Overview
- Thomas, who spoke Wednesday at the University of Texas School of Law, called progressivism an existential threat to America’s founding ideals.
- He argued that the Declaration states the goal of government and the Constitution sets limits to protect natural rights, saying progressivism puts rights in the hands of the state.
- He traced the movement’s roots to Woodrow Wilson and European models and linked its growth to past abuses such as racial segregation and eugenics.
- The address aired live on C‑SPAN and included a call for courage from younger Americans to defend founding principles in public life.
- Reaction split along ideological lines, with liberal commentators urging steps like impeachment or court expansion and conservative outlets praising his defense of first principles, while Raw Story noted speculation about future Supreme Court vacancies based on Trump’s comments without any formal moves to date.