Conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck has become the latest figure on the right wing of American politics to declare the fight against marriage equality lost – saying supporters were always going to win because they had ‘freedom’ on their side.

‘Why have we been arguing about marriage?’ Beck told his listeners on Monday.

‘We have been so foolish. It is not about gays. It’s not about homosexuals. It’s not about any of that. It is about freedom. And the reason why they’ve won is because they’ve made it about freedom.’

‘Everyone, basically, understands freedom. That [they want] more freedom not less and so the argument has been “who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?”’

Beck said that, by failing to recognize the argument that the argument that the other side was putting across, opponents had allowed themselves to be ‘painted into a corner of [being] a bigot.’

‘That’s why they’ve won. Because the principle of it is right. The principle is easy to understand. Who are you to say [that someone else can’t get married].’

Beck’s comments come on the heels of Fox News presenter Bill O’Reilly saying he’s ‘fine’ with the idea of same-sex couples being able to marry and conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh predicting that same-sex marriage will become legal nationwide in the US.