The Declaration of Independence Founded a Theistic Republic

United States Declaration of Independence. This image is a version of the 1823 William Stone facsimile—Stone may well have used a wet pressing process. Creative Commons/Wikimedia

Commentary

Mike Johnson opened his tenure as speaker of the House with a speech citing the creator God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. The speech drew criticism from columnists in The Washington Post, Time, PBS, and The New York Times, among others. Much of it shifted among Mr. Johnson’s support of former President Donald Trump, his church affiliations, and his penchant for employing biblical language.