Who is David Barton?

Mike Johnson says Barton has had a profound influence on everything he does. What does Barton believe?

(Note: Article updated 4/29/2025)

Since Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has become Speaker of the House, his relationship with Christian nationalist activist David Barton has been creating a stir. Barton and his right-hand man Rick Green are understandably happy with the development. Barton has had access to power before; former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was rumored to like Barton’s work. Nonetheless, this is probably the pinnacle for him.

As soon as Johnson was elected, I cited Johnson’s words of praise for Barton to a meeting hosted by Barton’s organization, Wallbuilders in 2021. These words have been amplified widely since then.

I [Johnson] just want to say at the outset I’m grateful to WallBuilders and David and Rick and everybody involved. And I was introduced to David and his ministry a quarter century ago, and it has had such a profound influence on me and my work and my life and everything I do. So I’m just so grateful you guys continue to sow into this work and help equip the soldiers on the frontlines. And so thanks to all of you for being willing to serve in this critical time for the country.

It really is an uncanny development for Barton, who had his book, The Jefferson Lies, pulled from publication in 2012 by his Christian publisher. What a difference a decade makes. It is quite a commentary on the state of the Republican party that they are advised by a fellow who is shunned by academic historians, had a book pulled from publication due to documented historical errors, said he had an earned doctorate when he doesn’t have one, and has said more bizarre, false, and half-true things than I can count. It is not just that they give the guy another chance. Barton now has cell phone access to the Speaker of the House.

For your edification and information, I thought I would go back through my archives and provide links to some of the more interesting, bizarre, and maddening claims and stories regarding Barton I have covered. I have many relating to Thomas Jefferson but those are all in the Getting Jefferson Right book which is available now. What is below relates to other current or historical events. Some relate to claims he made about himself.

In the past, Barton claimed that:

• he had an earned doctorate until I pointed out it came from an unaccredited school where he attended no classes. https://wthrockmorton.com/2016/09/07/is-life-christian-university-the-source-of-david-bartons-phd/

• he played Division one basketball at his college Oral Roberts University; he was never on the team. https://wthrockmorton.com/2021/08/27/david-barton-in-the-news-remember-his-earned-doctorate-and-his-division-one-basketball-stardom/ (scroll down for this one)

• he translated for the Russian National Gymnastics Team. This is very unlikely.  https://wthrockmorton.com/2015/04/10/experts-dispute-david-bartons-claims-about-translating-for-the-russian-national-gymnastics-team/

• Native Americans had to be destroyed by the “white guys” to get the native people to sign a treaty. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-barton-justifies-destruction-of-indian-tribes_b_2949050

• legal abortion has triggered climate change and all sorts of other weather problems. Oddly enough (sarcasm alert), there doesn’t appear to be an association between abortion and weather catastrophes. https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/11/05/abortion-and-david-bartons-theometeorology/

• a vaccine won’t be discovered for HIV because the Bible teaches HIV is the penalty for being gay. Surprise! He then distorted the facts concerning advances in HIV vaccines. https://wthrockmorton.com/2015/04/13/david-barton-again-says-bible-teaches-hiv-vaccine-wont-be-discovered-distorts-vaccine-research/

• Virginia enslavers (e.g., Thomas Jefferson) weren’t allowed by Virginia law to free their slaves after 1782. In fact, the Virginia legislature passed a law titled the Virginia law on manumission in 1782 which allowed enslavers to free slaves under certain conditions. https://wthrockmorton.com/2015/03/16/dear-david-barton-virginia-law-allowed-manumission-of-slaves-after-1782/

• Robert E. Lee wasn’t racist at all. https://wthrockmorton.com/2017/08/21/david-barton-likens-statues-stalin-confederate/

• adolescence is unbiblical. https://wthrockmorton.com/2016/04/20/david-barton-says-adolescence-is-unbiblical-like/

• violent crime was down in Las Vegas in 2017 due to biblical principles in use there. It wasn’t. https://wthrockmorton.com/2016/03/17/las-vegas-police-department-contradicts-david-bartons-claims-about-decline-in-violent-crime/

• PTSD can be cured with Bible verses and rebuking Satan. That didn’t go well. https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/11/13/david-barton-and-kenneth-copeland-ptsd-can-be-cured-by-bible-verses-and-rebuking-satan/

• violent crime in the U.S. has gone up 694% since the Supreme Court ruled on prayer and Bible reading in public schools. In fact, crime went up from the 1960s until the mid-1990s and then declined steadily until recently. https://wthrockmorton.com/2015/02/20/david-barton-again-misleads-a-church-about-violent-crime/

• God’s laws are higher than man’s (the U.S.) laws. What about that Supremacy Clause? https://wthrockmorton.com/2015/09/04/david-barton-explains-why-kim-davis-shouldnt-be-in-jail/

• The Bible is quoted verbatim throughout the Constitution. Not so much. https://wthrockmorton.com/2017/05/17/does-the-constitution-come-from-deuteronomy/ https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/07/01/david-barton-and-the-biblical-constitution/ and https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/07/01/david-barton-and-the-biblical-constitution/

• William Penn founded the Quakers. Nope. wthrockmorton.com/2011/09/16/william-penn-founded-the-quakers-and-other-tall-tales-from-david-barton/

• Unitarians once were evangelical. Again Nope. wthrockmorton.com/2011/09/16/william-penn-founded-the-quakers-and-other-tall-tales-from-david-barton/

• He loves to use fake quotes. Here is one he attributed to Abe Lincoln: https://wthrockmorton.com/2018/07/15/david-barton-again-uses-fake-abe-lincoln-quote-on-education-to-criticize-education/

• Here’s another one he attributed to Jefferson. https://wthrockmorton.com/2016/03/01/david-barton-praises-the-use-of-primary-sources-then-cites-a-third-hand-jefferson-quote/

We are living in strange times when the Speaker of the House and many in the Republican conference think all of this is okay. It is discouraging, but I shouldn’t be surprised, right?

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore photo from Flickr