Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson told Newsmax Thursday that preserving patriotism depends on teaching children what he described as an accurate understanding of American history, warning that the nation risks losing future generations if they are not grounded in the country's founding principles.

Speaking on "Wake Up America" during Newsmax's coverage of the America250 celebration, Carson said he and the American Cornerstone Institute released a new children's book after seeing what students are learning in school as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding.

"We're very concerned at American Cornerstone Institute about what our children are being taught," Carson said. "There seems to be a concerted effort on behalf of many to make people not like our country and to not teach who we really are."

Carson cited education data showing weak knowledge of U.S. history among students.

"Recent surveys have shown that only 13% of eighth graders are proficient in history," he said. "And if you don't really know our history, it's very easy for someone to substitute things that are not true and to take the focus away from the things that this country has actually accomplished."

The retired neurosurgeon said the book aims to teach children that religious faith played a central role in America's founding.

"We wrote this book to help our children recognize that faith is a fundamental building stone of the country that we have," Carson said. "It is very unusual. In fact, it's unprecedented to have a governmental system that says that our rights come from our creator and not from government."

Carson argued those founding principles helped propel the United States to global prominence.

"It was because of the faith, the sense of community, the love for liberty, and the love for life," he said, adding, "All of those things are so critically important. We want to make sure that children know that."

Carson's appearance came as President Donald Trump launched America250 festivities with a rally and celebration highlighting the nation's semiquincentennial. The congressionally chartered America250 initiative is coordinating nationwide events leading up to the July 4, 2026, anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Carson also promoted an "America Wins" collection of children's books that includes titles by Riley Gaines and Kirk Cameron, saying the books are designed to instill pride in the nation's history.

"Those who want to fundamentally change our nation, they want kids to be ashamed of who we are," Carson said. "That's why they only emphasize the bad. But we emphasize the good, the bad, and the ugly."

"But there's a heck of a lot more good than there is bad and ugly. And that's how we got to be such an incredibly important country," he added.

Asked about polling showing partisan differences in views of America's 250th anniversary, Carson blamed what he called long-term ideological influence in education.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people on the other side of the aisle have been indoctrinated for a long time," he said. "It starts early on."

Carson referenced a quote commonly attributed to Vladimir Lenin before adding a biblical passage.

"It was Vladimir Lenin who said, 'Give me your children to teach for four years. And the seed that I sow will never be uprooted,'" Carson quoted.

"The Bible puts it a different way. It says, 'Train up a child in the way he should go when he's old and not depart from it,'" he explained.

Carson warned that failing to cultivate patriotism among young Americans could have lasting consequences.

"They're making an attempt to train our children not to like us, not to be proud of us," he said. "Those things are not independent of each other. They're very much related to each other."

"If we don't do something about it soon, we will have lost the battle," added Carson.

"I encourage people to go out and actively acquire the materials to give young people the foundation they need to really be patriotic. If you don't have patriotic citizens, you're not going to last very long," he said.

Carson's new children's book, "Built on Faith," is part of Brave Books' "America Wins" collection and highlights the role he says faith played in America's founding ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

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