Trump and other 2024 GOP presidential candidates praise Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling

Republican presidential candidates were quick to praise the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling. Here's a look at some of their reactions:

Former President Donald Trump: "This is 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. 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!"

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: "College admissions should be based on merit and applicants should not be judged on their race or ethnicity. The Supreme Court has correctly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities."

Nikki Haley: "The world admires America because we value freedom & opportunity. SCOTUS re-affirmed those values today. Picking winners & losers based on race is fundamentally wrong. This decision will help every student—no matter their background—have a better opportunity to achieve the American dream," she said in a statement.

Former Vice President Mike Pence: "There is no place for discrimination based on race in the United States, and I am pleased that the Supreme Court has put an end to this egregious violation of civil and constitutional rights in admissions processes, which only served to perpetuate racism. I am honored to have played a role in appointing three of the Justices that ensured today’s welcomed decision, and as President I will continue to appoint judges who will strictly apply the law rather than twisting it to serve woke and progressive ends," he said in a statement.

Vivek Ramaswamy: "I’m glad the U.S. Supreme Court finally laid to rest one of the worst failed experiments in American history: affirmative action," he said in a statement.

Larry Elder: "I oppose race based admissions to colleges and universities. When California banned the use of race based college admissions, graduation rates for black students actually went up because they went to universities that matched their skill levels. Affirmative action also discriminates against Asian Americans who have the temerity to work hard, make good grades and perform well on standardized tests, only to find themselves penalized when it comes to admission into the college or university of their choice," he said in a statement.

Perry Johnson: "I applaud today’s #SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action. Discrimination based on the color of one’s skin is wrong, period. Leftists in America continue to drive wedges amongst us with inflammatory rhetoric and practices in dealing with race. It is time we stand up against it."

Sen. Tim Scott: “This is a good day for America. Honestly, this is the day where we understand that being judged by the content of our character, not the color of our skin is what our constitution wants. We are continuing to work on forming this more perfect union. Today is better than yesterday. This year better than last year. This decade better than last decade. The progress that we're seeing in this nation is palpable. That's good news for every single corridor of this nation, and one that we should celebrate,” Scott told Fox News.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: said the Supreme Court's decision “reinforces the fundamental American principle of equality for all.” He added that “it ends with finality the system of racial preferences and box-checking that unfairly categorized students based on their race, rather than their individual merits."

CNN's Kit Maher and Veronica Stracqualarsi contributed to this report.