Appearing by video at the National First Amendment Summit on Wednesday, Rushdie attributed the rise of Donald Trump and Brexit to a "golden age myth".
Rushdie, who was attacked in New York a little over a year ago, spoke as book bans continue to proliferate through the US. Interviewed by Suzanne Nossel, the CEO of the freedom of expression organisation PEN America, Rushdie was asked what the greatest threat to free speech was today.
"If you asked me 10 or 20 years ago, I would probably have said that the main problems facing freedom of expression emanate from religious extremism," Rushdie said.
"I think now we're facing another old enemy, which is authoritarianism. I think there's a real rise in authoritarian movements around the world, populist authoritarian demagoguery.
"Coupled with that, [there is]a willingness amongst at least some part of the population to cease to value the democratic values enshrined in the first amendment. So I think the problem is, I would now say, political more than primarily religious."
The summit, hosted by the National Constitution Center and intended to address threats to the first amendment - the US constitutional right to freedom of speech - came a day after the US Senate held a hearing on book bans and censorship.
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