U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the University of Texas at Austin, in Austin, Texas, on April 15, 2026. AP Photo/Eric GayCommentaryEarlier this year, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas delivered a speech in Texas in which he warned of an existential threat to the revolutionary principles that animated the birth of our republic. Those principles, articulated in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the Constitution, are these: that all men are created equal, that rights are inherent in the individual and not something bestowed by government, and that the primary purpose of government is to uphold those rights impartially. We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.