A top official at Freedom House, an organization heavily funded by the U.S. government, likened President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused him of promoting a “dangerous” ideology that he claims encourages violence. The remarks were made during a Georgetown University panel held shortly before the 2024 presidential election.
Adrian Shahbaz, vice president of research at Freedom House, participated in the panel titled “Is Democracy a Democratic Form of Government?” The discussion centered on the rise of populist leaders worldwide, including Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shahbaz argued that these leaders employ a shared narrative used to “connect with right-wing audiences around the world,” one that allegedly targets immigrants, international bodies, and minority communities.
Freedom House received $80 million in U.S. taxpayer funding in 2024 alone, primarily through the State Department. Though it faced operational cuts in 2025 due to a funding freeze by the Trump administration, the organization was actively engaged in global political advocacy during the 2024 election season.
Shahbaz went on to label Trump’s platform as inherently violent. “It assumes a level of violence against the other. It assumes a level of violence against institutions,” he said, citing January 6 and so-called “election denialism” as examples. He also claimed the United States is undergoing “democratic backsliding,” a term Freedom House has previously applied to nations like Hungary and Brazil.
Other panelists offered no pushback and instead echoed calls for more government control over political speech online. University of Alabama law professor Ronald Krotoszynski criticized Big Tech’s role in political discourse, asking, “I don’t know why Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg is to be preferred to Joe Biden or Merrick Garland.”
The panel discussion, unearthed by the Foundation for Freedom Online, raises concerns about government-funded institutions taking overtly partisan stances during election cycles. The fact that Freedom House receives tens of millions in taxpayer dollars annually while making such comparisons between Trump and autocratic leaders like Putin will likely fuel further scrutiny over the group’s political neutrality.
