House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) warned Friday that the United States is engaged in a “battle” against Marxism, speaking to Christian leaders at the Alliance Defending Freedom Summit in San Diego.
Johnson framed the nation’s 250th anniversary as a pivotal opportunity to push back against what he described as growing socialist influence across American institutions and politics.
“We are in a confrontation, in a battle against a very dark philosophy — Marxism, and its deviations, communism and socialism,” Johnson told the audience gathered at the annual conference.
The ADF Summit brings together leaders across law, government, business, media, education, and the Christian community to address religious freedom, free speech, and broader public policy matters.
Johnson argued that America’s founding principles are inseparable from belief in God, contending that removing the Creator from the nation’s identity opens the door to authoritarianism and concentrated government power.
“The people that amass the power will control and direct the herd, you lose your freedom,” Johnson said, adding that such a path represents “a road to tyranny.”
His remarks came as Democratic socialist-backed candidates continued to notch primary victories, fueling a widening debate over the ideological direction of the Democratic Party.
In New York City alone, three far-left congressional candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Democratic primaries this cycle, including two who defeated sitting incumbent members of Congress.
Johnson argued those political gains reflect a broader ideological shift that originates in classrooms, warning that younger generations have been shaped by institutions hostile to America’s founding story.
“Let’s be honest, they’ve been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions,” Johnson said. “They see America through the wrong lenses.”
The speaker repeatedly linked America’s constitutional framework to religious faith, arguing that the founders deliberately grounded individual rights in God rather than in government authority or royal decree.
“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 cited polling he said shows declining national pride among Americans, arguing the trend reflects a growing generational disconnect from the country’s founding history and values.
“If we want the next generation to love America, they first have to know America,” he said, framing the current political moment as a teachable opportunity for conservative leaders.
The speaker closed by reflecting on the challenge of leading the House Republican conference with one of the narrowest majorities in modern history, crediting his Christian faith for keeping him composed through ongoing legislative and political battles.
Johnson said he has adopted a quote from former President John Quincy Adams as a personal guiding principle amid the pressures of his role.
“‘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.”
Also attending the ADF Summit were West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey, and Admiral Brian Christine, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
