Recently, Donald Trump made a big claim about the Declaration of Independence. He said it shows that the U.S. was always supposed to be free from any kind of government rules — especially from Democrats.
He made it sound like the Founding Fathers wanted a country with almost no government at all. But that’s just not true. In fact, it’s about as wrong as you can get.
What the Declaration Really Means
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 to tell Britain that the American colonies wanted to break free. The King of England was treating them unfairly, so the Founders said, “We’re done with you.”
They talked about big ideas like freedom and equality, but they weren’t saying that all government is bad. They were saying that unfair government — like the king’s — had to go.
Right after that, they created their own government. Why? Because they knew that some rules are needed to keep things fair, safe, and organized.
Trump’s Mistake
Trump seems to think that the Declaration was against all government. But the Founders weren’t against government — they were against being ruled by a king without a say in it.
Soon after declaring independence, they wrote the U.S. Constitution. That’s the document that created our system of government, including a president, Congress, and courts. Clearly, they wanted a working government — not total freedom to do whatever you want.
Why This Matters
When leaders like Trump get these basic facts wrong, it confuses people. It makes them think that rules and taxes are un-American, when in reality, they’ve always been part of how our country works.
The Declaration of Independence was never meant to say “no rules.” It was meant to say “no unfair rules.” There’s a big difference — and it’s important to understand that difference today.