Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files
Q&A: Caribbean chaos, Hegseth’s future and time to close US bases in Europe?
Release Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Christiane Amanpour
Co-host: Jamie Rubin
Episode Overview
This Q&A episode of The Ex Files explores today's most dangerous and unpredictable global crises, with Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin answering listener questions. They provide insider context on the unraveling of global order, focusing especially on escalating chaos in the Caribbean, intelligence cracks among the Five Eyes allies, controversial US defense actions under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the US military’s role in Europe, and behind-the-scenes US–Russia diplomacy on Ukraine.
With their characteristic wit and candor, Amanpour and Rubin deliver searing critiques of current US foreign policy, stark warnings about fractured alliances, and unique perspectives drawn from their decades in global affairs. The discussion is rich in color, personal anecdotes, and occasionally biting humor as they tackle each listener question.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Five Eyes Fracture Over Caribbean Operations
Timestamps: 00:10–02:47
- The UK has pulled out of intelligence sharing within the Five Eyes (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) regarding Caribbean operations, particularly Venezuela.
- Jamie Rubin: Stresses the unprecedented nature of the UK blocking intelligence sharing due to concerns, calling it a “really, really big deal.”
- This signals a break in a historically rock-solid alliance, driven by American actions seen as illegal and prioritizing the overthrow of Maduro in Venezuela.
- Notable Quote:
“The fact that they are doing something they've never done before...is a demonstration of the massive error we're making in Venezuela by placing the overthrow of that regime as the highest priority...over all of the alliance relationships we have...”
— Jamie Rubin (01:40)
- Amanpour adds that British and other allies are likely also worried about possible war crimes being committed in the US operation.
2. Pete Hegseth and Alleged War Crimes
Timestamps: 02:47–08:03
- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s involvement is under scrutiny for allegedly ordering a controversial “second boat strike,” killing civilians in the Caribbean anti-narco operations.
- Amanpour highlights congressional inquiries and possible legal consequences, including talk of a “presumptive pardon” from Trump.
- Christiane Amanpour:
“The Defense Department...is showing a rather unseemly, in my opinion, alacrity for death and killing.” (06:04)
- Christiane Amanpour:
- Hegseth’s inflammatory rhetoric is quoted—equating narco traffickers with Al Qaeda and drugs with “chemical weapons.”
- Hegseth (quoted by Amanpour, 07:15–07:33):
“These narco terrorists are the Al Qaeda of our hemisphere and we are hunting them with the same sophistication and precision that we hunted Al Qaeda...so long as they are poisoning our people with narcotics so lethal that they're tantamount to chemical weapons.”
- Hegseth (quoted by Amanpour, 07:15–07:33):
- Rubin lambasts Hegseth’s leadership:
- Notable Quote:
“Pete Hegseth will go down in history as the worst defense secretary the United States has ever had. It’s a joke—but it's not a joke…”
— Jamie Rubin (08:03)
- Notable Quote:
- The larger issue is the alleged illegality of the US campaign itself, from “firing all the military lawyers” to “returning survivors” because they had no legal basis to detain them.
3. Venezuela and Regional Attitudes
Timestamps: 02:47–05:13, 12:20–13:18
- Amanpour notes substantial Latin American support (~53%, per a poll) for ousting Maduro, with several right-leaning governments backing US policy.
- The hosts disagree on whether this support would extend to a US invasion.
- Rubin: Highlights the impracticality and lack of public appetite for a direct invasion.
- Amanpour: Relays her conversation with former Colombian President Iván Duque, who downplays the risk of “another Iraq”—a stance she find shocking.
- The regional drug crisis is illustrated by surging crime in Ecuador and Mexico, and pervasive narco-trafficking undermining civil authority.
- Rubin: Points to “Plan Colombia” as a relative past success, but underscores the demand side of America’s drug problem as the root issue:
- Quote:
“The big piece of the puzzle is the demand side. And I don’t have a great answer for it.” (13:16)
- Quote:
4. US Bases in Europe and NATO’s Future
Timestamps: 14:59–20:15
- Listener question: Should the US close its military bases in Europe if it won't defend Europe from Russia?
- Rubin: Pushes back—while US leadership under Trump has reduced military support and arms deliveries to Ukraine, the NATO commitment remains. He supports European “stepping up,” but rejects a withdrawal.
- Quote:
“There’s no need to eliminate US bases because we still do support Europeans. We are scaling it back, and I think that’s a mistake because now Europeans are stepping up.” (16:31)
- Quote:
- Amanpour: Expresses deep disappointment and frustration as a European, recalling WWII history and warning against a transactional, “real estate deal” approach to Russian aggression.
- Quote:
“It’s not about land, it’s about sovereignty...If you can’t trust the people who are going to guarantee your independence…I don’t know where we go from now. And as a European myself, I actually feel insulted.” (17:49)
- Quote:
- The impact of delayed US aid to Ukraine—possibly due to Russian disinformation and Congressional obstruction—has been devastating, according to both hosts.
5. Domestic Politics: Immigration and the Stephen Miller Effect
Timestamps: 20:52–21:24
- Amanpour points to Stephen Miller’s influence over the current administration’s national security doctrine, especially intertwining immigration and foreign policy under Project 2025.
- Rubin: Miller is Deputy Chief of Staff, “has an agenda, and he is pursuing it by whatever means necessary.”
6. Witkoff, Kushner, and the ‘Amateur Hour’ of Ukraine Diplomacy
Timestamps: 21:28–26:19
- Listener question: How are Trump confidants Witkoff and Kushner conducting diplomacy with Russia?
- Amanpour: Calls their real-estate-oriented, informal approach “amateur hour,” incapable of dealing with Putin’s intransigence.
- Quotes Tom Friedman: “useful idiots.”
- Quote:
“You cannot have two people...thinking that they can transpose real estate deals to the very difficult dealings of peace negotiations...It was a capitulation demand for Ukraine.” (22:10)
- Rubin: Explains traditional diplomacy requires serious, structured working groups spanning legal, military, territorial, and sanction issues.
- Quote:
“Instead, you have these amateurs thinking they can do it on the back of cocktail napkins as if it’s a real estate deal and they’re failing...Until it is done properly, the war is not going to end.” (23:51)
- Quote:
- Both hosts lament the lack of professional diplomatic coordination and warn that genuine progress will only come with proper, expert-led negotiations.
7. Corruption and Ukraine’s Image
Timestamps: 25:31–27:13
- Amanpour acknowledges that corruption scandals in Ukraine, including top-level resignations, have damaged the country’s image but notes that Russian disinformation exacerbates focus on these issues to undermine support.
- Both agree ongoing Western support for Ukraine is essential, echoing military expert Rupert Smith—“the Ukrainians, he said, will not stop fighting, will not give up.”
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
- On intelligence cooperation breakdown:
“This is one of the terrible consequences...our intelligence relationship with Britain shouldn’t be jeopardized for something this low priority.”
— Jamie Rubin (01:50) - On US military’s “chemical weapons” rhetoric:
“First of all, Al Qaeda. Secondly, chemical weapons, that's the old WMD. I mean, he literally used the elements that the American administration used in Iraq...”
— Christiane Amanpour (07:35) - On European security:
“If you can’t trust the people who are going to guarantee your independence and your sovereignty and the right not to be invaded by some revanchist former superpower, I don’t know where we go from now.”
— Christiane Amanpour (18:05) - On Trump’s Ukraine envoys:
“These are very, very arrogant people who’ve been empowered by the president, and it’s not serious. It’s amateur hour.”
— Jamie Rubin (23:33) - Personal frustration:
“As a European myself, I actually feel insulted. Not because I don’t think we should be doing more...but I still don’t get it. What is so toxic about us that the United States has decided that we should be on our own?”
— Christiane Amanpour (17:50)
Important Segments & Timestamps
- Five Eyes split on Venezuela: 00:10–02:47
- Hegseth controversy & war crimes allegations: 02:47–08:03
- Latin American attitudes, Plan Colombia, & the War on Drugs: 12:20–13:33
- Should the US close European bases?: 14:59–20:15
- Impact of domestic politics (Stephen Miller/immigration): 20:52–21:24
- Witkoff/Kushner Ukraine diplomacy critique: 21:28–26:19
- Ukraine corruption & Western support: 25:31–27:13
Final Thoughts
This episode provides incisive, candid, and occasionally exasperated analysis of a world in flux. The hosts highlight the deepening cracks in traditional alliances, the perils of inexperienced leadership, and the urgent need for both moral clarity and professional diplomacy. Their exchanges blend seriousness, humor, and urgency—a must-listen for anyone hoping to understand today’s high-stakes global drama, even if you missed the episode itself.