Fareed Zakaria GPS: September 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Fareed Zakaria GPS offers an in-depth look at the global and domestic challenges shaping our world in 2025. The show features three major interviews:

• Hillary Clinton and Karen Yari Miller discuss the rise of political violence in America, the Trump administration’s second term, and the art of decision-making under crisis.
• UN Secretary General António Guterres addresses the implications of the US slashing funding to the UN and the dire humanitarian impact, especially on peacekeeping and Gaza.
• Yossi Cohen, former Mossad chief, provides a window into Israel’s Gaza tactics, hostage negotiations, and the future of Iran’s regime.

Host Fareed Zakaria weaves these conversations together, probing the fractures in US and global politics while seeking insight into the underlying forces shaping the current geopolitical tumult.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

I. Fareed Zakaria’s Opening Commentary: Polarization & Political Violence

[00:32-08:09]

• Zakaria reflects on America’s sharp polarization, contrasting the combative-yet-civil past (1980s Washington) with today’s climate of mistrust and vilification.
• Key Insight: “Members of each party estimated that the support for political violence from the other party was four times higher than it actually was” [06:30]—highlighting "affective polarization."
• He urges compromise, pointing to state-level pragmatism on abortion, immigration, and gay rights.

Memorable Quote:

“The truth is that liberal democracy is founded on the faith that we can find ways to compromise on almost anything we must, even on these hot button cultural topics.”
—Fareed Zakaria [07:30]

II. Hillary Clinton & Karen Yari Miller: Trump’s Second Term, Political Crisis, and Leadership

[08:09-23:15]

A. Weaponizing Political Violence

• Clinton calls out Trump’s White House for allegedly exploiting the “Charlie Kirk assassination” to target left-leaning institutions.
• Key Insight: Clinton connects escalation in rhetoric and intolerance to the “authoritarian playbook."

Quote:

“They are trying to use [the assassination], along with others of their rationales, to go after their political opponents. And it's very troubling... At that time, leadership should try to bring people together, but instead, we're seeing more of the divisiveness.”
—Hillary Clinton [08:43]

B. Trump 2.0 vs. Trump 1.0: The Differences

• Clinton warns of a more prepared and ideologically compliant Trump administration:

  “We’re only going to have people who salute, do whatever you tell them to do... he’s now surrounded by people that are basically his acolytes or his enablers.”
  —Hillary Clinton [11:04]

• Miller notes the loss of predictability and credibility: “Volatility when it replaces credibility, that is not a recipe for stability in the long term.” [12:08]

C. Democrats' Response & Democracy at Risk

• Clinton defends Democratic response to Trump’s moves to erode election integrity, highlighting grassroots work to protect democracy.

  “There is a lot of work that is setting us up... we have to keep parrying and pushing back at everything the Republicans are doing to basically rig the game against Democrats.”
  —Hillary Clinton [13:41]

D. Leadership Under Crisis: Trump, Putin, and the Alaska Summit

• Clinton deems the Trump-Putin Alaska summit a failure, blaming lack of due diligence and over-reliance on “face-to-face diplomacy.”

  “I believe [the Trump White House] was played by Putin... He got to come to the United States. He was treated with all the respect that he thought appropriate... it was a failure on every count.”
  —Hillary Clinton [17:54]

• On Trump’s affinity for autocrats:

  “Trump actually relates to the kind of absolute power that Putin has... Clearly on a path of autocracy in our own country that in some ways reflects his envy...”
  —Hillary Clinton [20:02]

• Miller—on the human factor in leadership:

  “What we see with Trump is over-personalization of foreign policy to the extent that it's not serving a strategy ... there's a lot of volatility that comes in over-reliance on those face-to-face interactions.”
  —Karen Yari Miller [21:37]

III. UN Secretary-General António Guterres: US Funding Cuts, Gaza, and Ukraine

[24:03-30:03]

A. Impact of US Funding Cuts on Peacekeeping

• Guterres explains that a 50% cut in US funding, with arrears piling up, will force drastic curtailment of peacekeeping, endangering vulnerable populations worldwide.

  “A drastic reduction of peacekeeping operations will have a very negative impact in countries that are still in an effective conflict situation.”
  —Antonio Guterres [24:42]

B. Gaza: Genocide Controversy, Humanitarian Crisis

• Guterres refuses to legally label Gaza as “genocide” but stresses:

  “The level of death and destruction in Gaza... has no comparison with anything else that I've seen since I am Secretary General.”
  —Antonio Guterres [26:06]

• He stresses that Hamas terror can’t justify collective punishment of Palestinians, and calls for a two-state solution.

C. Ukraine and Russian Aggression

• Guterres openly blames Russia for invading Ukraine (“Russia invaded Ukraine” [27:48]) and reaffirms that territorial acquisition by force is illegal, but admits the realities on the ground are grim:

  “Never give up in defending the things that you believe in. International law, the Charter, the respect for territorial integrity of states is a fundamental base for a world to be peaceful.”
  —Antonio Guterres [28:58]

IV. Yossi Cohen, former Mossad Director: Israel’s Gaza Campaign, Hostages & Iran’s Future

[32:07-41:03]

A. Israel’s Rationale for Gaza City Offensive

• Cohen describes the dual track: fighting Hamas militarily and pursuing hostage negotiations through intermediaries (like the US and Qatar).

  “The end of the war is in the hands today of Hamas... If a conclusive deal will be eventually agreed... this will eventually put an end to the war between us.”
  —Yossi Cohen [32:49]

• Zakaria poses the tension between total defeat of Hamas and meaningful negotiations.

B. Potential Political Ambitions and Differences with Netanyahu

• Cohen demurs on entering politics but suggests he’d offer “different leadership”—focusing on unity, not division.

  “The story is about unity, about how do you unify again the people of Israel under one umbrella.”
  —Yossi Cohen [35:21]

C. Mossad’s Intelligence Methods—Human vs. Tech

• Cohen credits old-fashioned human intelligence as “the most penetrative element," but says the combination with cutting-edge technology has revolutionized Israeli operations.

  “Combination, or to combine human intelligence with technology is even more lethal than ever.”
  —Yossi Cohen [37:21]

D. Can the Iranian Regime Endure?

• Cohen thinks the regime is both fragile (due to internal opposition) yet highly resilient, thanks to the grip of the Revolutionary Guard and repressive apparatus.

  “It is super hard to succeed... there are huge powers working inside Iran against its own citizens.”
  —Yossi Cohen [39:45]

• Predicts:

  “Ten years from now ... [Iranian regime] will not be there.”
  —Yossi Cohen [40:57]

Notable Quotes by Timestamps

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:30 | Fareed Zakaria | “Members of each party estimated that the support for political violence from the other party was four times higher than it actually was.” | | 08:43 | Hillary Clinton | “They are trying to use [the assassination], along with others of their rationales, to go after their political opponents. And it's very troubling...” | | 11:04 | Hillary Clinton | “We’re only going to have people who salute, do whatever you tell them to do... he’s now surrounded by people that are basically his acolytes or his enablers.” | | 12:08 | Karen Yari Miller| “Volatility when it replaces credibility, that is not a recipe for stability in the long term.” | | 17:54 | Hillary Clinton | “I believe [the Trump White House] was played by Putin... He got to come to the United States. He was treated with all the respect that he thought appropriate... it was a failure on every count.” | | 20:02 | Hillary Clinton | “Trump actually relates to the kind of absolute power that Putin has... Clearly on a path of autocracy in our own country that in some ways reflects his envy...” | | 21:37 | Karen Yari Miller| “Over-personalization of foreign policy to the extent that it's not serving a strategy ... there's a lot of volatility that comes in over-reliance on those face-to-face interactions.” | | 24:42 | António Guterres | “A drastic reduction of peacekeeping operations will have a very negative impact in countries that are still in an effective conflict situation.” | | 26:06 | António Guterres | “The level of death and destruction in Gaza... has no comparison with anything else that I've seen since I am Secretary General.” | | 28:58 | António Guterres | “Never give up in defending the things that you believe in. International law, the Charter, the respect for territorial integrity of states is a fundamental base for a world to be peaceful.” | | 32:49 | Yossi Cohen | “The end of the war is in the hands today of Hamas... If a conclusive deal will be eventually agreed... this will eventually put an end to the war between us.” | | 35:21 | Yossi Cohen | “The story is about unity, about how do you unify again the people of Israel under one umbrella.” | | 37:21 | Yossi Cohen | “Combination, or to combine human intelligence with technology is even more lethal than ever.” | | 39:45 | Yossi Cohen | “It is super hard to succeed... there are huge powers working inside Iran against its own citizens.” | | 40:57 | Yossi Cohen | “[In] ten years... [Iran’s regime] will not be there.” |

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Zakaria opening monologue: [00:32–08:09]
• Clinton & Miller Interview, Part 1 (Political violence, Trump 2.0): [08:09–15:18]
• Clinton & Miller Interview, Part 2 (Leadership, Trump-Putin Summit): [17:11–23:15]
• UN Secretary General António Guterres Interview: [24:03–30:03]
• Yossi Cohen, Mossad former director, Interview: [32:07–41:03]

Memorable Moments & Tone

• Clinton’s clear warning about autocratic tendencies (“right out of the authoritarian playbook” [08:43]).
• Guterres’s open acknowledgment of US funding cuts’ devastating effects ("no comparison... since I am Secretary General" [26:06]).
• Yossi Cohen’s candid admission that all attempts at regime change in Iran have failed (“Absolutely not. It is super hard to succeed.” [39:45]), but his bold, if speculative, ten-year prediction.
• Fareed’s characteristic analytical and calmly probing tone, giving space for nuance and directness from all guests.

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking insight into the dynamics behind America's polarization, the global ramifications of US withdrawal from international institutions, and the brutal calculus of modern Middle Eastern conflicts and diplomacy.