President Donald Trump has attacked key pillars of his country’s democracy, Human Rights Watch warned on Wednesday in its annual report.
According to Reuters, the organization cited 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 United States were all less free than 20 years ago, and 72% 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,” 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.
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 criticized 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 Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Human Rights Watch also cited strikes on suspected drug boats and criticized Trump for turning Venezuela over to President Nicolas Maduro’s deputy after his capture, which Bolopion told reporters in a news conference was “risking a new human rights disaster.”
Human Rights Watch said Trump 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.
