Firstpost

Is Trump’s America becoming more racist and less democratic? Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, has triggered a furious backlash after posting a photo of University of Texas students celebrating a football victory and calling the scene a “problem.” He said that Americans have been "displaced by foreigners." His remarks have sparked condemnation from Republicans, with veteran GOP strategist Karl Rove breaking a decades-long voting streak to back a Democrat against French. Donald Trump has now attacked Rove, turning the controversy into a wider Republican civil war. But the story goes beyond one candidate. As anti-Indian and anti-immigrant rhetoric intensifies, a new International IDEA report says several key U.S. democracy indicators, including freedom of expression, press freedom and judicial independence, have fallen to their lowest levels in 50 years. So, is America’s politics of hate not just dividing the country but damaging its democracy? --- Bo F