A Distinguished Justice Explains the Perils of Progressivism

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 Gay

Commentary

At an April University of Texas gathering to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a message that was both a celebration and a warning. The question he posed was not simply what the Declaration meant in 1776, but whether its principles can endure in the years ahead.