During a confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Services Committee, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine condemned the words of the Declaration of Independence as “extremely troubling” and “what the Iranian government believes,” then claimed that rights come from the government.

“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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The opening words of the Declaration of Independence go on to say that Governments are instituted for the purpose of securing these preexistent rights.

Riley Barnes, a Trump nominee to serve as assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor received unexpected pushback when he quoted this founding American principle during his confirmation hearing.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) fired back at what he called a “troubling” sentiment.

“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,” Kaine said. “It’s a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Shia law and targets Sunnis, Bahá’ís, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities.”

“And they do it because they believe that they understand what natural rights are from their Creator,” Kaine continued. “So, the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.”

The remarks drew mockery and outrage from fellow politicians, civic, and religious leaders.

A befuddled Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) replied that what Kaine called radical and dangerous “”is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created.”

“Incredible that the current Senator from Virginia rejects the core principle of the Declaration Of Independence,” said Laura Powell, a civil liberties attorney.

Later Powell later retweeted a post correcting Kaine’s understanding of Iranian law.

“We all know Tim Kaine is wrong about the foundational principles of the United States, and he is apparently equally wrong about the Iranian regime,” Powell said.

Catholic Bishop Robert Barron took to X to respond to Kaine, who is also a Catholic.

“If the government creates our rights, it can take them away,” Barron said. “If the government is responsible for our rights, well then it can change them.”

Conservative groups have held a line that, in the words of Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner, “The Constitution doesn’t grant us freedoms; it prohibits government from taking them.”

Economist and civil liberties advocate Robert Murphy posted a sarcastic explanation of Kaine’s philosophy. “And that is why it is literally impossible for the government to violate someone’s rights,” he said connecting Kaine’s philosophy with government abuse.

Republican positions on abortion, the Second Amendment, and other core limited government issues are often rooted in beliefs in inalienable rights.

Kaine later said, “I’m a strong believer in natural rights, but I have a feeling if we were to have a debate about natural rights in the room and put people around the table with different religious traditions, there would be some significant differences in the definitions of those natural rights.”

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