Actions by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first six months in office, including executive overreach and reductions in foreign aid, have impeded international efforts to promote democracy and emboldened populist leaders worldwide, according to a prominent intergovernmental watchdog.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) reported issuing 20 alerts from January to April 2025—double the number recorded in either of the prior two full years. These alerts highlighted instances where the U.S. government undermined democratic rules, institutions, and norms.
Specific concerns included attempts to curtail academic freedom, criminalize protests, challenge the validity of certified elections, selectively limit media access to the executive branch, and bypass standard due process.
“In less than six months, U.S. domestic political institutions have also lost much of their symbolic luster, increasingly serving as a model for executive overreach and providing greater inspiration to populist strongmen than to advocates of democracy,” IDEA stated in its annual Global State of Democracy report.
Since assuming office, the Trump administration has frozen and subsequently slashed billions of dollars in foreign aid, emphasizing that U.S. taxpayer funds should support only initiatives aligned with its “America First” agenda.
These reductions have virtually paralyzed the U.S. Agency for International Development, a development that could lead to over 14 million additional deaths by 2030, based on findings from research published in The Lancet medical journal.
IDEA’s report further revealed that its global democracy index declined for the ninth straight year in 2024. Approximately 54% of countries regressed in at least one of IDEA’s core indicators—spanning credible elections to freedom of expression—compared to five years prior.
The 2024 electoral “super-cycle,” which saw about 1.6 billion people vote globally, marked the lowest score for credible elections in three decades, with deteriorations in one-fifth of the 173 countries assessed.
“To counter this trend, democracies must safeguard essential components such as elections and the rule of law, while also undertaking deep reforms to ensure governments deliver equity, inclusion, and shared prosperity,” IDEA advised.
