Trump has attacked pillars of democracy, Human Rights Watch says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The US has seen "a very rapid decline" in the quality of its democracy, under US President Donald Trump.
PHOTO: AFP
- Human Rights Watch says Trump has attacked US democracy via immigration policies and threats to voting rights, contributing to a global decline in freedom.
- HRW criticised Trump's "racist tropes" and treatment of immigrants, citing deportations to harsh prisons and heavy-handed enforcement, despite security justifications.
- Trump's foreign policy, including actions in Venezuela and stances on Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza, raise human rights concerns, undermining his Nobel Peace Prize claim.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has attacked key pillars of his country’s democracy, Human Rights Watch warned on Feb 4 in its annual report, citing the Republican president’s immigration crackdown, threats to voting rights and other policies.
Human Rights Watch executive director Philippe Bolopion said global democracy was now back at 1985 levels, according to some metrics.
He said Russia, China and the US were all less free than 20 years ago, and 72 per cent of the world’s population was now living under autocracy.
“It’s actually incredible to see how the Trump administration has really undermined all the pillars of US democracy, all the checks and balances on power,” Mr Bolopion told reporters.
“We see a sort of very hostile environment in the US and a very rapid decline of... the quality of democracy in this country.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr Bolopion also said in the report that the Trump administration had leaned on racist tropes and “embraced policies and rhetoric that align with white nationalist ideology”.
He criticised what he said was degrading treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers, the killing of two people in Minneapolis, and the deportation of hundreds of migrants to a mega-prison in El Salvador known for its harsh conditions, among other elements of Mr Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Masked immigration officers, often in tactical military-style gear, have become a common sight across the US and protests have erupted in several cities.
Mr Trump’s hardline immigration agenda was a potent campaign issue that helped him win a return to the White House in 2024. Mr Trump wanted Americans to feel safe in their communities and had pledged to remove “dangerous criminal aliens” from the US, a spokesperson said in defence of his immigration policy last week.
Human Rights Watch also cited strikes on suspected drug boats and criticised Mr Trump for turning Venezuela over to President Nicolas Maduro’s deputy after his capture, which Mr Bolopion told reporters in a news conference was “risking a new human rights disaster.”
Mr Trump has said he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to broker peace in a number of global conflicts. Human Rights Watch was sceptical, saying he had downplayed serious human rights violations by Russia in Ukraine, done nothing to stop atrocities in Sudan, and failed to pressure the Israeli government to stop crimes in Gaza, where Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing genocide and extermination. Israel has repeatedly rejected any accusation of genocide.
Elsewhere, the report said Chinese authorities systematically denied freedom of expression, freedom of religion and other rights, while Russia had further intensified a crackdown on dissent and civil society.
But in 2026 “the fight for the future of human rights will play out most sharply in the US, with consequences for the rest of the world,” Mr Bolopion said.
“Many Western allies have chosen to stay silent on US actions because they fear increasing tariffs and weakening alliances. What we urgently need now is a strong global alliance of countries promoting human rights and the rules-based world order.” REUTERS
