Once a human rights leader, the U.S. under Trump has now been added to the Global Human Rights Watchlist.

Question

Once the leader of human rights, now, the United States of America, under donald trump, has been added to the Global Human Rights Watchlist.

Answer 1

The claim that the United States has been added to the Human Rights Watchlist is true. At first, I was skeptical because the account that posted it seemed heavily biased against Donald Trump. Many of their other posts appeared exaggerated or even false. However, after a quick Google search, I confirmed that the U.S. has, in fact, been added to the Human Rights Watchlist. This list is published by the CIVICUS Monitor, a research platform that tracks global threats to civic freedoms. On March 10, 2025, CIVICUS added the United States, along with Italy, Serbia, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the organization, “The Watchlist draws attention to countries where there is a serious decline in respect for civic space, based on an assessment by CIVICUS Monitor research findings, our research partners, and consultations with activists on the ground.”

I found the section that outlines why the U.S. was added. The United States was included due to actions by the Trump administration that have undermined civil liberties, free speech, and international cooperation. These include dismantling diversity and inclusion initiatives, targeting migrants and LGBTQ+ communities, defunding human rights organizations, and restricting protest rights. The administration also withdrew from major international agreements, cracked down on press freedom, and increased its authority to penalize nonprofits without due process. Taken together, these actions reflect a serious erosion of democratic norms and human rights protections.

Several major outlets, including Time Magazine, reported on the U.S. being added to the watchlist. Time pointed out that the U.S. has been classified as “narrowed,” meaning that while most people can still exercise free speech, expression, and assembly, there are government efforts to restrict these rights. Overall, the claim is true, and hopefully, this designation puts pressure on the government to take meaningful steps toward protecting civic freedoms.

Sources:

who determines the human rights wathclist

https://monitor.civicus.org/watchlist-march-2025/

​​https://time.com/7266334/us-human-rights-watchlist-civil-liberties/ 

Comments

t's good that you approached the initial claim with skepticism and took the initiative to verify it through your own research! You've done a solid job of tracking down the source and understanding the reasoning behind the United States' inclusion on the watchlist.

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You did a good job fact-checking this claim. I really like how you started off skeptical because of the bias in the original post—that shows good critical thinking. Instead of just accepting or rejecting it, you took the time to look it up and found credible sources like Time Magazine and the CIVICUS Monitor itself. That’s solid research. You also explained what the Watchlist actually is and why the U.S. was added, which helps make the story more understandable. The way you listed specific actions taken by the Trump administration made it clear why this designation matters without being overly dramatic. And I liked how you ended on a hopeful note about how this could lead to positive change. Overall, it’s a well-rounded and thoughtful breakdown.

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This is a very strong statement,  I appreciate how you were vocal about your skepticism but took the time to verify the claim through additional research. You cite reliable sources like CIVICUS Monitor and Time Magazine, which acts as solid evidence to back up your argument. The way you broke down the reasons the U.S. was added to the watchlist gives clear context and makes the situation easier to understand. Overall, this is an effective and strong fact check with reliable evidence.

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I like how you immediately were skeptical of the source of the claim and approached the topic with an open mind. When you found out the claims were true, not only did you use reputable sources to confirm that but you went as far as to research the violations they were committing yourself and outline them as well for us to understand better. Great job throughout.

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The addition of the U.S. to the CIVICUS Human Rights Watchlist is a sobering reminder that democratic backsliding isn't something that occurs "over there." It's particularly noteworthy that the issues include the abandonment of diversity programs, harassment of vulnerable communities, and restriction of right of protest. Thanks for laying it all out so clearly.

Answer 2

This claim is true. According to the Human Rights Watch World Report, due to  multitude of reasons, from racial injustice, to our legal system, the US has been added to the watchlist. I did some additional research to determine whether or not this organization was biased, as their reports seem pretty one-sided. According to AllSides, they are in the center, meaning they report news with no bias towards any political party.

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/united-states

https://www.allsides.com/news-source/human-rights-watch-media-bias

Comments

Your answer, while rather succinct, does a good job simply verifying that the claim is in fact, true. While it may lack some context and elaboration, it does the job. I would add that since you investigated the HRW via allsides, it would be fitting to further elaborate on allsides as a source and explain its credibility since it in itself is being used to verify credibility.

Answer 3

The statement that the U.S. was added to the Global Human Rights list under Trump is completely true. This happened due to a recent clear decline in civic freedoms. Civicus outlines this very clearly and includes executive orders, cuts to organizations that support vulnerable populations, and the dismantling of USAID. Although Civicus is separate from the Human Rights Watch. The Human Rights Watch has criticized trumps choices for example, the ones affecting migrants, reproductive rights, and voting rights
USA Watchlist 2025 - Civicus Monitor
U.S. Added to a Global Human Rights Watchlist | TIME

Comments

I like how you kept this answer short and simple, but also included all the reasons as to why we’re now on a human rights watchlist. I checked your source and everything checks out. I find it interesting yet disappointing that we seem to be moving backward in terms of human rights especially in this point of our modern society.

Answer 4

This claim was made by Valorie Bridges Fant, a children's author who uses her social media platforms for political commentary and opinion. Several of her posts use exaggerated language or AI-generated images, and she often makes significant claims with no evidence or sourcing, meaning her credibility and the legitimacy of her claims is highly questionable. However, after some research, this claim is in fact true.

On CIVICUS' website, the United States can be seen on the organization's list of countries with threatened human rights and is categorized as having "narrowed" rights. CIVICUS notes that this is "due to threats to civic freedoms under Trump administration" as "the new administration slashed federal funding for organisations supporting people most in need, dismantled USAID, and reversed progress on justice, inclusion, and diversity." 

Time Magazine published an article in March of this year on the topic as well, with more information about what the "narrowed" classification means. The article states that "[t]he “narrowed” label is CIVICUS’ assessment that while most people are able to exercise their rights of expression, free speech, and assembly, there are some attempts to violate these rights by the government." 

With this information, it can be inferred that the claim is true.

Answer 5

The claim that the United States has been added to the global human rights watchlist, under current President Donald Trump, is true. The international civil society alliance (CIVICUS) placed the U.S. under the monitor watchlist in March of 2025. They have cited the cause due to a significant decline in civic freedoms during Trump's second term. The series of executive orders raised concerns due to mass firings of federal employees and loalist taking key positions. This administration also dismantled or cute federal funding to agencies, many which provide support to marginalized communities. The CIVICUS categorized the U.S. as having a narrowed civic space, meaning the civil society operates but faces significant restrictions. I have only outlined a few of the reasons for the actions taken by CIVICUS, you can check the links provided of the press release from the CIVICUS website for more information. https://dailyplanetdc.com/2025/03/10/u-s-added-to-global-human-rights-watchlist/ https://monitor.civicus.org/watchlist-march-2025/USA/

Answer 6

The claim that the United States, under Donald Trump has been added to a global human rights watchlist originates from a post by Valorie Bridges Fant on Bluesky. While Fant is a writer and commentator, the claim is supported by credible sources. The CIVICUS Monitor, an international alliance tracking civic freedoms, officially added the U.S. to its Watchlist in March 2025 due to concerns over declining civil liberties and civic space under Trump’s administration. https://time.com/7266334/us-human-rights-watchlist-civil-liberties/?utm_source=chatgpt.com