Amanpour

As America prepares to turn 250, organisers had been hoping that the celebrations would bring the country together. The reality though is somewhat different, with many upset that President Trump appears to be making the nation's anniversary about himself. It comes as the Trump administration is continuing to attack America's diverse cultural heritage, and attempting to dictate how the country should view itself. Lonnie G. Bunch III is the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, a role which has often put him at loggerheads with President Trump. Bunch speaks to Christiane about reflecting on America's full and complex history ahead of its anniversary.  

Also on today's show: Dave Eggers, Author, "Contrapposto"; Jon Meacham, Executive Producer, "World War II with Tom Hanks" 

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Search and rescue operations are underway in Kyiv, after the Ukrainian capital was blitzed by Moscow overnight. Today, inspecting some of the devastation in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US and Ukraine have resumed talks to end the war, but he called on President Trump's envoys to finally come and see for themselves. Joining Christiane to discuss this is former NATO Deputy Secretary-General. 

Also on today's show: Ami Ayalon, Former Director, Shin Bet / Former Commander-in-Chief, Israel Navy; Israeli political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin; Jason Stanley, Chair of American Studies, University of Toronto 

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"Unprecedented" is a word often used to described this second Trump presidency. A new book, "Regime Change," gives the inside scoop of the first 14 months of Trump's second term, and has sold more than 300,000 copies since its release last week. Co-authors Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan are both journalists at The New York Times, and they join Christiane to discuss.  

Also on today's show: Rina Amiri, Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights; Anne Neuberger, General Partner and Head of Global Affairs, a16z / Former US Deputy National Security Adviser 

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Two big wins and one big loss for President Trump as the US Supreme Court handed down some major rulings on the last day of its term. In a stinging rebuke, the president's attempt to gut birthright citizenship for millions in America was struck down in a 6-3 vote, invalidating an executive order Trump signed on his first day in office. The court upheld transgender sports bans, allowing states to bar transgender women and girls from playing on female sports teams, and the justices also lifted a Watergate-era cap on campaign spending. David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, and Natasha Sarin, a professor at Yale Law School, join Bianna Golodryga to discuss. 

Also on today's show: Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal // Author, "Our Enemies Will Vanish"; Carlos Barragán, Author, “The Yahoo Boys” 

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The race is tightening in Venezuela to rescue the survivors of the twin earthquakes that struck the country last Wednesday. More than 1,400 people have been confirmed dead, and thousands are in dire need of humanitarian aid. CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon has a report from a rescue site in the hard-hit city of La Guaira and then joins the show from Caracas with the latest. 

Also on today's show: Edward Fishman, Former Russia and Europe Sanctions Lead, US State Department; Martin Smith, Correspondent and Producer, Frontline's "The Crown Prince & the President"; Elizabeth Stordeur, author, "Something We Said" 

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With the US and Iran locked in tense negotiations, are we going back to the future? Former Secretary of State John Kerry discusses the similarities between the Obama and Trump Iran deals. Then, Israel's new Arab-Jewish political party offering a different vision of the country's future. Christiane speak to the brains behind the new effort- Rula Daood & Alon-Lee Green. And, ten years since Britain chose to leave the EU, does the country regret its decision? A report from a Brexit heartland. Also, the acclaimed author Ann Patchett talks about her latest novel, and why she thinks America hasn't turned the page on book banning. Plus, as the World Cup rallies football fans, all over America, Christiane’s report from the 2000 USA-Iran friendly at the Los Angeles Rose Bowl. And ahead of her big comeback at Wimbledon, a special window into Serena Williams’ mindset.

Air date: June 27, 2026

Guests:

John Kerry

Rula Daood & Alon-Lee Green

Ann Patchett

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Summer is officially underway, but in Russian-occupied Crimea, residents are facing fuel shortages, rolling blackouts and cancelled summer camps. It's all part of a new phase in Russia's war, as Ukraine expands its campaign into the invader's heartland. Now the Wall Street Journal reports the Kremlin is pressuring Belarus to open another front as Russia struggles on the battlefield. Joining the show to discuss this is WSJ chief European political correspondent Bojan Pancevski, whose  new book, "The Nord Stream Conspiracy," reveals the inside story about one of the most consequential acts of sabotage in recent history, and the secret team most likely behind it. 

Also on today's show: Wafa Mustafa & Waad Al-Kateab, co-directors, "Maybe Tomorrow"; Cal Newport, Professor of Computer Science, Georgetown University / Host, "Deep Questions" podcast 

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It's a race against time in Venezuela, where rescue teams are frantically searching for survivors after two back-to-back earthquakes, some of the strongest ever recorded in the country. At least 164 people have been killed, according to acting President Delcy Rodriguez, but that number is expected to rise as crews reach hard-hit areas and the full scale of the devastation becomes clear. The heaviest damage appears to be centred in and around the capital Caracas, where people have been heard calling for help, as Mary Triny Mena reports.  

Also on today's show: former US Secretary of State John Kerry; Beeban Kidron, author, "Users"; Michael Scherer, staff writer, The Atlantic 

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on a lightning tour of Persian Gulf allies, trying to shore up support for the US-Iran agreement. But as the negotiations plough on, there are differences about the MOU being expressed publicly by both the Iranian lead negotiators and President Trump. Where will this all settle, and how do the Persian Gulf states view this? Georgetown professor Mehran Kamrava joins Christiane from Doha in Qatar, and Daniel Silverberg, former US National Security Advisor to the House Majority Leader, joins from Washington DC.  

Also on today's show: Alon-Lee Green & Rula Daood, Co-Chairs, A Place for Us All; Michael Auslin, author, “National Treasure” 

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Mass firings are said to be underway at the ODNI, the US intelligence agency created to prevent another 9/11. Donald Trump's temporary pick to head it, Bill Pulte, has no intelligence or security experience. Slimming down the DNI office has been a bipartisan issue, but top Democrats are concerned this week's job slashing could pose a national security risk. White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins the show with details. 

Also on today's show: Daniel Pacheco, Deputy Editor in Chief, La Silla Vacía; Jonathan Freedland, Columnist, The Guardian & Gillian Tett, Columnist, The Financial Times; Yoni Appelbaum, Deputy Executive Editor, The Atlantic 

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