Sen. Tim Kaine compares founding document language to Iran beliefs
A Democratic Senator Compares American Rights to Iranian Government’s Beliefs
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During a Senate hearing considering President Donald Trump’s nominees, Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, made a controversial comparison between American rights and those of the Iranian government.
Kaine’s comments came during a Senate Foreign Relations hearing where Riley Barnes, nominated by Trump as the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, was giving his opening statement.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building July 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Barnes, in his opening remarks, quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing that American rights come from God and not from laws or governments. Kaine, a Catholic, found this sentiment troubling and drew parallels to the beliefs of the Iranian government.
“The notion that rights don’t come from laws, and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator, that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine said. “It’s a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Shia law and targets religious minorities.”
Kaine’s remarks sparked a debate on the origins of natural rights and the role of government in protecting them.
One of only 25 known surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence, which was printed July 4, 1776, sits on display at Sotheby’s June 22, 2000, in New York City. (Chris Hondros/Newsmakers via Getty Images)
The Declaration of Independence, a foundational document of American democracy, asserts that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
While Kaine and others may have differing views on the source of natural rights, the debate underscores the importance of understanding the principles on which the nation was founded.
