Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele has predicted the next Republican candidate for president will be a probable supporter of same-sex marriage.

Steele made the comments on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher talk show in an after broadcast segment posted online

‘Do you think the Republican candidate in 2016 will support same-sex marriage?’ Maher said, reading a viewer’s question for Steele, ‘Good political question.’

‘It’s a very good political question and I think likely … probably,’ Steele said.

‘I’ll say this, if he does … he won’t in the primaries. You cannot do it in the primaries,’ Maher said, referring to the Republican Party’s tradition of holding a series of run-off polls and debates between Republican contenders to select their final candidate.

‘He won’t in the primaries … that’s where it’s going,’ Steel agrees.

‘He would have an “evolution” between the primaries [and the election.]’ Maher said, referring how US President Barack Obama had tested the waters to coming out as a supporter by saying his views were ‘evolving on the issue.’

‘And he would. … It’s a process. It’s a flashback to when having a black friend was popular, you know, I have a black friend so therefore [I care about their rights,]’ Steele said.

‘Many Democrats have had that same “evolution” … and they use their kids as cover,’ Maher says before going into character as that kind of politician.

‘My kids have gay friends and they came over for Thanksgiving dinner and none of them tried to leap across the table and fuck me. This gay thing is totally cool!’

Steele said that support for same-sex marriage would likely be a bigger issue for Republican voters in 2016 than people were expecting.

‘I think that issue will be one that will actually be a sleeper in the Republican primary because its going to be an undercurrent because there are a lot of young Republicans, a lot of young millennial Republicans, who are pushing the party on this issue and I think their voices are going to be heard,’ Steele said.

Steele makes the comments in the video below.