Johnson warns America is in 'battle' against Marxism, calls for renewed focus on nation's founding principles

FIRST ON FOX: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned Friday that the United States is engaged in a "battle" against Marxism, arguing the ideology is gaining traction as Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates notch a string of high-profile primary victories this midterm cycle.

Speaking at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Summit in San Diego, Johnson framed the nation's 250th anniversary as an opportunity to push back against what he described as growing socialist influence and renew appreciation for America's founding principles.

"We are in a confrontation, in a battle against a very dark philosophy — Marxism, and its deviations, communism and socialism," Johnson said. "You see, the problem that I tell university students is, this formula that Lincoln later articulated in the Gettysburg Address, we're dedicated to this proposition that we are one nation under God, and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

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The ADF Summit is an annual conference that brings together leaders in law, government, business, media, education and the Christian community to discuss religious freedom, free speech, and other public policy issues.

In addition to Johnson, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, who successfully argued and won a Supreme Court case, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey and Admiral Brian Christine, who serves as Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also attended.

Johnson went on to describe an illustration he says he often uses while speaking on college campuses, arguing that America's founders grounded individual rights in God rather than government.

He contended that abandoning that principle leads to socialism, communism and concentrated government power.

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"The people that amass the power will control and direct the herd, you lose your freedom. It's a road to tyranny," Johnson said.

His remarks come as Democratic socialist-backed candidates continue to make gains in primaries, fueling a broader debate over the party's ideological direction.

In New York City alone, three far-left congressional candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Democratic primaries this cycle, including two who defeated incumbent members of Congress.

Johnson suggested those political gains reflect a broader ideological shift that begins in the classroom.

"We have a teachable moment, and I think we've got to make this very simple to explain it to the people coming behind," Johnson said. "Because let's be honest, they've been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions. They see America through the wrong lenses."

Throughout the address, Johnson repeatedly tied America's constitutional system to religious faith, arguing the nation's freedoms are inseparable from the biblical principles embraced by the Founding Fathers.

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According to Johnson, the founders rejected the European concept of the divine right of kings by declaring that individual rights come from God rather than government.

"We acknowledge the self-evident truth that our rights do not come from the government," Johnson said. "They don't come from a king. They come from the King of Kings. They come from our Creator."

Johnson also pointed to polling that he said shows fewer Americans expressing pride in the U.S. than in previous decades, arguing the trend reflects a growing disconnect from the nation's history.

"If we want the next generation to love America, they first have to know America," Johnson said.

The speaker closed by reflecting on the pressures of leading the House Republican conference with one of the narrowest majorities in modern history, saying his Christian faith has helped keep him grounded through repeated legislative and political battles.

"People say you don't seem to get too riled up about all the chaos on Capitol Hill. You seem rather calm in the midst of the storm," Johnson said.

Johnson said he has adopted the words of former President John Quincy Adams as his mantra.

"'Duty is ours. Results are God's,'" Johnson said, quoting Adams. "I'm not the sovereign. All I'm supposed to do is be faithful every single day and leave it on the field."