Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files

Q&A: Epstein Files ‘cover-up’ & Trump’s treatment of immigrants
Date: February 19, 2026
Hosts: Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin

Episode Overview

In this candid Q&A bonus episode, Christiane Amanpour (in London) and Jamie Rubin (in New York) answer listeners’ questions on some of today’s most urgent and controversial global issues. The focus centers on the alleged cover-up of the Epstein files by the Trump administration, implications for U.S. foreign policy, nuclear negotiations with Iran, shifting global perceptions of American leadership, and the legacy of Jesse Jackson. Through expert commentary and firsthand anecdotes, they illuminate the tangled realities behind headlines, blending sharp insider analysis with moments of searing honesty and dark humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epstein Files, Cover-ups, and the Trump Administration

Q from Sonia (Instagram): Do you agree with Hillary Clinton that there is cover-up by the Trump Administration regarding the Epstein files?
[00:13 – 06:56]

• Jamie Rubin:

  • While he hasn’t seen Hillary Clinton’s comments verbatim, Jamie largely agrees with her assessment.
  • He avoids labeling it a "cover-up" outright but says, “I definitely understand the point she's making.” [00:41]
  • Jamie underscores Trump’s previously close relationship with Epstein and finds it "remarkable" how "there’s almost very little about Donald Trump in there [the files]" compared to others.
  • Many elite figures have been damaged by the document releases—“Some very guilty ... people saying things like, 'bring your harem on your next trip' ... and then many who just knew him as a fundraiser.” [01:29]
  • Jamie questions why Trump’s name is largely absent: “There’s almost no focus on this big, big question of what did Donald Trump know about this criminal’s behavior, when did he know it, and why is that relationship so absent from this recent release?” [02:16]

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • Points out how "so much that's redacted that you just don’t know what else there may be under all those big black markers." [02:44]
  • Highlights global implications, mentioning UK’s Prince Andrew being further disgraced, huge political impacts in Britain, and calls for testimony and investigations.
  • Connections span globally – “the tentacles that this Epstein has ... it beggars belief.” [03:02]
  • Notes, “This is very bad ... for the British government” and the fallout for PM Keir Starmer. [03:55]

• Themes:

  • Elite impunity: Jamie criticizes the Trump administration as the "ultimate elitist administration," drawing comparisons to the excesses of the French aristocracy: “Marie Antoinette behavior about building new palaces ... nothing could more symbolize the French Revolution’s evil than the way the elites are running our government right now.” [05:38]
  • Victim invisibility: Christiane pivots to the core issue: “...the women at the center of this, the victims, are consistently ignored because of all these top names that are being revealed.” [06:37]

2. US–Iran Negotiations: Symbolic Progress or Stuck Diplomacy?

Q from Jane (Instagram): How significant is the recent US-Iran agreement on ‘guiding principles’ for further negotiation, and are the prospects for a nuclear deal real?
[06:56 – 13:16]

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • Analyzes both sides’ motivations—“You can imagine that the Iranians are pretty desperate to do a deal as they see literally a massive military buildup right on their doorstep.” [07:40]
  • Describes a “huge, huge buildup”—far more than token.
  • Notes divisions in the Iranian diaspora and opposition: Monarchists and royalists openly hope diplomacy fails, pushing instead for US military intervention.
  • Shares her experience of online vitriol from activists: “It’s become very visceral, very vituperative, and you can just feel the temperature ... on fire.” [08:45]

• Jamie Rubin:

  • Differentiates “diplomacy backed by force or force backed by diplomacy.” [09:45]
  • Trump views the threat of military force as highly credible post-Maduro; warns that current US negotiators (Kushner, Witkoff) lack expertise: “These are extraordinarily complex issues ... and the idea that these two amateurs, really, they are amateurs in the nuclear field, are doing these negotiations, makes you wonder how serious they are.” [10:41]
  • Sees little chance of real agreement: “Guiding principles ... don’t actually mean much.” [12:24]
  • Predicts use of force, citing an “inescapable” momentum: “... there’s a certain inevitability that happens with the use of force, either by accident, inadvertence, or intention that it will happen.” [12:54]

3. Iran’s Threat to America: Real or Overstated?

Q from Elias (Facebook): Does Iran pose any genuine threat to America right now?
[13:16 – 18:22]

• Jamie Rubin:

  • Iran cannot strike the US homeland with missiles or aircraft, nor does it have “operatives really on the ground that can damage the United States.” [13:45]
  • The major threat is to US interests, troops, and allies in the Middle East, and through indirect means like terrorism (e.g., attempts on foreign diplomats).
  • The most potent tool, historically, was the ability to shut the Strait of Hormuz: “...without oil being constantly replenished ... the world economy would have frozen.” [15:36]
  • Today’s economic choke-hold would more likely come from China and rare earth elements.

• Impact on Regime Change:

  • Christiane asks if military intervention would actually unseat the regime.
  • Jamie doubts outside power can destabilize Iran’s leadership, pointing to the “tens of thousands of Iranian officials ... willing to shoot and kill their own people who protest.” [17:20]
  • “When you have tens of thousands of people like that … I just don’t see how outside military power can change that equation." [18:20]

4. US Treatment of Immigrants and Potential Sanctions

Q: Could the US face sanctions from other nations because of the Trump regime’s treatment of immigrants?
[18:43 – 24:00]

• Jamie Rubin:

  • UN or EU sanctions are unlikely due to US veto power and interests.
  • However, US faces "sanctions in the broadest sense": reduced tourism, reputational cost, and personal hostility toward Americans abroad.
  • “The scary behavior of ICE ... dramatically reduced tourism to the United States... American companies, American people traveling abroad have the sanction of the hatred that has been generated… I’ve never seen the sort of widespread, broad anger at the United States from people who were normally pro-American.” [19:03]
  • Compares to post-Iraq War anti-Americanism but notes that now, even traditional allies feel estranged.
  • “America’s role was ... seen as generally a good thing for the world. ... now people think ... that idea that America is a leader of the world has been shattered.” [21:44]

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • Cites a recent incident with Senator Lindsey Graham using abusive language and threatening a key US ally: “...basically throwing abusive language ... and saying Greenland must be America’s.” [22:20]
  • Highlights the fracturing of faith in America’s global leadership: “The threat to seize either by military or by economic sanctions—Greenland was the red line that caused Europe to basically stiffen its spine and say: enough already.” [24:00]

5. Jesse Jackson’s Legacy & Lessons for Today’s Leaders

Q from Freya (Instagram): What can today’s leaders learn from Jesse Jackson’s ability to both challenge and collaborate across the political spectrum?
[24:00 – 28:58]

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • Reminisces about Jackson’s 1984 Democratic Convention speech: “...from the Ouse to the White House ... how, you know, African Americans absolutely continue the struggle.”
  • Says Jackson’s enduring lessons are “the progress and the march of civil rights, but, B, the rainbow coalition ... when you think of today, when nobody can form coalitions, everybody’s sort of split all over the place...” [25:36]
  • Notes Jackson was eulogized by both Clinton and Trump.

• Jamie Rubin:

  • Recalls a line from Jackson about “fighting for the people who cleaned your room today or served your lunch today ... it was really about two concepts: one, the little guy … and how the little guy can be broken up into all these different groupings...” [26:11]
  • Sees “identity politics” as a double-edged legacy: “...we lost a little bit of the power of Jesse Jackson’s resolution rhetoric ... now we have a situation where the little guy actually thinks that these tech robber barons are going to help him. And that’s how Donald Trump got elected.” [27:14]
  • The core challenge is reconnecting with the "little guy" in an era of billionaire-dominated politics.

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • Observes current Democratic divisions: now split between those who want to directly challenge Trump and those who hope to “wait it out and restore the guardrail … after the next presidential [election].” [28:45]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s almost no focus on this big, big question of what did Donald Trump know about this criminal’s behavior, when did he know it, and why is that relationship so absent from this recent release?”
  —Jamie Rubin [02:16]

• “It beggars belief, really does ... the tentacles that this Epstein has.”
  —Christiane Amanpour [03:02]

• “These are the most elite people in the world. We’ve never had a government led by more billionaires and more elites than this administration. ... nothing could more symbolize the French Revolution’s evil than the way the elites are running our government right now.”
  —Jamie Rubin [05:08]

• “The women at the center of this, the victims, are consistently ignored because of all these top names that are being revealed.”
  —Christiane Amanpour [06:38]

• “You can just feel the temperature of this current moment on fire.”
  —Christiane Amanpour [08:51]

• “The idea that these two amateurs, really, they are amateurs in the nuclear field, are doing these negotiations makes you wonder how serious they are.”
  —Jamie Rubin [10:44]

• “I just don’t see how outside military power can change that equation.”
  —Jamie Rubin [18:20]

• “The scary behavior of ICE ... dramatically reduced tourism ... I’ve never seen the sort of widespread, broad anger at the United States from people who were normally pro-American.”
  —Jamie Rubin [19:03]

• “The nation is split, families are split ... it’s interesting to remember what Jesse Jackson did ... the rainbow coalition.”
  —Christiane Amanpour [25:36]

• “The little guy actually thinks that these tech robber barons are going to help him. And that’s how Donald Trump got elected.”
  —Jamie Rubin [27:38]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Epstein files, Trump, and elite impunity: 00:13–06:56
• US–Iran negotiations and prospects: 06:56–13:16
• Iran’s threat and regime change debate: 13:16–18:22
• Global backlash against US immigration policy: 18:43–24:00
• Jesse Jackson’s lessons for leadership and coalition-building: 24:00–28:58

Tone and Language

Throughout, Christiane and Jamie maintain their trademark blend of candid, incisive analysis and dry wit. They finish each other’s sentences, engage in playful ribbing, and root their observations in deep professional experience, anchoring high-level geopolitics in both human stories and political realities.

This summary captures the essential topics and spirit of the episode, providing a comprehensive guide for those who want to understand the nuanced conversations without listening in full.