Amnesty Warns of rising US authoritarianism and human rights violations as Trump Tightens “freedoms” in the Land of the Free Range Prison

Amnesty International published a report on Tuesday, warning about rising authoritarian practices in the US and detailing numerous ways how the rule of law and human rights are being threatened.

The report, entitled Ringing the Alarm Bells: Rising Authoritarian Practices and Erosion of Human Rights in the United States, identifies twelve areas where Amnesty International claims the US is losing human rights protection and showing growing signs of authoritarianism. Tying these issues largely to the policies of President Donald Trump, they range from freedom of speech and protest to the erosion of anti-discrimination protections. The report highlights especially that one of the key tests of democratic resilience will be the federal midterm elections of November 2026, with many early signals pointing to mounting threats to the right to vote.

Press freedom is another of the report’s points of focus. Amnesty International details instances when the Trump administration limited the access of journalists to administration events or targeted reporters in deportation proceedings. Such limitations include the removal of the Associated Press’ credentials for White House events, after it refused to call the body of water south of the US the “Gulf of America,” as well as the removal of press passes for Department of Defense (DOD) reporters who refused to comply with policies mandating the publishing of only approved materials. The courts have now restored the Associated Press’ credentials, but DOD reports have since turned in their press passes and not returned. [MORE]