SEKULOW

Will Haines: Welcome to Sekulow. We’ve got a fascinating one here today, folks, because over on MS Now—which many of you probably didn’t see, and I understand you’re not watching daily the Katy Tur show over on MS Now—they were talking about this event that happened over the weekend that a lot of people saw. The Rededicate 250 event featured a lot of different speakers from both in government and outside of government.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson made a reference to the Declaration of Independence, and it was so shocking to the host of MS Now, Katy Tur, that she had to ask her panel about it. I want you to hear this directly, folks. This is in 2026, in the year of the 250th birthday of our country. This is where we’re at. Let’s go ahead and play bite two.

Katy Tur: What about this passage from Mike Johnson declaring that our rights do not derive from government? They come from you, our Creator and Heavenly Father. Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?

McKay Coppins: Well, I actually think that idea is not wholly uncommon. The idea that we have certain inalienable rights that come from God can be read in a fairly benign way.

Will Haines: Right there, first of all, the framing of her question: "Is this him, the Speaker of the House, putting God over the Declaration of Independence?" Then even the response trying to weasel around this and say, "I think it can be read in a fairly benign way."

Here is what the Speaker of the House was referencing in the Declaration of Independence, the most famous line of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

It is very clear what the Declaration of Independence says and what the purpose of it was. It wasn't to read in a fairly benign way. It was to push back against the entire concept that the only rights you had came from a king. That is what the Declaration of Independence was declaring: independence from the King of England.

He didn't give them their rights. They come from God and God alone, and the government is established to protect them here on Earth. We are in a scary time, folks, that it is shocking when you hear her. It’s like she’s never heard that line from the Declaration of Independence. No, Speaker Johnson didn’t have to do that. The Declaration of Independence itself puts God over the Declaration of Independence.

I want to hear from you. Did you hear this before I just played it for you? What are your thoughts? We’ve got a lot to dive in with this topic. Call me at 1-800-684-3110. Was this just a slip-up trying to make a soundbite, or is this the actual ideology of the left now? I want to hear from you. 1-800-684-3110.

I think this goes to show, folks, this is why you need the ACLJ. It’s why we do this broadcast. It’s not just the legal work, it’s also the educational side, the explanation through the broadcast. We are needed. When you hear things like this and you understand the divide in ideology, it’s pretty stark. We’ll be right back.

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Welcome back to Sekulow. This is a head-scratcher, folks. I keep hearing this bite. Every time I hear this from Katy Tur on MS Now, it gets more egregious to hear, just the tone of it. I’m going to play it again for you if you’re just joining us. This is about this discussion that came about with the Rededicate 250 event that happened over the weekend.

There were a lot of hot takes about that from people on social media and clipped-out certain moments. But this one has got to be the most shocking hot take that I’ve heard. This comes from Katy Tur on MS Now, and she’s talking to McKay Coppins, who’s a journalist who’s been around for a while. He’s covered Trump since the beginning of the Trump run for president. This is just their discussion because it’s referencing Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, talking at this event and pointing out an obvious, normal statement that our founders made 250 years ago. They declared independence and said that our rights don’t come from the government, they come from God.

This is not some novel theory that Mike Johnson came up with. He didn't create this. He didn't all of a sudden one day say, "You know, what if it’s not really the government, it’s God?" This is the foundation of the United States. Here is the discussion that we see on MS Now. Let's go ahead and play bite two.

Katy Tur: What about this passage from Mike Johnson declaring that our rights do not derive from government? They come from you, our Creator and Heavenly Father. Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?

McKay Coppins: Well, I actually think that idea is not wholly uncommon. The idea that we have certain inalienable rights that come from God can be read in a fairly benign way.

Will Haines: Even there, McKay Coppins is trying to spin the question and say, "I actually think that idea is not wholly uncommon." It shouldn’t be. It should be the most common idea in America. Even if you have political policy differences, the foundational document, what said we’re done with you, England, we are our own nation now, the Declaration of Independence, the unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America says rights are endowed by their Creator. It’s paragraph two, the most famous line of the Declaration of Independence.

She goes on because you may think maybe she just didn’t have civics class. We hear that a lot. We really need to bring back civics in the United States. People aren’t learning what they need to learn about our great country anymore. Maybe she just forgot and it was shocking to hear these words from the Speaker of the House. But no, she goes on even after her panelist said it’s not uncommon. She says, "I don’t want to read that in a benign way." Let’s hear how she followed up. This is bite four.

Katy Tur: Well, in the context of this rally and with Mike Johnson and the movement and the move toward Christian Nationalism being more embedded in this culture, it’s not as benign when you put it into that context. The idea that rights are divine from a higher power, you could say that across multiple religions, yes, but this is not representing multiple religions.

Will Haines: Once again, the buzzwords are there. They got "Christian Nationalism" in the conversation, so if you had that on your bingo card, you can go ahead and mark that off because she said it for you. That is the context as we move more toward Christian Nationalism being embedded in this culture.

As if Mike Johnson decided at the Rededicate 250 event, which was a spiritual event around the 250th anniversary of this country, as if that was his motivation, thinking, "I’m going to say some Christian Nationalist things here." He was just reading from the Declaration of Independence, referencing what should be the foundational truth of this country.

We do not believe the government gives us our rights, and you should be thankful for that because governments ebb and flow. Governments are fickle. Governments are political. Your rights aren’t. That’s why we should be so grateful that those words exist in the Declaration of Independence.

Then she even goes on and tries to say the idea that rights come from a divine higher power can be true across multiple religions. Once again, that’s not what the founders were saying. Even when you get to the Constitution, yes, there is a freedom of religion in the First Amendment that isn’t sectarian or delineating between religions, but it’s very clear what the founders were writing about.

It’s shocking, but it shouldn’t be. I want to take you back to September of last year. This was in a hearing in the United States Senate. It’s one thing if it’s a liberal journalist on MS Now. It shouldn’t be shocking, but unfortunately, it is not. But I want to take you back. This is from Virginia, one of those first 13 colonies, one of the most pivotal states in the drive for American independence.

If you go to Williamsburg or you go to Jamestown and you visit these sites, the pride of the American founding is still there, even though we’ve seen the state government of Virginia go so far from that. When you hear this, this is from last September in a hearing in the United States Senate. The speaker is a Senator from Virginia, Tim Kaine. He was the one who ran on the ticket with Hillary Clinton to be Vice President of the United States. This is showing that this is the mindset, the worldview of the left. Let's play bite one.

Tim Kaine: The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator, that’s what the Iranian government believes. It’s a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Sharia law and targets Sunnis, Baha'is, Jews, Christians, and other religious minorities. They do it because they believe they understand what natural rights are from their Creator. So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.

Will Haines: "Extremely troubling," the Senator from Virginia said. So it’s not surprising because the elected officials, the Democrats in the Senate, believe the same thing. They believe this document, the Declaration of Independence, is extremely troubling. To quote the Declaration of Independence is extremely troubling.

Then you wonder why the FBI under the Biden administration was targeting people of faith, why they were targeting pro-life activists. It’s because they don’t believe these documents. "We hold these truths to be self-evident." It’s almost insulting to the Democrats of today that can’t see how self-evident this is. This should not be a rational leap for them to take.

It’s self-evident that the government doesn’t give you these rights. They come from God and from God alone, and the government is here to protect them, to ensure that you’re not run afoul of your rights, that governments or people aren’t violating those God-given rights.

At times we’ve had to course-correct throughout this 250 years when the laws of the United States did not live up to the words of the Constitution and the Declaration of the Independence. We’ve had to course-correct. There have been some big violations of the God-given rights throughout our history.

But the good thing is that we go back to it, not stray further from it in thinking that it is the government that gives us those rights. I’ll say it again, I’m going to get your phone calls in the next segment. 1-800-684-3110. But when you hear this, you hear the Senator last year, you hear MS Now say these things, you realize that is why you need the ACLJ. Support us today.

Welcome to the all-new ACLJ app. Expert analysis and insight Big Tech can’t censor. Customize your news and get real-time alerts on the issues you care about. Advocacy is now at your fingertips. Take action, make a difference, support the causes you care about with just one tap. Be the first to know. Breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox. Everything you need, all in one place. Stay informed, stay empowered. Download today.

We are so excited to announce the ACLJ’s brand-new app, completely redesigned to provide you with the best tools available to partner with us at the ACLJ. You can watch the daily Sekulow program, sign the petitions, customize your ACLJ membership experience, donate with the click of a button, and receive up-to-the-minute critical updates that the mainstream media can’t censor. Just scan the QR code on your screen or go to your phone’s app store, search ACLJ, and click install. It’s that simple.

The challenges facing Americans are substantial. At a time when our values, our freedoms, and our constitutional rights are under attack, it’s more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in court, in Congress, and in the public arena.

The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you’re already a member, thank you. If you’re not, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today at ACLJ.org.

Welcome back to Sekulow. Will Haines here and I’m fired up by this, folks. I see this and I should be shocked that this is where we’re at in 2026, 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, but unfortunately, I’m not. I want to get to your phone calls. Let’s first go to Robert calling from Maryland on line one. Robert, long-time Sekulow listener, you’re on the air.

Robert: Yes, hi. I wanted to ask the question: Why did it seem like the MS Now guest, who was also a part of this panel, seemed so shocked at the self-evident words of the Declaration of Independence? Representative Mike Johnson was just reading word for word what it says. Does she also believe that our rights come from laws and government and not from God, as well as the other people on the panel? In addition to it maybe her not being taught that in civics—and I don’t think they teach the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in many civics classes now, they haven't for a long time—but I just wanted to get your view on it.

Will Haines: Well, I think that’s the point. I think that they are actually offended by the words of the founders. I think they are offended by the concept of where our liberty comes from. If you watch this broadcast, if you listen to this show, you’re not offended by that and it is self-evident to us, but it’s not that way anymore.

You see that’s also what the Senator from Virginia, Tim Kaine, said just last year. You see that now, and I have a feeling this isn’t the last time we’re going to hear this. Because now we’re at the end of May, June is here, the summer, Congress is going to have a bunch of recesses, and they’re going to start campaigning for the midterms.

You’re going to hear a lot more hot takes like this from the left, from Democrats, whenever someone says the obvious, the self-evident thing that our rights come from our Creator, not from the government. Then you’re going to have more and more people say that’s Christian Nationalism. "You can’t say that. How dare you."

I think once again, this is why, as we sit here today, the work of the ACLJ matters. We’ve talked about the report on anti-Christian bias in government that the DOJ put out, two different reports thus far, and the work of the ACLJ is all over that, protecting people, fighting back against anti-Christian bias in government.

But I think when you talk about it in a different context, the problem isn’t merely that Katy Tur on MS Now, which I would wager doesn’t have that large of an audience anymore, it’s not a problem that she forgot these words of the Declaration of Independence or it seemed to be. It’s that a growing number on the left seem genuinely offended by the Declaration of Independence itself.

They hear the word "Creator" and they immediately think of it as a threat. They think America’s built on this idea that the government is supreme. They talk about these "no kings" rallies and push back about they say President Trump is a king. That is why we had the Declaration of Independence. That was the entire point: that the king didn’t make your rights. The king didn’t give you your rights. Only God did.

That’s the idea America was built on, that these rights don’t come from the government, they come from God. They are inherent, they are unalienable, and that the government’s job is to secure those rights, not to change them, not to mess with them, not to redefine them as language shifts in culture, not to pick and choose based off the party that’s in power who gets rights and who doesn’t.

But that’s why the ACLJ has to go to court, because so many on the left when they get in power think that it is their job to ration out the rights. You get them, you don’t. The government is biased against this group, not this group. Not that all men are created equal and that we are endowed by our Creator with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That’s why we do this broadcast, so that we can continue to exercise our constitutional rights, exercise the rights that were endowed upon us by our Creator, but to also educate because so many are not educated anymore on the core foundations of this country.

It’s why we defend students that want to pray at school, or teachers that want to pray, or churches that just want to operate freely and not be fined out of existence by the state government. So when culture forgets where our rights come from, then the government starts acting like it is the creator, like it is the supreme being. We know that’s not true.

That’s a dangerous and scary place to get to. So I want to take more of your phone calls. I also have a video that I ran out of time here and I’ll play it later in the broadcast. Our team was able to go to the National Archives recently. We played it last month during our match, but it’s a powerful video because it’s sitting there with the archivist at the National Archives talking about these documents and how important they are, especially this year, this 250th anniversary.

But you also remember how different it is now. Our team was able to go and learn and get footage of these actual documents. But it wasn’t too long ago that we had to represent pro-life Americans that were there in DC for the March for Life, and what happened?

They were told, "You can’t exercise your First Amendment rights here." Where? At the National Archives. The irony of ironies is that the center of government that holds these documents to protect and preserve them so that we don’t forget the foundations of this country was the very institution that was censoring pro-life Americans. They said, "You can’t wear a T-shirt that says pro-life on it or a hat that says pro-life on it. You can’t do that here. Get out, or change your clothes. You cannot do that here."

We fought back. We won. That was unconstitutional. They were targeting our clients for their beliefs. That irony that it was taking place at the National Archives, the place that is supposed to protect and defend the actual documents, the original copies, the repository of all the government records, that they forgot what their job was, what the point was.

That is why the ACLJ exists. You can stand with us, you can support us. Go to ACLJ.org and support this broadcast that we bring you every day, five days a week. It supports the legal work defending people like those clients that were told they could not wear their pro-life shirt at the National Archives or the Smithsonian.

Last night in DC at the Trump Kennedy Center, our legal team was there with the Department of Justice, with senators, administration officials, because the work of the ACLJ was highlighted in this groundbreaking documentary called "By Dawn’s Early Light," showcasing the work that we do to fight for these self-evident truths.

They don’t seem so self-evident when you watch certain broadcasts, when you hear certain politicians, but they are. They are self-evident and they’re worth fighting for. They’re worth going to court for. They’re worth talking about every day even if some people don’t like to hear it. You can support that work at ACLJ.org or you can become an ACLJ Champion by becoming a monthly donor. Go to ACLJ.org today.

For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in court, in Congress, and in the public arena. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you’re already a member, thank you. If you’re not, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today. ACLJ.org.