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Leon Panetta
Foreign.
Jim Acosta
Welcome, everybody, to the Jim Acosta Show. This is a special edition, a bonus edition of the Jim Acosta Show. And our a very special guest this hour is the former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Secretary Panetta, great to see you. It's been a while. You and I've had lots of good chats over the years. It's great to catch up.
Leon Panetta
It's great, great to see you, Jim. And we don't have to do this on a Saturday morning or afternoon, depending on what show you were working.
Jim Acosta
That's right. That's right. This is a little more convenient. So it's perfect. And you know, in this independent media audience, when I put it out there that you were coming on, I think folks were just absolutely delighted because there are so many people out there, Mr. Secretary, and I'm not blowing any smoke or anything, who just very much admire you and think that you're just one of the, you know, always been one of the bright lights in the Democratic Party on this critical issue of national security. So I really appreciate you doing this.
Leon Panetta
Sure. Yeah. I look forward to it, Jim. Yeah, it's, you know, it's good therapy for both of us, very frankly.
Jim Acosta
I think so. And the audience, too. I think that's, that's the key part. There's an audience for this.
Leon Panetta
You got it.
Jim Acosta
And, you know, we're live on substack now. We'll play it later on other platforms. But, but right now, Mr. Secretary, I mean, I guess the first, we just have to jump into this and talk about what we've seen over the last week. You know, Donald Trump is threatening the NATO allies. He's saying he's, you know, he's hinting that he's going to invade a place like Greenland, which is a territory that is, of course, owned by Denmark, part of the NATO alliance, which would, of course trigger Article 5. I mean, you know, it's been a nutty week. He goes to Davos, pulls back, and a lot of people say it's a taco. The Trump always chickens out thing. And, but he's still saying things like, well, you know, I have this agreement with the, with the allies saying that I get parts of their territory that, you know, I've been promised that. It's, he's just all over the place. And I'm just curious, what are your thoughts? We'll dive into this, you know, a little bit here and there, but what are your overall thoughts on what we've witnessed this week?
Leon Panetta
Well, you know, if you, I, I usually do this because, you Know, I've been over 50 years in public life, and, yeah, in one job or another. But I really. I think we've got to put this in the larger context, you know, because what I. What I see happening is that roughly 80, 82 years of foreign policy by the United States, going back to World War II, where, frankly, whether you were a Republican president or a Democratic president, you basically had the same principles when it came to foreign policy. Both strongly supported alliances, particularly NATO, but other alliances as well. Both. Both believed that we had to work together with other countries in order to be able to protect our security. Both believe that you had to stand up to tyrants in. In the world. And. And the bottom line was that there was an order to it, a strategy to it, a stability to that approach. And now all of that has been kind of stood on its head as Trump implements his approach, which is obviously chaos, unpredictability, disruption, and a lot of instability. I mean, he's basically walked away from the important alliances that we have, particularly NATO. He's been very critical. This isn't even America first anymore. It's America alone kind of going in alone in the world. And his whole approach, you know, it's based on this Miller idea that power is everything, regardless of your values, regardless of democracy, that you can kind of bully your way to get what you want. And so that's what the president has done, using threats, using possible military action. And, you know, the problem with that is that people are beginning to recognize that, wait a minute, you know, this is not going to happen. China kind of set. Set the rules. China took them on. On tariffs, basically won that battle by being very tough and by showing that America's economy could be. Could be hurt badly by their actions. And now Europe unified to basically say, no, you're not. We are not going to allow you to just simply take Greenland. Greenland. And, you know, he applied tariffs at the market, went crazy, and eventually he decided it was time to back off. Now he says there's some kind of deal. Who knows what kind of deal is really there? He hears what he wants to hear, but the bottom line is that it's very unstable. And more importantly, America's credibility has been undermined. I mean, when the president keeps saying things are going to happen and then he backs off, very frankly, it hurts the credibility of the United States of America, and it basically weakens us. So I think we're at a stage where I worry a great deal in a very dangerous world about whether the United States understands that its ability to provide World leadership has been critical to dealing with national security, and that's not there anymore. Right.
Jim Acosta
And that's what is, I think, very troubling about all of this. And in addition to all of that, he's, he's really irritated the allies to the point where they're, they're kind of hopping mad. The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, put out a very strong statement today. That's in addition to what Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, was saying, was what Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was saying. And then Donald Trump goes on the airwaves of Fox and he insults the NATO allies and suggests that they really didn't do a whole lot during the war in Afghanistan, which, as you know, is not the case. But let's play a little bit of what Donald Trump said on Fox and get you to respond to that.
Donald Trump
But I've always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? And that's really the ultimate test. And I'm not sure of that. I know that we would have been there or we would be there, but will they be there? And let's hope that that never happens. We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan or this or that, and they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines. But we've been very good to Europe and to many other countries. And, you know, now under my administration, that began because we had a very successful.
Jim Acosta
I mean, Mr. Secretary, you can hear there, he says that they were a little off the front lines. That's not true. 457 Brits died in Afghanistan, 165 Canadians and 44 Danes, just. Just to name a few countries.
Leon Panetta
Yeah, no, that's, I mean, this is a. No, this is the version of Trump that basically ignores history, ignores the facts, ignores truth. And he's just talking to be talking very frankly as opposed to really saying what is important. And I have to tell you that as a former Secretary of defense with our forces in Afghanistan, when I would go to Afghanistan, I saw our NATO allies there on the front lines fighting and, and dying alongside Americans. NATO showed up when we needed them. When 9, 11 happened, NATO said, we're going in and we're going to help protect the United States. Maybe Trump has forgotten that. The American people have not forgotten that. And particularly our men and women in uniform who were out there fighting alongside NATO did not forget that. So, you know, it's this version of history that doesn't relate to the facts, doesn't relate to what really happened, but is Trump's way to try to somehow justify the kind of criticisms he made of NATO in Davos. And so he's basically trying to undermine their credibility. When I think most Americans know, as I said, going back to World War II, that NATO, created by Harry Truman in order to stop the Soviet Union from advancing in Europe, created an alliance that is the strongest alliance on Earth of the United States and all of those countries willing to stand up and do what's right. And that's the reality. That's the fact that. And we cannot walk away from that. That's the bottom line. The United States, if it walks away from our NATO allies, it weakens itself not only in terms of our security, but in terms of the security of the world as well.
Jim Acosta
Yeah. And he was claiming after he basically left Davos with his tail between his legs, that he had this security agreement for the Arctic and for Greenland, and that Greenland was going to. The Danes were going to give us more control of certain pieces of their territory in Greenland and so on, and that this was going to provide for overall security in that. In that region, in that part of the world. Don't we already sort of have that with NATO? I've been saying on my show, we already have Greenland. I mean, in a sense, we don't own Greenland, but we already have Greenland. So this whole exercise was just, you know, to me, it never made any sense from a security standpoint.
Leon Panetta
It never made any sense. It's a waste of time. And frankly, it damages the United States in terms of our credibility. Because the fact is, I mean, what he's been saying about wanting to take control of Greenland, wanting to take control of Canada, wanting to take control of Mexico and whatever else in order to protect our security. The bottom line is those countries are willing to work with us to protect our mutual security. Right now we have a base in Greenland, not because we took it, but because Greenland was willing to give us the ability to locate forces in Greenland in order to protect us against the Russians and Chinese and to provide Arctic security that's there. They're willing to do more. Denmark's made that clear. They're willing to do more. If we want to be able to provide even more security, we don't have to take over Greenland. They're willing to allow us to have forces there in order to secure ourselves. Canada is the same. You know, I had a very close relationship with the Defense Minister in Canada. We worked together, we provided security together. We were we were able to exercise together. The Canadians always showed up wherever we needed them throughout history. We have a great relationship with Canada. We. Even for presidents who had trade problems, this isn't the first guy that may problems with Canada, but past presidents were able to sit down and negotiate trade agreements with Canada that basically resolved our issues. And the same thing's true for Mexico. So the question here is whether President of the United States is going to be willing to roll up his sleeves, sit down, make negotiate with the countries that are willing to work with us and find agreements and find security, or whether he's simply going to try to bully them and bluster them and threaten them, and then when they say no, he's going to criticize them. The way he's criticized Canada, the way he's criticized NATO and the way he's criticized others. Look, we live in a dangerous world. We live in a dangerous world, and the main threats in that world are not worrying about Greenland, not worrying about Canada. The real threats are whether we're going to confront China, which is today building a strong military and going after every area where the United States has now surrendered our capabilities. We gave up trade. We gave up the ability to really try to work with other countries. And so China's basically stepping in and taking advantage of that. China loves the fact that the president is undermining the NATO alliance. Russia loves the fact that this president is undermining the NATO alliance. So the principal adversaries we have are China, Russia, what they're doing in Ukraine, North Korea, which is continuing to expand their nuclear capability and threaten not only the Pacific, but the United States, Iran, which continues to be an unstable country in the Middle east, and terrorism, isis, al Qaeda, and others that continue to threaten attacks on the United States. I mean, those are the issues we ought to be working with others to protect our world against. And the best way to do that is to build alliances and to support alliances. And instead he's walking away from the very thing we need to do in order to protect our national security.
Jim Acosta
Yeah, and he's. I mean, speaking of building alliances, he claims he's. He's putting together this Board of Peace, but it's composed of countries that are not necessarily America's best friends. And then he put out a truth social post saying, dear Prime Minister Carney, please let this letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada joining the Board of Peace, whatever that is. What do you make of this whole Board of Peace thing and the fact that it has Russia and China. I'm waiting for him to invite Kim Jong Un at this point.
Leon Panetta
Yeah, I mean, this is another approach that Trump loves to take because it basically undermines all of the relationships that are out there, whether it's the un, whether it's our alliances, whether it's other things. He basically pushes all of that aside and says, I'm going to create a board of peace here, and you got to put up a billion dollars to be a member of this board of peace. And so you've got 36 countries that are supposed to be a board of peace and deal with Gaza when the fundamental problem right now is that we cannot get Hamas to disarm. They're not going to do a damn thing with regards to Gaza until we get Hamas to disarm. And that isn't based on a board of 36 countries. They're not even willing to put troops into Gaza in order to provide peace. So it turns into a PR event that absolutely does not have a strategy as to what exactly is going to happen in the future. And, you know, I just think that when you're dealing with crises like what's going to happen in the Middle east, what's going to happen with Gaza, you got to be serious minded about it. You've got to be willing to sit down with Israel, you've got to be willing to sit down with other countries in the Middle east, not just have the whole world jump into a peace forum, but work with the players that are there that want peace. I mean, he should be working on the Abraham Accords, for goodness sakes.
Jim Acosta
Right?
Leon Panetta
That's where you build a real coalition in the Middle east that can make a difference. I mean, when you have Saudi Arabia and the UAE and other moderate Arab countries working with Israel, working with the United States, that's how you stand up to terrorists, that's how you stand up to Hamas. That's how you basically stand up to Iran. But instead of doing that, he's creating this creature, and for him, it sounds good because it's a billion dollars. You know, a person, it's like, it's like saying, well, they're putting their money where their mouth is. And yet there's no strategy here. I mean, that's the one thing that has always concerned me about this president, is that he will. He's very disruptive, he loves chaos. But I don't see a strategy for what you ultimately want as a result. Yeah, and every president I've known, when they take a step that produces some kind of crisis, they have a strategy for where the hell it's supposed to go.
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
Leon Panetta
With this president, I'm not sure about any step that he takes that's going to ultimately result in some kind of rational conclusion.
Jim Acosta
And can you really get to peace in the Middle east without a Palestinian state? Should he be, I mean, does the conversation at some point need to get back to a two state solution?
Leon Panetta
No, absolutely. I think we all know that ultimately, if you're going to get Saudi Arabia and the UAE and other countries in that part of the world to cooperate, they've got to be convinced that we're going to work towards a Palestinian state. And we all know that the ultimate resolution of what has been a long and tragic history in the Middle east, going back to the creation of Israel, that every few years war is going to break out unless you ultimately provide some kind of homeland for the Palestinians. And we've known that. When I worked with Bill Clinton, he knew that that was the case. Other presidents have worked on that other presidents thought it was too hard to deal with, so they walked away from it. But the bottom line is that ultimately the ability of the United States to work with other countries to establish some kind of Palestinian state is the key to trying to find some kind of permanent solution to the divisions in that part of the world. That's critical.
Jim Acosta
Yeah. And you mentioned China. But it seems to me dealing with Putin is a big part of this, too. And I mean, getting back to our earlier conversation, you know, threatening NATO, talking about a board of peace, not dealing with Ukraine, you know, they've had this, this peace process almost. It feels like a name only when it comes to, you know, figuring out how to stop the fighting in Ukraine. And I've said this on my show, and I don't know how you feel about this, but it just seems to me that at every turn, it seems like at almost every turn, what Trump does favors Putin is a plus, is a win for Putin. If somebody could draw me a picture of a situation where Trump does something that hurts Putin, I would love to. I would, I would, I would mention that, but I don't particularly see that personally.
Leon Panetta
Well, that's, it's been very disappointing because, you know, as director of the CIA, I can tell you that when you look at the intelligence with regards to Russia and Putin, that they have one goal and that's to undermine the United States of America and to weaken us. That's their constant focus, is to undermine our democracy. And they, you know, they've been doing that and continuing to do that. And it is absolutely critical to have presidents who are willing to stand up to tyrants like Putin. Here's Putin invading a sovereign democracy, something that hasn't happened since Hitler marched into Europe and marched into Czechoslovakia and Poland and other countries. The world came together to stop Hitler from doing that. And here we have the opportunity to work with our NATO allies to stop Putin from succeeding in an invasion of a sovereign democracy, which is something the United States should care a lot about. That's what we are. It isn't just about power. It's about democracy. It's about the values of democracy. And here are Ukrainians who want to self govern, they want their own country, and they're willing to put their lives on the line to protect that country. And here we have a president who simply. I mean, even when it looks like we have an opportunity to get a ceasefire, he will not penalize Russia for walking away from that. Walking away from that. And, and the one message I always knew was real when it came to dealing with Putin is that he does not understand. Pretty please. He takes that as weakness. He assumes that if you're not willing to stand up to him, that you're weak and that he can basically have whatever he wants. And that's what he thinks about the United States right now. And that the only, what, the only thing he understands is force. And that's why the United States needs to say to Putin, we are going to provide the weapons to Zelensky, we are going to help support him, we are going to provide the air defense, we're going to give him whatever he needs in order to make sure that you do not succeed. That's what the President of the United States should have said a long time ago. And I think the fact that he doesn't say that sends a message to Putin that ultimately, if he sticks to it, he can have his way.
Jim Acosta
Yeah. And we were showing at the beginning of this, this meme, this post that Trump put on Truth Social, that shows the Western Hemisphere with the American flag basically draped all over Greenland and Canada, all the way down to Venezuela and so on. And based on what you were just saying a few moments ago, it makes me wonder what you think of the concept that is bandied about, that Trump and Putin and Xi, what they really all want is sort of this world where they each control a chunk of the globe. They have their sphere of influence. We have the Western Hemisphere. Putin has Europe, much of Europe, she has Asia. Is that what Trump's game is here? Is that, Is that, is that the game Here. Well, you know, maybe that's giving him too much credit. I don't know, it may go back to chaos like you said.
Leon Panetta
I mean, you can kind of draw that conclusion that he's got this big picture idea of dividing up the world. But again, the problem is that the United States is respected, was respected in the world, not only because we have the strongest military on the face of the earth, but because of our values and who we are as a people. Because we believe in democracy, we believe in free speech, we believe in the right of assembly, we believe that people ought to be able to self govern themselves. We believe in democracy, we believe that people ought to be able to achieve the kind of dignity that all human beings need, which is to be able to govern themselves. That's what America's about. That's what the United States is about. That's what we're celebrating. 250 years.
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
Leon Panetta
Because, you know, people were willing to stand up and say, no, we've got to be able to govern ourselves and we've got to be able to create a democracy where people are free to be able to do exactly that. And so if you just kind of stand back and say, oh, that Putin, who's a tyrant, and Xi, who's the tyrant, and Kim Jong Un, who's another tyrant, can basically divide up the world and create autocracies that basically make clear that their people will not have the freedom to be able to govern themselves, then the United States is frankly selling out, selling out democracy to these autocrats in the world. It's as if, you know, it, it's a, it's another version of Munich, it's another version of Chamberlain, basically cutting some kind of deal that achieves short terms peace in order to give these autocrats the power they want in order to control their sphere of influence. And frankly, that is not with the United States should stand for.
Jim Acosta
Yeah, yeah. And it, and it has, it's led us into two world wars. That kind of mentality, that kind of thinking. And I don't want to take up all of your afternoon, you're out there in California, but I warned you ahead of time that I was going to ask you about this. And I have to ask you because we haven't talked in a while and I was just wondering, just on a lighthearted note, back during the 2024 convention, which feels like a million years ago, the Democratic National Convention convention, there was all this buzz around the halls of the United center in Chicago that Beyonce was going to come and speak to the Democratic Faithful there in Chicago. And then it ended up being Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense, former CIA director, former White House Chief of staff. What was that like? Do you remember? What was all of that like? Did. Did you hear this Beyonce rumor? And did they say, well, we can't get Beyonce? Leon, you're on. Get out there.
Leon Panetta
I got it. I got to tell you that I remember, you know, as I was. Had been invited to speak and that I. I kept looking at, you know, when I would speak, and. And they kept moving the speech closer and closer to the final night and. And the final speeches that were there, and I thought, what the hell's going on? I mean, is national security suddenly going to become predominant in terms of this? And I guess I was. I remember going to the convention and, you know, preparing to speak, and I remember people coming up to me and saying, where's Beyonce? Where's Beyonce? I don't know. Where is Beyonce? Because I'd like to see her, too. Yeah, where is she? And I remember finally asking somebody in the convention, saying, you know, what's going on? Is Beyonce coming in? And they said, no, no, but there's a rumor out there that she's going to. She's going to speak. And. And we haven't said no to it because it's been a great attraction for people to be able to be there. So I can tell you, you know, when this little son of Italian immigrants walked out there to speak, I'm sure it was a disappointment to a hell of a lot of people.
Jim Acosta
Well, we just put up on screen, Leon, say. So that's. That's. That's.
Donald Trump
Maybe that.
Jim Acosta
That could be your new nickname, Leon. But. But, I mean. But national security should be important, and it's something that Americans don't pay enough attention to, and it's why we rely on folks like you, Mr. Secretary, and you among so many and above so many in this country. It's just a real pleasure always to talk with you, always to hear your pearls of wisdom, and I hope we could do it again sometime when we can wrangle you onto this show. But always great to catch up with you, sir.
Leon Panetta
Well, Jim, it's great to have the opportunity to. To see you and talk with you, and I always commend you for your journalistic courage and strength, and we miss you on the big scene. But frankly, I know you're doing well, and as long as you get the right message out to the American people, I think you fulfill your commitment of being a great journalist.
Jim Acosta
So thank you for what you're doing, I appreciate that. That means a lot. And to me, I feel like independent media, what we're doing, doing here is on the forefront of trying to preserve democracy, try to protect democracy, be there as kind of a place where folks don't have to hear the both sides that sort of take us down the path of like bland jumbo, jumbo.
Leon Panetta
You know, I Talked about the 250th anniversary of this country and you know, it's very clear. Our forefathers were very clear. They didn't want to centralize power in a king or a king parliament or a star chamber court. And our checks and balances are not working the way they should. But one of our checks and balances that continues to work is the freedom of the press. And I really commend people in your business for continuing to provide the news to the American people. Because when people know the truth, that's what gives me a lot of confidence that ultimately our democracy will survive.
Jim Acosta
Yeah, yeah. It doesn't survive without the truth. That's. There's no question about it. Mr. Secretary. Leon, great to see you as always. Thanks so much. This is a real pleasure, real thrill for me. Thanks for doing it.
Leon Panetta
Thank you. Take care. Right.
Jim Acosta
You as well. Thank you. That's Leon Panetta on the program, the special bonus edition of the Jim Acosta show. And folks, I mean, this is, I mean, as we were just saying a few moments ago with the secretary, I mean, this is what independent media is all about. You don't get many opportunities on cable or on corporate media, even on public television, really, honestly, all that much to hear from somebody, a newsmaker like Leon Panetta, for What, the last 30 minutes? Just talk about the whole world, the big picture, where we are as a country right now, how we are alienating our allies, the way that Donald Trump is, is doing real damage to the NATO alliance who is just serving up opportunity after opportunity to Vladimir Putin and Russia and we can, and the rise of China and so many of these important issues, the Middle east and the importance of a two state solution in the Middle East. I mean, it just really is important to have these kinds of conversations and we can't do these kinds of conversations, can't have this kind of coverage unless we have the support from folks like yourself. So I know I'm sounding like a pledge drive these days, but I, I'm going to say it's good medicine for all of us to hear it once again, that it is important to subscribe, if you can afford it, to Be a paid subscriber on places like substack, on YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. It always helps if you share these programs. If you like them, tell your neighbors about them, tell your friends and family about them. It all matters. It all adds up to supporting an independent media that is thriving. But I just have to say, after listening to the secretary, you know, it makes you wonder, you know, what life would be like in this country if we had people like Leon Panetta running things as opposed to what we have right now. Has anybody given that any careful thought or analysis? Maybe make that your homework assignment this weekend or, you know, find somebody who's maybe center or center right leaning and, and say, you know, there's a lot of stupidity out there on the airwaves these days and a lot of public officials trying to justify things in really not very clear or rational ways. And just say, you know, just listen to Leon Panetta. Talk to Jim for 30 minutes and let me know what you think. And let's talk about this. I mean, the fact that Leon Panetta is, and he said this. Yeah. Remember when presidents were rational. Remember we had, Remember when we had a secretary of defense that we felt good about in this country? I mean, Leon Panetta was the secretary of defense. Leon Panetta, Pete Hegseth, you know, let's. Do we really want to do that kind of compare and contrast? DONALD TRUMP I don't think we want to do that kind of compare and contrast. That doesn't work too well for MAGA to have that kind of compare and contrast. But it is important to think about these big issues and where America's place is in the world right now. And I think the way Leon boiled it down there at the very end of this is extremely important. The United States of America should always. And this is, this is where we get our mojo, folks. This is where we get our mojo should always be about preserving and protecting democracy on the world stage. The United States of America is always supposed to be the leading the fight, the tip of the spear when it comes to preserving and protecting democracy on the world stage. And what did we see over the last week? Did it sound like Donald Trump was on the march carrying the banner for democracy on the world stage in Davos? No, of course not. He sounded like a small and petty man with grievances and corrupt ideas about how to run the world. And that's just not America's place. That's not America's role. It's not the, that's not the role. And the place in the world that people like Leon Panetta came up with in this country. I mean, that is not the America that we all know and love. And so it's something to think about going into this weekend. It's something to think about as you go into these conversations over the next several months of this 250th anniversary of America, as Leon was talking about. It's something to think about, something to talk about with our friends and family. Doesn't it make a difference? Doesn't it matter that America is at the forefront of democracy, that America is leading the fight for democracy? Doesn't that make sense? Doesn't that speak to something inside of you that makes sense? That sounds right. That just, that is your jam. It, it does for me that that's my jam. And when Donald Trump is talking about, well, we're just going to take pieces of Greenland and, you know, and Europe, you really didn't do that much during the war in Afghanistan. In what way does that advance the cause of democracy around the world? Vladimir Putin can be all about thugocracy and kleptocracy and having secret police and just being anything but being all about democracy. He can just go out there and be a dictator, an autocrat and authoritarian. That's his jam. That's his thing. That's what he does. Xi Jinping has no interest. The Chinese have no interest in democracy whatsoever. And so if the United States of America abandons the cause of democracy, what happens to the rest of the world? These are the issues, these are the kinds of challenges that people like Leon Panetta, the serious national security people in this world that they wrestle with every day. And it's something that the rest of us just have stopped thinking about and stopped caring about. And so it's good to have somebody like Leon on the program to remind us of what matters. The United States of America, being a leader for democracy on the world stage, that matters. It should matter, should matter to all of us. My thanks to Leon Ped for joining me on this special edition, this bonus episode of the Jim Acosta Show. Hope you enjoyed it. That's what I'm planning on doing more of these into 2026, so stay tuned for all of that. We'll have more of these bonus special episodes in the days and months and weeks to come. So stay tuned for that. In the meantime, still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Have a great weekend. I'll see you next time.
Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Jim Acosta
Guest: Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, and White House Chief of Staff
In this wide-ranging special edition, Jim Acosta and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta examine how former President Donald Trump's foreign policies have moved the United States from a tradition of robust alliances and world leadership to an “America Alone” posture. They address Trump’s threats against NATO, bizarre territorial ambitions, damage to U.S. credibility, the erosion of democratic alliances, and the global implications for security, democracy, and stability.
Bipartisan Tradition of Alliances:
From ‘America First’ to ‘America Alone’:
Undermining U.S. Credibility:
Trump’s Greenland Provocation:
Allied Outrage:
“I saw our NATO allies there on the front lines fighting and dying alongside Americans. NATO showed up when we needed them.”
—Leon Panetta (08:07)
Damage to Existing Security Arrangements:
Alienating Canada and Mexico:
The Real Global Threats:
“When you’re dealing with crises like...what's going to happen with Gaza, you've got to be serious minded about it. You've got to be willing to sit down with Israel, sit down with other countries in the Middle East, not just...have the whole world jump into a peace forum.”
—Leon Panetta (16:57)
“The only thing [Putin] understands is force...That’s what the President of the United States should have said a long time ago.”
—Leon Panetta (22:58)
“If you stand back and say...Putin, who's a tyrant, and Xi, who's the tyrant...can basically divide up the world and create autocracies...then the United States is frankly selling out democracy.”
—Leon Panetta (25:28)
Panetta’s Core Summary:
“This isn't even America first anymore. It's America alone.”
(04:36)
NATO’s Sacrifice in Afghanistan:
“I saw our NATO allies there on the front lines fighting and dying alongside Americans.”
(08:07)
On U.S. Credibility:
“America’s credibility has been undermined...it basically weakens us.”
(05:56)
On Trump’s Bullying Foreign Policy:
“He’s simply going to try to bully them and bluster them and threaten them, and then when they say no, he’s going to criticize them.”
(12:43)
On American Values vs. Autocracy:
“If you...say...Putin...and Xi...can divide up the world and create autocracies...then the United States is frankly selling out democracy.”
(25:28)
On the Press and Democracy:
“One of our checks and balances that continues to work is the freedom of the press...When people know the truth, that’s what gives me a lot of confidence that ultimately our democracy will survive.”
(30:13)
| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:19 | Panetta outlines shift from US alliances to America Alone | | 07:01 | Trump's Fox News statement about NATO’s commitment | | 08:07 | Panetta rebuts Trump, citing NATO’s history in Afghanistan | | 10:45 | On the absurdity of Greenland controversy | | 13:43 | Refocusing on real global threats (China, Russia, Iran, etc.)| | 15:33 | The flaws in Trump’s “Board of Peace” | | 18:54 | Necessity of a two-state solution in the Middle East | | 20:49 | Trump’s actions favoring Putin | | 23:38 | Spheres of influence: values vs. power | | 27:37 | Beyoncé at the DNC rumor—light moment | | 30:12 | Role of independent media and the press |
This episode is candid, direct, and at times urgent in tone, but features moments of warmth and humor amid the heavy topics. Panetta and Acosta both stress the existential stakes for democracy when U.S. leadership falters and conclude that the press and independent truth-telling are democracy’s last line of defense.