Why the “Judeo-Christian Values” Framing Is Historically Misleading

 

**Fact Check: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Claims America Was Founded on "Judeo-Christian Values" — The Historical Record Says Otherwise**

On March 30, 2026, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during a briefing: “Our nation was founded, almost 250 years ago, on Judeo-Christian values.”

This claim has sparked significant debate, as it contradicts key primary documents and the explicit intentions of the Founding Fathers. Independent analyst Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) highlighted the discrepancy in a widely shared post on X, which includes video of the briefing. You can view the original post and video here: https://x.com/allenanalysis/status/2038688692525465645.

Here’s a clear-eyed look at the historical evidence.

### 1. The Treaty of Tripoli (1797): Explicit Rejection of a Christian Foundation

Just eight years after the Constitution’s ratification, the United States signed the Treaty of Tripoli with the Ottoman regency of Tripoli (modern-day Libya). It was negotiated under President George Washington, signed by President John Adams, and **unanimously ratified** by the U.S. Senate in 1797.

Article 11 of the treaty states plainly:

> “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Muslim] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

**Primary source**: Full text of the Treaty of Tripoli (Yale Law School’s Avalon Project): (https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bar1796t.asp).

This was not an obscure footnote. It was official U.S. policy, approved by the Senate with no recorded dissent. The treaty directly addressed fears that America might be seen as a “Christian nation” in foreign relations — and rejected that characterization outright.

### 2. Thomas Jefferson: Deist Who Edited Miracles Out of the Bible

Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, was a deist who rejected supernatural claims. He literally created his own version of the Bible — *The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth* (commonly called the Jefferson Bible) — by cutting out all references to miracles, the resurrection, and divinity, leaving only Jesus’s moral teachings.

Jefferson viewed Jesus as a great moral teacher but not divine. He wrote that he was “sifting” the teachings from what he saw as later corruptions by theologians.

**Sources**:

- Smithsonian Magazine: “How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible” (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-thomas-jefferson-created-his-own-bible-5659505/)

- Gilder Lehrman Institute: Thomas Jefferson and Deism (https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/thomas-jefferson-and-deism) 

### 3. James Madison: Father of the Constitution Warned Against Religious Persecution by the State

James Madison, the principal architect of the Constitution, fiercely opposed any government entanglement with religion. In his 1785 “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments,” he called state-supported religion a “diabolical hell conceived principle of persecution” that violates natural rights.

**Primary source**: James Madison’s Memorial and Remonstrance (Founders Online, National Archives): https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-08-02-0163.

Madison’s efforts helped ensure the First Amendment’s religion clauses became law.

### 4. The First Amendment: Deliberately Placed First for a Reason

The very first words of the Bill of Rights make the Founders’ priority crystal clear:

 “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”

**Official text**: U.S. Constitution, Amendment I (National Archives / Library of Congress): https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/.

This was not an afterthought. The Founders — many of whom had witnessed religious wars and state churches in Europe — intentionally created a secular government that protects religious freedom *by refusing to establish* any religion.

The phrase “Judeo-Christian” itself did not enter widespread American political usage until the mid-20th century. The Founders spoke of natural rights, Enlightenment principles, classical republicanism, and religious liberty — not a unified “Judeo-Christian” tradition as a basis for government. Many were deists, Unitarians, or liberal Protestants who explicitly rejected theocratic governance.

The United States was founded on the radical idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed — not from any religious doctrine. That secular foundation has allowed the world’s most religiously diverse nation to thrive.

For the full context of today’s briefing and the counter-evidence, read Brian Allen’s original analysis on X: https://x.com/allenanalysis/status/2038688692525465645.

History is not a political football. Primary sources matter. America’s strength has always come from its commitment to religious liberty *for all* — not the establishment of any faith.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

🚨 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt today:

“Our nation was founded, almost 250 years ago, on Judeo-Christian values.”

The Treaty of Tripoli. 1797. Signed by Founding Father John Adams. Ratified unanimously by the Senate:

“The Government of the United States of… pic.twitter.com/RFz0BcavEt

— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) March 30, 2026

Quote of the Day: Cheikh Anta Diop

Fact-Checking the "Quick Facts" on Muhammad

Yes, "Mohammad" and "Muhammad" refer to the same person. The difference is simply a matter of transliteration from the Arabic name مُحَمَّد‎.

Below is an evaluation of the claims and an exploration of the archaeological and historical record.

1. His real name is Qutham bin Abdullah

Verdict: Disputed/Likely False. While some obscure polemical traditions suggest "Qutham" was a childhood name, mainstream Islamic history and the Quran itself identify him as Muhammad. Abdullah was his father's name.

2. He never wrote the Quran and Hadith

Verdict: True. Traditional Islamic accounts state Muhammad was "Ummi" (unlettered/illiterate). The Quran was recited orally and recorded by scribes. The Hadith are reports of his words and actions recorded by followers.

3. Quran composed 20 years after he died

Verdict: Partially True. While verses were written down during his life, the standardized "Uthmanic Codex" (the version used today) was compiled around 650 CE, roughly 18 years after his death in 632 CE. Fragments like the Birmingham Quran Manuscript date to his lifetime or shortly after.

4. Hadith compiled 200 years after he died

Verdict: True (for major collections). While written notes existed earlier, the canonical "Sahih" collections (like Sahih Bukhari) were compiled in the mid-to-late 9th century, roughly 200 years after Muhammad’s death.

5. He had 15 wives and many sex slaves

Verdict: Nuanced. Historical sources generally list 11 to 13 wives. The term "concubines" (such as Maria al-Qibtiyya) is used in historical texts, though her status as a wife vs. a concubine is debated among scholars.

6. He married a 9-year-old girl, Aisha

Verdict: True (according to Hadith). Traditional Hadith sources (Sahih Bukhari 5134) state Aisha was six at the time of the marriage contract and nine when it was consummated. Some modern revisionist scholars dispute this age, but it remains the standard traditional account.

7. All his sons died young

Verdict: True. Historical records indicate his sons (Qasim, Abdullah, and Ibrahim) all died in infancy or early childhood.

8. He learned the Bible from the Nestorians / Waraqah

Verdict: Historically Plausible but Unverifiable. The Sira (biography) mentions Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a relative of Muhammad’s first wife, who was a Christian (often associated with Ebionite or Nestorian views). Skeptics argue this was a source of his knowledge; believers view the interaction as validation of his prophecy.

9. He was bewitched and possessed

Verdict: True (per Islamic Tradition). Sahih Bukhari (5765) records an incident where Muhammad believed he was under a magic spell (sihr) cast by a man named Lubaid ben al-Asem.

10. He died of poison

Verdict: True (per Islamic Tradition). Tradition states he was poisoned by a Jewish woman at Khaybar. While he survived the initial dose, he reportedly felt the effects of that poison during his final illness years later (Sahih Bukhari 4428).

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Verifiable Archaeology and Outside Documents

One of the biggest challenges in "Late Antiquity" studies is that much of the Islamic narrative was written down 100–200 years after the events occurred. However, there are non-Islamic verifications:

1. The "Doctrina Jacobi" (c. 634 CE)

This is one of the earliest non-Islamic references to a "prophet appearing among the Saracens." Written just two years after Muhammad's traditional death date, it confirms a prophetic movement was active in the region.

2. The Thomas the Presbyter Chronicle (c. 640 CE)

This Syriac source mentions a battle between the Romans and the "Tayyaye" (Arabs) of Muhammad ("mhmt") in 634 CE. This is considered the earliest mention of his name in a contemporary document.

3. Archaeology and Inscriptions

• The Inscription of Zuhayr (644 CE): An early Arabic inscription that mentions the death of Umar (the second Caliph), confirming the early political structure of the Caliphate.

• The Dome of the Rock (691 CE): While later, the inner inscriptions contain verses from the Quran, proving the text was established by the late 7th century.

4. The "Missing" Archaeology of Mecca

A point of contention among "Revisionist" historians (like Tom Holland or Patricia Crone) is the lack of archaeological evidence for a major trading center in Mecca during the early 7th century. Most contemporary maps and trade route records do not emphasize Mecca until later, leading some to suggest the movement may have originated further north (Petran theory), though this remains a minority view in academia.

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Conclusion

The image is a mix of orthodox Islamic tradition (which many modern critics use to point out moral difficulties) and polemical speculation. While the "biography" of Muhammad relies heavily on later Islamic texts, outside contemporary sources do confirm that a man named Muhammad led an Arab movement that conquered the Levant in the 630s.

Sources for further reading:

• The British Library: The Birmingham Quran Manuscript

• Encyclopedia Britannica: Muhammad

• Sahih Bukhari (English Translation)