John Washington III Asks Who Gave Government the Right to Speak for Him and His Family Without Their Consent

John Washington III is asking a foundational question out loud. In a public statement, the 2028 presidential candidate asked, as he wrote, "WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR ME AND MY FAMILY WITHOUT MY CONSENT?" John Washington III said he has serious questions for the United States Government and every state government in America.

His argument starts with the Declaration of Independence. John Washington III noted that the Declaration says governments get their just powers from the consent of the governed, and then asked when he gave his consent and when his family gave theirs. He asked who gave a small group of people the authority to speak for every American, and argued that when a group makes rules for themselves, that agreement speaks for that group, not for everyone else. Being born under a government, he wrote, does not mean he personally agreed to every decision it makes.

John Washington III tied the question to his own household. "My children and I have constitutional rights," he wrote, adding, in his words, "GOVERNMENT MUST NOT CONFUSE LEGAL AUTHORITY WITH UNLIMITED CONTROL!" He closed with a demand and a declaration: if officials claim to speak for him, he wrote, they should show where he agreed, show how they are representing his family, and answer to the people whose lives they affect. "THAT'S THE GROUND I'M STANDING ON!" he wrote.