The erosion of democratic liberties in the United States could trigger a worldwide regression of freedom, a new report warned.
And part of the blame belongs to President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Freedom House, a primarily government-funded NGO dedicated to advocating for democracy, released its annual study assessing global freedoms. For the 13th year in a row, the group found such freedoms were on the decline.
The organization’s president, Michael Abramowitz, wrote that while the issue preceded Trump’s presidency, “there remains little question that [he] exerts an influence on American politics that is straining our core values and testing the stability of our constitutional system.”
“No president in living memory has shown less respect for its tenets, norms and principles,” Abramowitz added. “Trump has assailed essential institutions and traditions, including the separation of powers, a free press, an independent judiciary, the impartial delivery of justice, safeguards against corruption and most disturbingly, the legitimacy of elections.”
Abramowitz also accused Congress of failing to check Trump’s power and resist his threats to democracy.
For 2019, the U.S. received a score of 86 out of 100 on the organization’s freedom scale, with 0 being the least free and 100 being the most. But that’s untraditionally low.
“The current overall U.S. score puts American democracy closer to struggling counterparts like Croatia than to traditional peers such as Germany or the United Kingdom,” Abramowitz said.
While America remains solidly in the “free” category, Abramowitz cautioned that there was no guarantee things would stay that way.
“Irresponsible rhetoric can be a first step toward real restrictions on freedom,” he said, pointing to oppressive regimes in Venezuela, Turkey and Hungary as examples.
Syria, Eritrea and North Korea ranked as the report’s least free countries. Saudi Arabia, which ranked 4th worst, has been linked to the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in one of its embassies. Despite CIA intel verifying this connection, Trump called Saudi Arabia a “great ally” and doubted its role in the murder.
Click here to read the full report (PDF).
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.