It’s come to this.

Every year on July 4th, National Public Radio traditionally recites the entire Declaration of Independence. NPR also tweeted the Declaration line-by-line for the first time in 2017, during which Trump supporters on the social media platform started getting angry. It turns our they were mistaking the document’s criticisms of King George III for swipes at Trump.

Some bristled at this line in particular: “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

The 1776 Declaration of Independence that led to America’s creation imagines a government that first and foremost works to protect people’s rights. The document remains a beacon for freedom, equality and civil liberties around the world:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

America’s far-right turn toward fascism defies the entire idea of America, and to that end, its words are now a little inconvenient to an inexplicable number Americans who think it’s fine for Trump to be a dictator.

As “The Daily Show” comedian Desi Lydic noted, the Declaration of Independence may best be explained as a divorce petition, detailing America’s numerous grievances with “the tyrant” King George III. It’s why our Founding Fathers worked so hard to create a U.S. Constitution that would prevent a monarchy, autocracy, dictatorship or any form of one-man rule. A republic — a government of, by and for the people, where no man is above the law — is the polar opposite of tyranny.

America’s founders specifically opposed the king because he imposed tariffs, controlled the courts, soley decided what was just, refused to recognize laws passed by the states and sent officers to intimidate and scuttle people’s rights — to the point of “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.”

Here are specific grievances from the Declaration that make the far-right (the entire American Republican party at this point) uncomfortable. They opposed the king:

“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world”

“For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury”

“He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.”

“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.”

“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”

The list goes on and on.

Former federal judge J. Michael Luttig recently wrote in the Atlantic: “As Trump turns the federal government of the United States against Americans and America itself, the bill of particulars against him is already longer than the Declaration of Independence’s bill of particulars against King George III and the British empire.”

To be an American is to oppose dictatorships where people can be jailed, deported and disappeared without due process by heavily armed and masked goons. It’s why we became an independent nation. The ENTIRE idea of AMERICA — a government whose highest duty is to protect the personal freedoms of its people — is the exact opposite of fascism.

If you don’t believe me, here’s what Google’s AI told my about “why fascists hate the Declaration of Independence: “The Declaration of Independence champions individual rights, equality, and a government accountable to its citizens. Fascism, in stark contrast, promotes a powerful state [via ultranationalist ideology that dehumanizes certain people/groups] … leading to the suppression of rights and democratic processes.”

Here’s Google AI’s full response to “why fascists hate the Declaration of Independence”:

Fascist ideologies inherently oppose the foundational principles of the Declaration of Independence due to their differing views on the state, individual rights, and collective identity. 

1. Primacy of the state vs. individual rights

• Fascism: Places paramount importance on the state, subordinating individual interests to the perceived needs of the nation or race. Individuals are viewed as cogs in a larger national machine, with their purpose defined by their contribution to the collective.
• Declaration of Independence: Emphasizes individual rights as fundamental and inalienable, including “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Governments are instituted to secure these rights, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. 

2. Collectivism and nationalism vs. universal human rights

• Fascism: Promotes an ultranationalist ideology and a strong sense of community based on shared ethnicity or culture. This can lead to the dehumanization and exclusion of those deemed outside the group, often through violence and persecution.
• Declaration of Independence: Asserts the equality of all men, emphasizing that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. It speaks to a brotherhood of mankind, where all individuals share a spark of humanity that must be cherished. 

3. Authoritarianism vs. democratic governance

• Fascism: Is characterized by dictatorial leadership, centralized autocracy, militarism, and the forcible suppression of opposition. It rejects democratic principles like free elections, separation of powers, and protections for human rights, replacing them with a single strong leader outside of the law.
• Declaration of Independence: Supports a government based on the consent of the governed, where the people have the right to alter or abolish a destructive government and institute a new one. It emphasizes accountability of the rulers to the people. 

In summary, the Declaration of Independence champions individual rights, equality, and a government accountable to its citizens. Fascism, in stark contrast, promotes a powerful state that prioritizes the collective over the individual, often leading to the suppression of rights and democratic processes.

Read more:

New York Times: The Document That Has Uncomfortable Lessons for Trump

The Atlantic: The End of the Rule of Law in America. J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, writes that Trump has forever destroyed America’s status as a steadfast beacon of freedom to the world. American democracy is now in the hands of a man who not only thinks his is above the law, but believes he IS the law — in short, the precise notion our founders fought against nearly 250 years ago so American could become an independent nation based on the rule of law, rather than the whims of a tyrant. Luttig notes, “As Trump turns the federal government of the United States against Americans and America itself, the bill of particulars against him is already longer than the Declaration of Independence’s bill of particulars against King George III and the British empire.”

Here’s the full TEXT of the Declaration of Independence that MAGA Republicans don’t want you to read: