Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said America’s founding ideals are increasingly under strain, warning that modern progressive ideology seeks to replace core principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

Speaking at the University of Texas School of Law, Thomas argued that the nation’s traditional understanding of rights as inherent and derived from God is being challenged by a growing belief that rights are granted by government institutions.

He described a cultural shift marked by what he called rising “cynicism, rejection, hostility, and animus” toward the country’s founding framework, suggesting that key ideas such as equality and unalienable rights are no longer universally accepted.

Thomas emphasized that the Constitution was designed to limit government authority and safeguard individual liberty, pointing to structural elements such as federalism and the separation of powers as essential protections against centralized control.

He contrasted that framework with progressive ideology, which he said elevates government power over personal freedom and departs from the Declaration’s vision of limited government.

The justice also traced the roots of progressivism to early 20th-century figures such as Woodrow Wilson, noting that such ideas promoted a more expansive federal role influenced by European political systems.

Thomas warned that abandoning the concept of natural rights could lead to greater government overreach, citing historical examples where centralized authority restricted individual freedoms.

He concluded by urging Americans to reaffirm the principles of the nation’s founding, calling for renewed commitment to the ideals that shaped the country’s system of government.