The new DW documentary "Democracy Under Attack: Can Dündar and Trump's America" premiered at the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin, offering a critical analysis of the state of free speech and democratic institutions in the United States under the second Trump administration. Turkish journalist Can Dündar, a press freedom icon living in exile, draws stark parallels between the democratic backsliding he witnessed in Turkey and the current challenges facing the US, framing the film as a cautionary tale.
The documentary zeroes in on the targeting of academics as a microcosm of broader attacks on democracy. A central case is that of Mark Bray, a Rutgers University history professor and author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook." Bray was placed on the "Professor Watchlist" by the far-right organization Turning Point USA. Following the assassination of the group's founder Charlie Kirk in September 2025 and the subsequent executive order by Trump designating antifa as a "domestic terrorist organization," Bray faced intensified death threats, ultimately forcing him to relocate his family to Spain for safety.
Filmmaker Demid Sheronkin captured unsettling footage at AmericaFest 2025, Turning Point USA's first convention after Kirk's death, attended by 30,000 people who memorialized him as a martyr. Sheronkin described the event's atmosphere as a "blend of political rally and Christian service." Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon reportedly stirred the crowd by declaring, "We are at war," highlighting the deep ideological divisions. The film also features Ava Kwan, a Rutgers student who petitioned for Bray's removal, claiming her actions were for student safety while distancing herself from the threats against him.
The documentary further explores the presence of far-right ideology within academia itself, profiling Amy Wax, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School who promotes white supremacist views. Wax was suspended at half pay and removed from teaching for the 2025-26 academic year due to controversial statements but retained her tenure, illustrating the complexities of academic freedom and institutional response.
Dündar, who avoided traveling to the US on legal advice to not become "a good gift of Trump to Erdogan," shares his firsthand experiences of oppression in Turkey, including imprisonment and an assassination attempt. He warns that the authoritarian tactics tested in Turkey are now spreading globally, citing the erosion of rule of law and attacks on media freedom as early indicators. In an interview, Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, pessimistically concluded, "The US is not in a temporary crisis. The US is over as a project." Dündar urged Europeans to remain vigilant, stressing that democracy should not be taken for granted.
Source: www.dw.com