not just ignorant. It betrays the example of Christ."
"America can become great again. But first, America must become good again."
"There's a difference between 'righteous indignation' and 'unrestrained anger.' "
