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Jamie Rubin
This is a Global Player original podcast.
Christiana Amanpour
So, hello, everybody, and welcome to our Thursday bonus episode, the Q A episode, where we answer your questions. I'm Christiana Manpour along with Jamie Rubin. There you go. Let's get started. All right, Jamie, I'm going to ask you this first question from Antonio on Instagram. What are your thoughts on Trump's sudden u turn on releasing the Epstein files, particularly given that he's called Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene a traitor recently for suggest the very same, that all those files should be made public. So this week or in the last few days, there's been a big rupture between Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene on this issue. And Trump has changed his views and decided to release the whole files, which he did campaign on.
Jamie Rubin
Yeah, look, I don't know what his motivation was. He had lost the numbers, so there were enough Democrats and Republicans together to insist on the release.
Christiana Amanpour
That's what it is.
Jamie Rubin
So it already happened. It was going to happen. So he's just trying to get behind something that was going to happen anyway. The House had voted this special procedure to vote for the release. Look, I don't know what's in these bloody files. All I know is that obviously Epstein and Trump were very, very close for a very long time. What actually happened in Epstein's house with Trump or anybody else, I don't know anything about. A lot of people have gotten caught up in this. A lot of embarrassment for a lot of people, and such is life. People do embarrassing things, they're gonna have to pay a price. I don't know what the result will be for this. I just know that Trump doesn't do things unless he has to. And in this case, I think he had already lost the numbers. And so to be behind it doesn't mean anything.
Christiana Amanpour
Epstein apparently in his emails suggested that Trump knew of the abuse, but did not partake. That's what we know from the Epstein emails themselves. So here's another question. This is Peter on X. We are in New York City and this is an issue. Jamie, why do you still believe in capitalism? You can't measure success by just looking at the top. People live longer in so many other countries, even Cuba. Capitalism is failing citizens when it comes to crime, literacy, healthcare and education. And, oh, I will add the massive and growing inequality gap.
Jamie Rubin
Look, believing in capitalism doesn't mean I believe that capitalism is the only principle that should guide our world. What I'm saying there is that to drive an economy forward, there needs to be a profit motive. Then you need to apply Social concerns. That's why I would call myself in this broad category of a social democrat. I want to use the money earned, the tax earned, the efforts earned to help people, to give people a level up, to give them health care, to give them basic Social Security. That's what I'm for. What I'm not for is what is called socialism. And I studied socialism in school. Socialism is a way to organize the economy where the government owns the means of production. I don't believe in that. I don't believe that's the best for our economy. People will say, well, what about European socialist countries? Sweden, etc. No, no, no, no, no. Sweden tried socialism in the 70s and 80s. It failed. Now Sweden is a capitalist country with some of the biggest billionaires in the world live in Sweden. But in Scandinavia, they have high taxes and they have a social safety net to take care of people. That's what I believe in. And to simply call yourself a socialist without explaining that you believe the capitalist profit motive to drive the economy. I'm not only interested in the richest people. The questioner is just wrong.
Christiana Amanpour
Okay, let me jump in here.
Jamie Rubin
No, I need to continue this for a moment because last week we discussed this a little bit in the context of Mamdani.
Christiana Amanpour
Well, let me talk about Mamdani, because I also, after last week, got a very interesting and helpful primer. Primer from a friend who is in the capitalist, you know, world. He says Mamdani is a social Democrat and is for a market economy, indiscriminate capitalism is bad. And today's new capitalists are no philanthropists, but libertarians, which is not really good.
Jamie Rubin
It was pointed out correctly that I used to be friendly with Andrew Cuomo. And I need to say something here. I am an old white man. I am 65 years old, but I have spent my life working with powerful and wonderful women like Madeleine Albright. Like you, I was married to. Everything Andrew did in his behavior was unacceptable. Okay? And just because he was once my friend doesn't mean that I agree with Andrew Cuomo on those matters. I don't know what I would have done in the voting. I worry that Mamdani hasn't run anything. New York City is a difficult city to run, so I will withhold judgment and wish him the very, very best because I care about my city. But I don't vote for someone who calls himself a socialist. Whether he defines it a different way or not. We'll let him define. I don't think he defines it the way your friend in the Capitalism, business defines it. He'd like to define it that way for those voters, but I think for other voters he wants free buses and free.
Christiana Amanpour
And there's nothing wrong with that. I think what he's acknowledging is what people all over the world are saying and that is the affordability crisis.
Jamie Rubin
Agreed.
Christiana Amanpour
End of story. And I can see it, and you can see it, that this what we call savage capitalism, which is the kind of capitalism that's all about just, just.
Jamie Rubin
Clinton capitalism piling up prosperity and not world is running really well. We had a social safety net.
Christiana Amanpour
So we agree, right? Right.
Jamie Rubin
We had a balanced budget.
Christiana Amanpour
Right? Right, Right. Let's go all the way to the other end of the world. Gabriel, on email, do you think that Netanyahu will ever agree to a two state solution because he risks being assassinated by his own people similar to Yitzhak Rabin 30 years ago? I don't know. Do you think that it's that fear? I don't think so. I think it's his politics.
Jamie Rubin
I don't think it's assassination. I think, look, Netanyahu will only do what's good for Netanyahu. We've learned that. I've watched him operate now for 35 years or something and he will do what's good for him. You notice President Clinton asked President of Israel to pardon President Trump. Sorry. President Trump asked the President of Israel to pardon Netanyahu. That's why he refused to step down, because he was afraid of going to jail. There's going to be an election in Israel within a year. One way or another. I believe the Israeli people will vote and I hope they are presented with realistic options. Because right now Israel is in a position to get the dream of its founders realized. Peace with Syria, peace with Lebanon, recognition by Saudi Arabia. But to do that, they're going to have to realize a two state solution is the only solution for the people of Israel. Of Israel. And to create a Palestine for the people of Palestine. It can still happen. It happens. When peace happens, all of the people who say that this could never happen suddenly evaporate. But Israel is going to have to make a big decision. Its voters are going to have to decide. They've now achieved massive objectives vis a vis Hamas, vis a vis Hezbollah, vis a vis Iran. They can secure their country, be part of an alliance with the west, with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Britain, United States, a defense arrangement in the region that will protect them. But to do that, they're going to have to make peace with the Palestinians and then they will make that decision. Netanyahu will only do that if he absolutely has to. We've tried over and over again to persuade him. We almost did during the Biden administration. People still think he might do it to get Saudi normalization. As you know, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is here this week. Maybe that'll make some progress where President Trump will see that he can get that next week.
Christiana Amanpour
But here's my fear, is that all the conversation we had earlier in our early episode about what it takes to bring peace, like in Bosnia, Kosovo, et cetera, the really hard work of negotiation, I don't really see it, because there's a ceasefire in Gaza, but there's still been a lot of killing. The Israelis still occupy almost half of Gaza. It's basically divided in two. And literally nothing has happened regarding the full upsurge of aid and indeed any kind of peace process. We talked about still no stabilization force, still no political blueprint for a long life.
Jamie Rubin
Two states, I know.
Christiana Amanpour
But the worst is these poor people are living in terrible, terrible conditions. Massive rainstorms, they don't have proper tents. They don't. I mean, it's all fixed. Horrendous.
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Christiana Amanpour
The worst is, and I think this should give people an idea, that while there is an imperfect ceasefire in Gaza, no such protection in the West Bank. No, there wasn't this huge war in the west bank, but the settlers are continuing a pace to destroy Palestinian lives, livelihoods, their economy. They burnt down a mosque the other day. Some of them were arrested. But this carries on. And as long as the United States keeps saying that they don't accept and they won't permit annexation of the west bank, but doesn't do anything about it to stop those who are de facto pushing Palestinians out, then that's going to be looked at as a green light by the settlers.
Jamie Rubin
The United States has turned a blind eye to what the settlers in the west bank do. We try. We try to put pressure on them. We try to convince the government to do what it's supposed to do to protect everyone in the west bank, in Israel. They don't do it. This is an extremist government. Right now, we have to remember that the only hope we have for the people of the west bank and Gaza is a change in government in Israel.
Christiana Amanpour
And for the people of Israel.
Jamie Rubin
And the people of Israel. Absolutely. And so they can get what, you know, I like to say what President Clinton called the quiet miracle of a normal life. But they have.
Christiana Amanpour
Say that again.
Jamie Rubin
Quiet miracle of a normal life. If they vote in a government that believes in achieving Israel's objectives through a combination of diplomacy and force and intelligence and Israeli capitalism and a social safety net and all of these things. Instead of a government that only seems to want to push the edges of the world's tolerance on annexation or crazy views about the west bank and Gaza, and it's these people are dangerous that are running some ministries in Israel.
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Christiana Amanpour
This is from Rebecca. I don't really know about this because it's very much about inside American politics and the money that goes into it. Talking about capitalism. Rebecca on email how do we get dark money out of politics? It appears that a lot of congressional representatives are beholden to donors who use money to control what they can actually do the case and if so, what can be done to increase transparency, prevent this conflict of interest. The only thing I know is reading an article I think it was by George Packer years ago which said even then that senators and Congress people every 15 minutes had to step out of a meeting in order to make a fundraising call.
Jamie Rubin
It's a horrible system.
Christiana Amanpour
It's probably worse now, right, where they.
Jamie Rubin
Have to raise money all the time. I have a friend who's a congressman in New Jersey and I know how I know him.
Christiana Amanpour
He's wonderful.
Jamie Rubin
Yeah, I know how much time he spends raising money and it's, it's diversion from what they should be doing. Look, that decision by the Supreme Court to regard spending of money on advertising as speech was the craziest decision I've ever heard of and that ruined our politics because they Basically said, you can't stop people from giving money to politicians because that would block their free speech. No, it's not blocking free speech. Anyway, the Supreme Court said that. And that has made, you know, we spend billions of dollars on elections that we don't need to spend. We don't have to do that. But you're absolutely right. Look, the way to solve the questioner's problem is pass a law to make transparent all political donations. That should be a law that's passed. If the Democrats ever win the House back and the Senate back and the presidency back and have all three branches of government, government, I pray and hope they will pass such a law so there is no more dark money in politics.
Christiana Amanpour
Can I ask you talking about money and capitalism, obviously President Trump's tariffs are a big part of his administration and apparently the main plank of his foreign policy and his economic policy. He thinks it's kind of worked for him in that they've got a huge amount of revenue from all these tariffs. It's clearly hurting many other countries economies in a way that, that.
Jamie Rubin
Look at the Japanese just had a recession this past month. They went down. Their economy deflated or whatever you call it, contracted. They didn't grow at all. They went down 2% or something because of exports.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah. And it's happening even in Europe and everywhere. The British economy is, you know, practically, you know, is very much suffering. But the thing I wanted to ask you is it. It was the Supreme Court that did what you said, but it is the Supreme Court that is going to be judging the tariffs. The sort of scuttlebutt or the, you know, reading the tea leaves suggests that they may knock them down, but I don't know. What do you think?
Jamie Rubin
Well, there was a case, it was brought to the Supreme Court. They made the oral arguments, and those people who follow this closely were especially. There was a great column by Linda Greenhouse talking about how funny it'll be to watch these conservative judges who spent their whole lives talking about the text of the Constitution, which is absolutely clear that tariffs are in the hands of the Congress, not the presidency. So it looks like five justices will vote that way. And the most amazing thing is gonna happen, because what do you do with all the money you've collected? If the Supreme Court declares that President Trump didn't have the power to raise those tariffs, do you give it back? Do you put it in a fund? How do you repay it? Maybe the Congress could then pass a law retroactively endorsing it. But look, look, I think that's gonna be a decision that will decide to me whether we live in a nation of laws. You know, the rule of law is probably the single phrase that best defines our world. We talked about Immanuel Kant in the episode. That was what began in the 1700s when law, constitutions, rules to apply to everybody, began to be understood as the way to organize society. If we can't have the judges, this Supreme Court, read the Constitution honestly and declare that Trump doesn't have the tariff power, I will worry about the rule of law in this country.
Christiana Amanpour
Can I just say, I was at an event in the UK with a lot of African leaders and business people and tech people, and it was a summit area, and they were saying that they were very concerned about terrorists because it wasn't. Isn't just a tool of. Of an economic policy. Tariffs are being used just to, you know, imply. Sorry, impose Trump's will. And so everybody is really.
Jamie Rubin
I really pray this decision comes out right. I don't know when it will happen. Probably it'll be some months before they announce it. There's delays between oral argument and written decisions, and depends on whether they get an agreement or consensus. I'm sure they won't. I mean, when that happens, I'm hoping and PR that there's a huge sigh of relief in the world that the rule of law still applies in my country.
Christiana Amanpour
And could we just say, also, in case it's just, you know, considered a partisan answer, we're hearing a lot of American people, small businesses, farmers, all the rest of it, those who voted for Trump really regretting the vote based on the tariff pain that they are incurring.
Jamie Rubin
And small businesses in the auto industry, you know, all of these businesses have been damaged by these tariffs, and Trump realized that. And he eliminates some of the tariffs this week.
Christiana Amanpour
Yes, he did. On food.
Jamie Rubin
Because this is a crazy policy. It's not legal, in my opinion, and it's not working in my opinion. There was a problem in trade. The Chinese did abuse the system. My favorite bugaboo, the Chinese did steal our technology and flood our markets and use the trading system unfairly. But that doesn't mean you go to the other extreme. We need reciprocity. That's the word that I believe should define our international economic policy. Reciprocity. If they follow this rule, we follow this rule. If they don't follow this rule, we don't follow this rule. Reciprocity is how we should organize international economic affairs.
Christiana Amanpour
It's really a fascinating one. Now, I'm going to let you Ask, because I think it's directed to me. Question number four from Olia.
Jamie Rubin
Esther Perel talked about shared grief connecting opposing sides, projecting this to the war in Ukraine. Can there really be shared grief when one family loses children defending their country while another profits from the conflict? Drawing on your experience exploring shared grief, do you see any real grief examples that could bring the two sides together?
Christiana Amanpour
So this is the episode that I did with Esther Perel last week and it was really interesting because she's the world famous couples therapist and she is also somebody who thinks a lot about the bigger world. I was saying on the program that I have interviewed, interestingly, not Ukrainians and Russians together, because they don't speak together, Ukrainians will not actually appear on a joint platform potentially, but they won't appear on a platform or in a, you know, on, on air. On my show.
Jamie Rubin
It's not all Russians fault.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah.
Jamie Rubin
Is doing this.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah, but. Well, it is all Russia's fault. The invasion is illegal. All Russians. I'm sorry, every Russian isn't. Yes, yes, yes, yes, that's true. So, but you know, interestingly, I do have Russians on my program and some who are part of the government and some who are most who are not. But still Ukraine, it's a policy right now, in any event, I have done this in Bosnia, I've done it in most of it in the Middle east between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And especially after October 7th, I've had, you know, joint interviews with a Palestinian parent and an Israeli parent, each of one lost a child to the other's military or to the other's, you know, terrorists. And it is, it's absolutely humbling and inspiring to listen to them because when they each talk to me and therefore to each other, and therefore they talk to each other about what it was like to lose a child, everything else sort of disappears. The biggest sort of picture kind of disappears. And they're shared in this grief and they have made these associations and societies where they try to gather more and more people who have gone through the same terrible grief and they realize that they're all human beings. As one person, in fact, Queen Rania of Jordan, who said to me after October 7th, you know, a Palestinian mother loves her kid as much as an Israeli mother, talking about the civilians in the Palestinian in Gaza who were killed as well as the terrible killing of all the children in Israel on October 7th. And I think when people who are suffering understand that and dare to speak about that, then it really behooves all of us to listen and to accept and to just listen, as Esther was saying, just listen to whoever it might be, whether it's, you know, in an interpersonal relationship or on the bigger picture. And that's my experience as well, when certainly on the bigger picture, just listening and letting people listen to each other and not just talk at each other, I found really hopeful.
Jamie Rubin
Well, listening is what I hope we do here. I like to listen to you. I hope you like to listen to me.
Christiana Amanpour
I certainly do.
Jamie Rubin
And, and, you know, one of the things we did together, I remember we allowed ourselves to be bid on for Seeds for Peace, which was about Palestinians and Israelis going to camp together. Children.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah. Coming over here to the US and being sent to summer camp.
Jamie Rubin
And that was during the Oslo period when peace, that was a brilliant thing. And we were asked to, you know, help raise money for the Seeds for Peace, because those seeds, they called them, the children could have, help listen to each other and then help their parents and their families make sure the next generation listens to each other more. Now, unfortunately, that got harder because of, you know, all the war that's happened since. But I still think the idea is brilliant and children are able to break through in ways that sometimes their parents can't. And Seeds for Peace, I don't know if it's still going on. I hope it is, is part of listening to each other. And the concept.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah, the green shoots the trees.
Jamie Rubin
Exactly.
Christiana Amanpour
Yeah, I agree. I agree on that note. Well, thank you for all your questions. I hope you found that we answered them right. Thanks for listening to the Q and A episode of the X Files with me and Jamie. And if you have a question for us that you'd like to answer or have answered anytime, do just keep contacting us on all the major social platforms. Our handle is, is Manpod. Or you can email us. We're amanpourpodglobal.com and our next episode is out Tuesday. Wherever you get your podcast, remember, you can listen for free on Global Player. You can download that from the App Store or go to globalplayer.com you can also watch our main episodes, the Q and A and the Q and a episode on YouTube where you just search Christiane Monpoel Presents and subscribe to our channel so that you never miss an episode. Got it. Subscribe. Bye, everybody. Bye, Jamie.
Jamie Rubin
Goodbye from New York City.
Christiana Amanpour
And I can say the same goodbye from New York City.
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Jamie Rubin
This has been a global player Original production.
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The wait is over. The NYX Black Friday sale is on now@Knix.com shop early and save up to 60% off site wide plus all kinds of limited time daily deals from the number one leak proof brand in North America. Don't miss your chance to save big on innovative intimates like leak proof underwear, wireless bras, shapewear and more. Everything is on sale. Millions have made the switch to NYX's revolutionary period underwear and there's never been a better time for you to try them too too. During the Black Friday sale, save up to 60% on super comfy machine, washable and stylish leak proof undies. Plus shop the best deals of the year on NYX's best selling assortment of wireless bras. Don't miss this chance to stock up on your NYX favorites or try something new during the NYX Black Friday event, that's knix.com the sale ends December 2nd and sizes will sell out. Go to nyx.com that's kn I X dot com.
Episode: Trump’s Epstein Files U-turn & the “dark money” controlling politics
Hosts: Christiane Amanpour & Jamie Rubin
Date: November 20, 2025
This Q&A bonus episode sees Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin tackle listener questions on some of the most pressing issues in global politics, economics, and society. Topics range from Trump’s reversal on the Epstein files, the crisis of capitalism, Israel and Palestine, dark money in US politics, the impact of tariffs, and the prospects for shared grief bridging conflict divides. Drawing on decades of experience and candid, sometimes personal, perspectives, the hosts offer sharp insight — with trademark wit and candor.
Context: Trump recently called for the full release of the Epstein files, after years of opposing it, and clashing with Marjorie Taylor Greene over the issue.
Jamie’s Take: Trump "doesn't do things unless he has to." The numbers in Congress forced the release, so Trump positioned himself in front of an inevitability for political convenience (00:47).
“He had lost the numbers, so there were enough Democrats and Republicans together to insist on the release… He’s just trying to get behind something that was going to happen anyway.” — Jamie Rubin (00:47)
Christiane adds that Epstein emails suggest Trump knew of the abuse but did not participate (01:42).
“To drive an economy forward, there needs to be a profit motive. Then you need to apply social concerns. That’s why I… would call myself a social democrat.” — Jamie Rubin (02:18)
“This, what we call savage capitalism, which is the kind of capitalism that's all about just… piling up prosperity…” — Christiane Amanpour (05:37)
“Netanyahu will only do what's good for Netanyahu. We've learned that.” — Jamie Rubin (06:12) “To create a Palestine for the people of Palestine. It can still happen… But Israel is going to have to make a big decision.” — Jamie Rubin (07:37)
“The United States has turned a blind eye to what the settlers in the West Bank do.” — Jamie Rubin (09:41)
“If they vote in a government that believes in achieving Israel’s objectives through a combination of diplomacy and force… Instead of a government that only seems to want to push the edges of the world’s tolerance…” — Jamie Rubin (10:18)
“That decision by the Supreme Court… was the craziest decision I’ve ever heard of, and that ruined our politics.” — Jamie Rubin (12:51)
“Pass a law to make transparent all political donations. That should be a law that’s passed.” — Jamie Rubin (13:29)
“Reciprocity. That’s the word that I believe should define our international economic policy. Reciprocity.” — Jamie Rubin (17:54)
“When they each talk to me, and therefore to each other… they're shared in this grief and they have made these associations and societies… they realize that they're all human beings.” — Christiane Amanpour (21:11) “Just listening and letting people listen to each other… I found really hopeful.” — Christiane Amanpour (22:04)
“Children are able to break through in ways that sometimes their parents can't.” — Jamie Rubin (22:28)
On Trump and the Epstein Files:
“Trump doesn't do things unless he has to.” — Jamie Rubin (00:57)
On defining social democracy vs. socialism:
“Sweden tried socialism in the 70s and 80s. It failed. Now Sweden is a capitalist country… but in Scandinavia, they have high taxes and they have a social safety net to take care of people. That’s what I believe in.” — Jamie Rubin (02:40)
On the cost of hyper-capitalism:
“What we call savage capitalism, which is the kind of capitalism that's all about just… piling up prosperity.” — Christiane Amanpour (05:37)
On the two-state solution:
“Netanyahu will only do what's good for Netanyahu. We've learned that.” — Jamie Rubin (06:12)
On Israeli-Palestinian coexistence:
“The quiet miracle of a normal life.” — Jamie Rubin quoting President Clinton (10:19)
On dark money:
“That decision by the Supreme Court… was the craziest decision I’ve ever heard of, and that ruined our politics.” — Jamie Rubin (12:51)
On tariffs and the rule of law:
“The rule of law is probably the single phrase that best defines our world.” — Jamie Rubin (15:36)
On listening and shared grief:
“When they each talk to me… they realize that they're all human beings.” — Christiane Amanpour (21:11)
The episode features the duo’s signature mix of gravitas, sharp analysis, and wry wit. Their dynamic as ex-spouses adds warmth and humor, but discussions remain substantive and candid.
In this wide-ranging listener Q&A, Amanpour and Rubin cut to the heart of what keeps citizens and leaders awake at night—political transparency, economic justice, peace in the Middle East, and the simple humanity needed amid conflict. The episode is both deeply informative and refreshingly direct, offering wisdom, pragmatism, and a call for civic engagement.