While Donald Trump was elected by a voting public and will take office in a country where democratic institutions have proven resilient, there are real concerns that his promised policies look more
President-elect Donald Trump made policy promises on the campaign trail that I have heard many times before from authoritarian leaders around the world. My organization, Human Rights Watch, has been documenting their playbook for decades from the dismantling of the rule of law to retribution against critics.
Trump seems intent on following that playbook. But that doesn’t mean he will be successful. There is a rich history of activism and a vibrant civil society in the United States ready to defend human rights and democratic institutions. And they have allies around the world who have been down this road before.
My family has lived through prejudice and discrimination across generations. My grandfather left India for Pakistan during the Partition. By the time I entered the world, my family was in Singapore. We soon wound up in Australia after my father’s academic work ran afoul of the then-government, which did not tolerate criticism. My family’s experiences led me to the human rights movement and to join with the millions of advocates all over the world fighting for freedoms.
While Trump was elected by a voting public and will take office in a country where democratic institutions have proven resilient, there are real concerns that his promised policies look more authoritarian than democratic. Here are four things I urge Americans to look out for as Donald Trump takes office.
