U.S. President Donald Trump has demonstrated little interest in promoting human rights abroad. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reinforced that message by skipping the release of Foggy Bottom's annual human rights report.
Ultimately a foreign policy is sustainable only if it advances the interests of the people expected to pay and die for it. Protecting America — its population, territory, economic prosperity, and constitutional liberties — is the U.S. government's first priority. Nevertheless, that doesn't bar Washington from attempting to advance human liberty along the way.
Moreover, ignoring human rights often creates long-term trouble. For instance, Washington's support for brutal, dictatorial regimes undermines American security policy in the Mideast. Among those nations playing important roles in U.S. regional strategy today are Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. All have human rights issues which undermine their effectiveness as U.S. partners.