Amanpour (CNN Podcasts) – "Trump Sinks to New Lows"
Date: April 28, 2025
Host: Bianna Golodryga (filling in for Christiane Amanpour)
Episode Overview
This episode examines President Donald Trump’s record-low approval ratings as he nears 100 days in office, analyzing the political and policy implications domestically and abroad. It also covers current U.S. foreign policy challenges—especially toward Ukraine, Russia, Iran, and Israel—along with ongoing issues in Gaza. Later, the episode investigates the shifting landscape of reproductive rights in post-Roe America with law expert Mary Ziegler, and ends with an in-depth segment looking at the dangers of social media to children, inspired by the documentary Can't Look Away.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. President Trump’s Record-Low Approval and Political Outlook
- Trump's Plummeting Approval Ratings: New CNN poll places Trump at 41% approval after nearly 100 days—the lowest for a new president since at least Eisenhower. Striking declines across major issues, hitting a career low of 39% on the economy and 35% on inflation.
- Partisan Breakdown: 86% of Republicans approve; 93% of Democrats disapprove. Even so, Republican and independent support dropping (05:13).
- Trump’s Response to Bad Polls:
- Quote:
"The polls that Donald Trump has always cared about the most… have been those of his own Republican Party... For him, it would be losing support among Republicans and his core voters. That would be the biggest crisis—that really hasn’t happened yet."
— Susan Glasser [03:56]
- Quote:
- Economic Anxiety: The administration is pushing immigration over economic messaging, possibly to deflect from "Liberation Day" policies that triggered negative economic indicators.
- Quote:
"[The White House is] talking about [immigration] more than they want to talk about the uncertainty surrounding the US and the global economy right now as a result of the, quote, unquote, Liberation Day policies."
— Susan Glasser [05:56]
- Quote:
- Implications: Are these numbers a harbinger of doom for Trump's presidency, or another "ride on the Trump roller coaster?" The administration seems more concerned with pleasing its core base than broadening appeal.
2. U.S. Foreign Policy: Ukraine, Russia, and Iran
- Disjointed Leadership and Negotiation Style:
- Trump has been "negotiating with himself and offering Putin unprompted concessions while asking very little or nothing of Russia and putting enormous pressure on Zelensky, our ally… All of that remains murky and unclear."
— Susan Glasser [08:11] - No concrete progress towards peace in Ukraine; Trump’s claims to resolve the war quickly have not materialized.
- Trump and GOP now hinting at walking away from Ukraine, but clarity lacking ("walking away from what?" [12:26]).
- Trump has been "negotiating with himself and offering Putin unprompted concessions while asking very little or nothing of Russia and putting enormous pressure on Zelensky, our ally… All of that remains murky and unclear."
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Statement:
- Asserts "this is a critical week" in Ukraine, raising questions of U.S. continued involvement (10:17).
- Glasser: Trump's timelines and domestic political needs are dictating the pace and style of negotiations rather than meaningful diplomatic engagement [10:54].
- Surprising Talks with Iran:
- Trump seeking any "big deal" for his legacy, even opening talks with Iran—a move surprising to traditional GOP hawks [13:05].
- Pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize seen as a motivator.
3. Israel, Gaza & U.S. Leverage
Guest: Ambassador Dennis Ross, former U.S. Mideast envoy
- U.S. Pressure (or Lack Thereof) on Netanyahu:
- Trump’s mix of public support and subtle signals ("We provide Israel $4 billion a year," [17:29]) implies some leverage, but hasn’t yet decisively pushed for an end to the war in Gaza.
- On humanitarian aid: Israeli government "will not say no to President Trump… it’ll be his use of President Trump as his excuse for why he’s now going to do something that he has prevented since the resumption… the explanation will be what President Trump is putting… pressure on him" [20:51].
- Hostage Crisis and Humanitarian Crisis:
- Publicly inconsistent statements from Trump about “taking care of Gaza,” causing confusion about real U.S. policy (20:21).
- Families of hostages now looking to Trump rather than Netanyahu to resolve crisis [22:26].
- Saudi Normalization and Gaza:
- Trump is pushing for an ambitious Saudi-Israel normalization, but Saudis insist Gaza war must end first [23:13]. This normalization is seen as a key legacy goal—and perhaps the last viable path to a Nobel Prize for Trump [23:13].
- Ross: Trump’s disruptive style can create movement, but "if you don’t have the means to achieve those objectives, sooner or later your leverage begins to dissipate" [25:58].
4. The Next Frontline in Reproductive Rights: Fetal Personhood
Guest: Mary Ziegler, abortion law expert & author of Personhood
- Post-Roe Political Backdrop:
- In states like Missouri and Kentucky, GOP lawmakers continue to push for tighter restrictions—even rolling back voter-approved rights—assuming single-party dominance gives them little to lose and much to gain with conservative donors [31:04].
- Quote:
"Republicans in Missouri are essentially playing with house money. They don’t think they have anything to lose… So essentially they have nothing to lose and everything to gain from catering to social conservative donors and activists who expect this of them, even if Missourians have already rejected it."
— Mary Ziegler [31:04]
- Fetal Personhood as the Next Legal Battle:
- Ziegler argues the movement was always about fetal and embryonic personhood, beyond just banning abortion—potentially affecting IVF, miscarriage care, and more [34:51].
- Conservatives building a gradual state-by-state, case-by-case argument that could eventually reach a conservative Supreme Court [36:16].
- Quote:
"The next Roe v. Wade is conservatives trying to take the decision out of voters’ hands and place it in the hands of the conservative super majority on the U.S. Supreme Court."
— Mary Ziegler [36:16]
- Pronatalism on the Right: Debates about underpopulation, promoted by figures like Elon Musk and J.D. Vance, clash with restrictions that also make it harder to have kids—so policies are in tension [37:34].
5. "Can't Look Away": Social Media and Kids at Risk
Guests: Matthew Bergman (Social Media Victims Law Center), Perry Peltz (filmmaker)
- Social Media as a Deliberate Danger:
- Film exposes "big tech platforms that know what they are doing and they are designing these platforms to keep our kids on as much as possible… exploiting our kids and they're doing it with intent" (Perry Peltz [39:27]).
- Testimonies from Victims:
- Parent voices:
"How many more children have to die because Snapchat chooses profits over safety?"
— [40:07] - Story of Jordan Demay, teen extorted via Instagram messages and driven to suicide within hours [41:28].
- Parent voices:
- How Platforms Enable Harm:
- “They focus on showing kids not what they want to see, but what they can’t look away from… This is a deliberate design decision that takes advantage of the undeveloped nature of the adolescent brain,”
— Matthew Bergman [43:20]
- “They focus on showing kids not what they want to see, but what they can’t look away from… This is a deliberate design decision that takes advantage of the undeveloped nature of the adolescent brain,”
- Big Tech’s (Partial) Response:
- Meta touts new protections for teens [44:43]. Bergman: These are “baby steps”—and only came after legal pressure [45:28].
- Section 230 shields platforms from liability. Bergman is pressing to hold companies responsible for how products are “dangerous by design” [46:47].
- Parental Advice and Policy Needs:
- Peltz: Conversation and parental oversight are key, "but the best thing that we can say is it has to be regulated. That's ultimately where the answer lies" [52:44].
- Lawsuits are slowly advancing, with a recent court decision based on a Snap-related fentanyl death now moving to discovery phase [51:34].
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-----------------|-------| | 03:56 | Susan Glasser | “The polls that Donald Trump has always cared about the most… have been those of his own Republican Party...” | | 08:11 | Susan Glasser | “A lot of this process is not... peace negotiations... it’s been Donald Trump negotiating with himself and offering Putin unprompted concessions...” | | 17:29 | Dennis Ross | “We also haven’t seen him [Trump] exert any real leverage on Prime Minister Netanyahu... which was to bring this war quickly to an end.” | | 20:51 | Dennis Ross | “Netanyahu ... will not say no to President Trump... it’ll be his use of President Trump as his excuse for why he’s now going to do something that he has prevented...” | | 23:13 | Dennis Ross | “The expansion of the Abraham Accords... is probably his one real pathway to a Nobel Prize.” | | 31:04 | Mary Ziegler | “Republicans in Missouri are essentially playing with house money. They don’t think they have anything to lose...” | | 34:51 | Mary Ziegler | “Fetal personhood... would override voters ability to protect abortion... and not just abortion, but anything else that could implicate the rights of fetuses or embryos.” | | 36:16 | Mary Ziegler | “The next Roe v. Wade is conservatives trying to take the decision out of voters’ hands and place it in the hands of the conservative super majority...” | | 39:27 | Perry Peltz | “They are really exploiting our kids and they're doing it with intent so that our kids stay on. And we felt that was a documentary that needed to be told.” | | 43:20 | Matthew Bergman | “They focus on showing kids not what they want to see, but what they can’t look away from... This is a deliberate design decision…” | | 45:28 | Matthew Bergman | “It's a start...but it's still a baby step... To some extent they're kind of turning a blind eye... these are some significant changes... even if it's a small step, is a step in the right direction.” | | 46:47 | Matthew Bergman | “Section 230... shields companies from liability for posting third party content... we want social media companies to have the same duty that any other company basically follow the golden rule.” | | 52:44 | Perry Peltz | “Conversation is really, really important... but the best thing that we can say is it has to be regulated. That's ultimately where the answer lies.” |
Segment Timestamps
- 01:18 – Introduction and polling overview
- 03:56 – Susan Glasser on Trump’s base and poll response
- 05:56 – White House policy shifts and economic worries
- 06:55 – Trump’s ratings on inflation, tariffs, and immigration
- 08:11 – Foreign policy: Ukraine, Russia, and Trump’s negotiating
- 10:17 – Secretary Marco Rubio’s “critical week” on Ukraine
- 13:05 – Iran talks and Trump’s diplomatic ambitions
- 17:29 – Ambassador Dennis Ross on Trump’s approach to Israel and Gaza
- 20:21 – Trump on Gaza: mixed messages
- 23:13 – Saudi normalization as Trump’s big prize
- 25:58 – Ross on “marrying objectives and means” in statecraft
- 28:28 – Reproductive rights with Mary Ziegler
- 31:04 – Missouri’s constitutional battles and GOP strategy
- 34:51 – Fetal personhood and the wider implications
- 37:34 – Pronatalism and policy contradictions
- 39:17 – Social media and youth safety: “Can’t Look Away”
- 41:28 – Jordan Demay case (Instagram sextortion leading to suicide)
- 43:20 – Algorithmic design and addictive content
- 44:43 – Meta’s teen protection policy and critique
- 46:47 – Section 230 and lawsuits against social media companies
- 51:34 – Snap and the fentanyl crisis: legal action proceeds
- 52:44 – Parental strategies and the need for regulation
Conclusion
This episode offers a comprehensive, critical look at the mounting challenges confronting President Trump at home and abroad as his administration reaches a critical early milestone. The panelists and guests provide deep dives into U.S. political polarization, foreign policy fatigue, Israeli-Palestinian dynamics, and abortion rights’ evolving battleground, ending with an urgent call for accountability and reform in the tech industry’s handling of youth safety. The candid insights and personal stories make this episode especially relevant for listeners concerned about both immediate political turbulence and longer-term social struggles.