Jason Carter: ‘America First’ Doesn’t Mean Ignoring Democracy Abroad

Democracies are backsliding and freedom is increasingly under threat across the globe. And the U.S. government has directed its embassies to watch in silence. That silence is not neutral—it is a green light to authoritarian regimes and it undermines our nation’s values and our global standing. By abdicating our role as a global champion of democracy, we are abandoning our allies in the global fight for freedom.

For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have understood that advancing democracy abroad creates allies and contributes to a more stable and economically successful world. But recent U.S. policy reflects a deliberate and alarming turn away from this tradition. …