Episode Overview

Title: Has Trump just had his worst week yet?
Podcast: Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files
Date: September 9, 2025
Hosts: Christiane Amanpour & Jamie Rubin

In this episode, Amanpour and Rubin dissect a tumultuous week for Donald Trump—both internationally and at home. Against the backdrop of escalating crises in Ukraine, the Middle East, and rising tensions with China, the hosts assess Trump’s foreign policy blunders, waning global influence, and deepening domestic legal and political troubles. Drawing on their extensive experience, they explore how Trump’s recent missteps may be reverberating not only through Washington, but across the world. The episode is marked by candid analysis, sharp critique, wit, and a new "recommendations" segment linking history, politics, and current events.

1. Setting the Stage: Trump’s Chaotic Week

• Context: Trump faces legal setbacks domestically and growing global isolation diplomatically.
• Opening Focus: Amanpour critiques Trump's choice to attend the US Open, accompanied by “de facto Secretary of State” Steve Witkoff, amid global crises.
  • “I was shocked when I saw who else was surrounding him. Who was in the box? Steve Witkoff... I can't believe he has time to go to the US Open.” (03:16, Amanpour)
• Amanpour’s Outrage: On the same day Russia struck near Zelensky’s presidential palace for the first time, Trump's key diplomatic surrogate is at a tennis match.
  • “I did actually yell at the screen. I said, you should be fixing the horrendous upscale of Russia's attacks on Ukraine.” (03:31, Amanpour)

2. Trump’s Foreign Policy “Failures” and Global Fallout

a. The US-China-India Power Triangle

• Rubin's Analysis: The “axis of upheaval” (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, now India) is forming as the US pushes traditional partners away.
  • “What's happening, what you saw in China was the fact that Trump has alienated our friends and empowered our enemies. They're working together.” (05:18, Rubin)
• India Drifts from the US: A personal slight over the Nobel Peace Prize leads to punitive tariffs and eroding US-India ties.
  • “When Trump found out that India wasn't going to support him to get a Nobel Peace Prize… he uses that personal problem and takes our country down the tubes with him.” (08:15, Rubin)
  • "The Indian people have united around fury at the United States for these tariffs." (10:04, Amanpour)

b. Alliances Weakened, Enemies Emboldened

• East and West Divide: Trump’s isolationist instincts erode traditional alliances (Europe, Japan, South Korea), steering allies into alternative coalitions.
  • “He's distancing South Korea, Japan, or the European allies—people who together as an alliance could confront China and stop it overtaking the US world order.” (10:04, Amanpour)
• European Disillusionment: European officials grow frustrated at what they perceive as mismanagement and lack of clarity from Trump’s diplomatic team.
  • “There are European officials who are furious at Wyckoff's failure to understand the details… words matter in these high stakes diplomatic engagement.” (14:51, Rubin)

c. Ukraine, Gaza, and Diplomatic Paralysis

• Missed Opportunities in War Zones:

  • Ukraine: Witkoff at tennis as Russia escalates strikes; confusion over ceasefire terms and rifts with European allies.
  • Gaza/Israel: Trump perceived as "AWOL" during escalating conflict.

• "[Putin] managed to give away what he, Trump and the European allies and Zelenskyy had agreed was a vital first step, as we all know, a ceasefire. So he handed that away. No, no, we don't need a ceasefire. Putin says we don't need a ceasefire." (13:18, Amanpour)

• Quote: “Ukraine is the most important single issue of our time… If we can't stop that, and we have these axis of authority sectarians, I call them, gathered together, you know, the world is going to be even more dangerous.” (15:31, Rubin)

d. Looming Threats: The China-Taiwan Question

• Chekhov’s Pistol Analogy: Amanpour cites an FT piece, suggesting current posturing sets the stage for a Taiwan crisis.
  • “So what he was talking about was, here's Xi showing Trump who's in charge and who has a coalition and who has allies and who wants to actually organize themselves to challenge the US…” (16:30, Amanpour)
  • “Act three is going to be the invasion of Taiwan.” (17:16, Rubin)

e. Trump’s “World Order” Vision?

• Rubin’s Theory: Trump’s seeming willingness to concede spheres of influence to other powers—Latin America for the US, Europe and Middle East for Putin, Asia for Xi.
  • “I fear that what he wants is to have control over the Latin American Western hemisphere, allow Putin control in Europe and the Middle east... and allow Asia to be led by China.” (17:22, Rubin)

3. Domestic Troubles: Legal and Political Setbacks

a. Fights with the Courts

• Immigration: A judge blocks Trump’s deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children at the last minute.
  • “The plane was ready to take off and the judge said no, recalled the plane, told the kids they needed to get off...” (21:07, Amanpour)
• Universities: Harvard wins a case on illegal funding cuts.
• Emphasis on the Rule of Law:
  • “The rule of law matters. And as you've seen, Trump's people, they all think they're doing the right thing… and so they don't want to act illegally.” (21:07, Rubin)

b. The Tariffs Dilemma

• Unprecedented Tariffs: Trump interprets emergency powers to slap tariffs on a whim; courts (even conservative ones) rule this illegal, with a Supreme Court showdown looming.
  • “He's interpreted a law in a way nobody's ever done before, claiming emergency powers when there's no emergency and failing to do the due diligence…” (22:52, Rubin)
  • Notable question: What happens to the “hundreds of billions of dollars that have been collected?” (24:42, Amanpour)
• Economic Disarray: Tariffs sow global uncertainty, impacting both allies and US companies.
  • “Countries don't and companies don't know how to operate in this crazy world of tariffs...” (25:25, Rubin)
  • “He seems to enjoy imposing tariffs on our allies more than imposing tariffs on our enemies. That's what's wrong with Donald Trump.” (25:40, Rubin)

c. Authoritarian Moves & Political Memes

• Trump’s “Paramilitary” Rhetoric: Sharing memes likening Chicago to a battlefield—"I love the smell of deportations in the morning"—evokes fears of impending domestic conflict.
  • “He's saying on this meme, I love the smell of deportations in the morning.” (27:03, Amanpour)
• Deployment of National Guard: Concern that Trump’s use of red state National Guard in blue states could set the stage for a post-election crisis.
  • “There's going to be an election in a year. Trump… will deny the legitimacy of those elections and call on his red state… militias to gather these ballot boxes and take control...” (28:05, Rubin)

4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Stop treating all this as if it's normal. Honestly, it’s not. It’s not normal.” (00:53, Amanpour)
• “What bullies do is they make people afraid. And if you don't stand up to bullies, they're going to keep bullying you.” (19:01, Rubin)
• “If in the first act you've hung a pistol… in the following one, it should be fired.” (16:30, Amanpour quoting Chekhov)

5. Media Compliance, Fear & The McCarthy Era Parallel

• Censorship at the US Open: Broadcasters were reportedly told not to show or discuss protests of Trump’s appearance.
  • “This is really unbelievable to send an email to broadcasters...” (19:01, Amanpour)
• Fear’s Role in American History: Rubin draws a parallel to the climate of fear during 1950s McCarthyism, referencing Trump’s mentor Roy Cohn.
  • “The word fear. And how do people behave when they fear the government… Roy Cohn… taught Trump how to make people afraid of you by being a bully.” (29:41, Rubin)
• Amanpour’s Reflection: The press eventually standing up marked the turning point against McCarthy—possibly a lesson for today.
  • “It was the press that started to stand up against McCarthy and eventually denied him the oxygen that he needed to thrive.” (31:12, Amanpour)

6. New Segment: Recommendations

(Section begins at ~32:00)

Jamie Rubin’s Picks

• Book: 4321 by Paul Auster
  • “What it does beautifully is describe what that period of American life was in the 50s, but mostly the 60s... four different variations of this man Ferguson’s life.” (32:55, Rubin)
• Classics: The Selected Works of Cicero (especially on immigration and human dignity)
  • “The exclusion of aliens from the city's amenities… is completely opposed to natural human relations.” (35:20, Rubin quoting Cicero)

Christiane Amanpour’s Picks

• Podcast: Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force (Ezra Klein Show, NYT)
  • “It’s about ICE… and the systematic grooming of this force and what might be the end result.” (33:40, Amanpour)
• Series: Human (BBC, airing on PBS) – a five-part series on the origins and ingenuity of Homo sapiens, framed as a much-needed reminder of resilience and values.
  • “It is so compelling at a time when we actually need reinforcement about the power of Homo sapiens...” (37:19, Amanpour)

7. Final Reflections & What’s Next

• Rubin’s Upcoming Testimony: Next episode will see Rubin in Europe, testifying at the special tribunal on war crimes in Kosovo, which he helped create under Madeleine Albright.
  • “This is me coming full circle. And I have more to say about that next week.” (38:40, Rubin)

For Listeners

• The episode is a sweeping but accessible tour of current crises, the erosion of democratic norms, and historical echoes—all delivered with candor, urgency, and references to personal experience.
• The new “recommendations” section provides both timely and timeless resources for deeper thought on protest, citizenship, and human resilience.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “Stop treating all this as if it's normal. Honestly, it’s not. It’s not normal.” (00:53, Amanpour)
• “He's got time to go to the US Open. Not that I think he should be doing everything 24 hours a day, but clearly the United States has not been the peacemaker Trump claims he was gonna be.” (03:56, Rubin)
• "He seems to enjoy imposing tariffs on our allies more than imposing tariffs on our enemies. That's what's wrong with Donald Trump.” (25:40, Rubin)
• “What bullies do is they make people afraid. And if you don't stand up to bullies, they're going to keep bullying you.” (19:01, Rubin)
• “The exclusion of aliens from the city's amenities… is completely opposed to natural human relations.” (35:20, Cicero via Rubin)
• “It was the press that started to stand up against McCarthy and eventually denied him the oxygen that he needed to thrive.” (31:12, Amanpour)

Important Timestamps:

• [03:16] – US Open outrage over Steve Witkoff
• [05:18] – Trump’s alienation of India and critique of foreign policy
• [10:04] – Tariffs on India and their fallout
• [13:18] – Witkoff, Ukraine, and the Alaska Summit
• [15:31] – On Ukraine’s global significance
• [17:16] – Chekhov’s pistol/Taiwan analogy
• [19:01] – US Open censorship, Trump as “bully”
• [21:07] – Legal setbacks at home (deportations, Harvard case)
• [22:52] – Tariffs discussion and court battles
• [27:03] – Trump’s meme: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning”
• [28:05] – National Guard, possible election crisis scenario
• [29:41] – McCarthy era parallels, Roy Cohn’s influence
• [32:27] – Recommendations segment

Episode Tone & Style:
Candid, sharp, historically informed, infused with dark humor and urgency but offering clear-eyed analysis for a tumultuous political era. The chemistry and banter between Amanpour and Rubin—once married, still finishing each other’s sentences—adds levity and depth.