Representative Dan Crenshaw, a U.S. Congressman who has consistently secured re-election since 2018, addressed his social media followers on September 7, 2025, regarding the origins of individual rights and recent remarks by Senator Tim Kaine.
In his initial post on September 7, Crenshaw referenced Senator Kaine’s public comments: “Remember Tim Kaine, Hillary’s 2016 running mate who’s still a U.S. Senator? Yeah, neither does America. But he resurfaced this week to suggest your rights come from government, not God. Let’s take a look back in history and walk through how that idea has fueled tyrannies, and https://t.co/2JryB900cn”.
He continued his argument in a subsequent tweet posted the same day: “When someone says rights come from government, they’re not simply making a bad argument; they’re going even further, embracing a worldview that’s been used to justify authoritarianism.”
Crenshaw then cited foundational American principles in another post dated September 7: “Let’s start here: ‘All men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…’ That’s straight from the Declaration of Independence. Our rights don’t come from government. Government exists to protect them. That’s the American idea. https://t.co/7dQNSJa5s0”.
Dan Crenshaw has represented Texas in Congress since winning his first election in 2018 against Todd Litton and subsequently defeating Sima Ladjevardian in 2020, Robin Fulford in 2022, and Peter Filler in 2024.
His electoral victories have ranged from approximately 52% to nearly 66% of the vote across four consecutive general elections.
The debate over whether individual rights are inherent or granted by governments is longstanding within American political discourse. The Declaration of Independence asserts that such rights are “endowed by their Creator,” an idea frequently invoked by those arguing for limited governmental authority over civil liberties.
