Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a forceful public critique of progressivism, calling it an “existential threat” to the United States and its founding ideals during a televised address at the University of Texas School of Law.
Speaking ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, Thomas argued that modern progressive thought undermines the philosophical foundation laid out in the United States Declaration of Independence, particularly the belief in inherent, God-given rights.
“Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence and hence our form of government,” Thomas said in remarks broadcast live on C-SPAN.
Thomas did not cite specific political leaders or cases. However, his comments come amid deep political polarization and ongoing scrutiny of the Supreme Court’s role in shaping national policy.
The 77-year-old justice criticized what he described as a growing “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” toward America among its own citizens. He attributed this shift, in part, to academic institutions and intellectual circles, which he said have contributed to diminishing the influence of founding-era values.
He also warned that core principles such as equality and unalienable rights are losing public support. “Many no longer believe that all men are created equal,” Thomas said, suggesting that this erosion reflects a broader ideological shift.
Central to Thomas’s argument was a philosophical divide over the origin of rights. He asserted that progressivism promotes the idea that rights derive from government authority rather than from a higher, transcendent source.
“[Progressivism] holds that our rights and our dignities come not from God, but from government,” he said. “It requires of the people a subservience and weakness incompatible with a constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.”
Thomas also criticized federal officials, accusing them of lacking commitment to traditional values, national defense, and the original meaning of the Constitution. He dismissed self-described “institutionalists” and moderates as rationalizing failures in leadership.
Appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1991, Thomas is the court’s longest-serving conservative justice and has consistently aligned with originalist interpretations of the Constitution.
He closed his remarks with a call for civic resolve, urging Americans to defend foundational principles even at personal cost.
“We must find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration have,” Thomas said, “so that we can do for our future what they did for theirs.”
