Religious-right pseudo-historian David Barton spoke at Cornerstone Church in Texas Sunday night, where he claimed that government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to wholesale violations of the Bill of Rights, including the Third Amendment, which prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes.
Cornerstone Church, located in San Antonio, Texas, was founded by televangelist and Trump-loving right-wing pastor John Hagee, who was unable to participate in the “The Case for Liberty” event held at his church last night after having tested positive for COVID-19. The event was hosted by his son Matthew Hagee and featured Barton and former congressman and current Texas GOP chairman Allen West making the case to the congregation why they must vote to reelect President Donald Trump.
During the discussion, Barton railed against supposed government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that just about every right mentioned in the Bill of Rights has been violated in one way or another in the last few months.
The rights to freedom of religion, religious expression, assembly, and petition protected by the First Amendment have all be violated, Barton claimed, as have the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
“The Third Amendment [was] definitely violated,” Barton said. “Fourth through the Eighth Amendments, same thing.”
The Third Amendment states that “no soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”
We are not aware of any case in which soldiers have been quartered in private homes without the consent of the owner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
