CNN host Fareed Zakaria has raised urgent concerns about democratic backsliding in the United States, describing what he calls a 'civilizational erasure' driven by the Trump administration's approach to governance. In recent analysis, Zakaria accused officials of weaponizing state power against civil society, bypassing judicial oversight, and enabling authoritarian policing practices.
The commentator pointed to the 2026 Minnesota police shootings as evidence of systemic risks when legal restraints on authority weaken. 'If power operates beyond the rule of law,' Zakaria warned, 'we risk reviving humanity's oldest tragedy: might over right.'
His critique highlights three key pressures on US institutions:
While focused on American politics, Zakaria's warnings resonate with Asian policymakers monitoring global democratic trends. Business analysts suggest prolonged US institutional instability could impact investor confidence in trans-Pacific partnerships. Academics note parallels with historical patterns of democratic erosion observed in 20th-century Asian states.
