A former U.S. official said the current administration has moved away from the founding fathers' ideals, raising concerns about the erosion of equality and democratic values at the heart of America's 250‑year legacy.
Speaking in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Thomas Fingar, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research and a researcher at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, offered a stark assessment as Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
He stressed that the founding document's renowned assertion that "all men are created equal" is no longer upheld by incumbent leaders, underscoring his concern that core democratic principles are being eroded.
"My interpretation of the liberal, democratic character, religious freedom, that 'all people are created equal,' I think that aspect of it, this administration has moved away, and the Supreme Court has moved away from that. So, I think that set of the founding fathers that believed that would be distressed. Those that wanted to preserve slavery, wanted to keep women from participating in politics, they might be happier," Fingar said.
Regarding political polarization in the U.S., the former official noted that as the economy and livelihoods are no longer going as well as before, Americans are suddenly paying attention to politics again, hoping to see the country move back toward a more moderate and pragmatic political center.
"Most Americans became quite complacent about politics, because things were going pretty well. We were more prosperous, the world was basically peaceful, particularly East Asia after the normalization of U.S.-China relations -- unprecedented political and economic growth in the region, from which we benefited enormously. So [Americans] stayed out of politics. Now stuff isn't going so well. And Americans are paying attention again," Fingar said.
"And as always happens, it starts on the fringe -- fringe left, fringe right. The crazies first show up. Most Americans are still in the middle of the bell curve, and what we want most is compromise and decisions, not paralysis. And that's [why] the election results are moving in that direction, and how far they move in November we'll see. I would hope they'd move pretty far back towards moderate," he added.
Trump administration drifting from founding fathers' vision: former official
