Radical Virginia Democrat Claims Rights Don’t Come From God, But From Government [WATCH]

A heated exchange in the Senate unfolded Wednesday when Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) questioned the idea that individual rights come from a Creator rather than from government or laws.

His remarks drew a sharp response from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who invoked the words of the Declaration of Independence to counter Kaine’s statement.

During the hearing, Kaine said: “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. So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.”

Cruz, who entered the room as Kaine was making his comments, addressed the statement directly.

“So, Senator Kaine said in this hearing, that he found it a radical and dangerous notion that you would say our rights came from God and not from government. I just walked into the hearing as he was saying that and I almost fell out of my chair,” Cruz said.

He continued by pointing to the founding principles of the United States.

“Because that radical and dangerous notion in his words, is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created. And if you do not believe me, and you made reference to this Mr. Barnes, then you can believe, perhaps the most prominent Virginian to ever serve, Thomas Jefferson who wrote in 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’—not by the government, not by the Democratic National Committee, but by God—with certain unalienable Rights.”

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The exchange underscored the ongoing divide between Republicans and Democrats over the interpretation of constitutional principles and the role of government in defining or protecting individual rights.

Cruz argued that Kaine’s view diverged sharply from the principles laid out by the nation’s founders, who established the belief that rights are inherent and not granted by government authority.

The Declaration of Independence, authored primarily by Jefferson in 1776, explicitly identifies the source of rights as the Creator.

That phrase has remained central to American political thought and is frequently cited in debates about constitutional freedoms, the role of government, and religious liberty.

Kaine’s comparison to Iran drew particular attention.

The senator argued that attributing rights to a Creator mirrors beliefs held by authoritarian regimes, but Cruz contended that the contrast lies in America’s emphasis on rights as unalienable and not subject to government restriction.

The comments quickly circulated outside the chamber, fueling renewed debate over how both parties view the origin and protection of rights.

Supporters of Cruz’s remarks pointed to the historical record, while critics argued that the practical enforcement of rights has always relied on laws and governmental institutions.

The hearing highlighted how deeply rooted the dispute remains over whether rights are derived from divine authority or constructed through legal frameworks.

For Cruz, the distinction was clear.

“That,” he said, referring to Jefferson’s words, “is the principle upon which America was founded.”

Our rights don’t come from government or the DNC.

They come from God. @timkaine, I suggest the Dems go back and read the words of our Founding Fathers. pic.twitter.com/QRmhTcbbOH

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2025

The clash between Kaine and Cruz added to ongoing tensions in the Senate, where historical interpretation and constitutional philosophy continue to shape modern policy debates.

With Kaine raising concerns about the implications of grounding rights in divine authority, and Cruz reaffirming the founding principle of rights as God-given, the issue remains one of the sharpest dividing lines in contemporary American politics.