Fareed Zakaria GPS

Today on the show, twenty-five years after 9/11, America is still living with the consequences of the war on terror. It produced major tactical successes, at enormous human and financial cost. Fareed speaks with CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen, author of "All the Presidents’ Wars," about the legacy of America’s war on terror.

Then, Fareed talks to Derek Thompson, host of the podcast “Plain English” and author on Substack, about his deep dive into the “megatrends” that he sees defining the news cycle in 2026 including AI’s impact on jobs and media, social isolation, and global violence.

Finally, there are many signs that liberal democracy itself may be in retreat — from the rise of authoritarianism around the globe to deepening political polarization and declining public trust. At the Aspen Ideas Festival, Fareed sits down for a wide-ranging conversation on the topic with three terrific guests: political scientist Francis Fukuyama, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland and New York Times columnist David French.

GUESTS: Peter Bergen (@peterbergencnn), Derek Thompson (@DKThomp), Francis Fukuyama (@FukuyamaFrancis) Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland), David French (@DavidAFrench)

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What does it mean when a President claims, 'when the president does it, that means it's not illegal'? Unpack the implications with us in our latest special report.
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Today on the show, Trump cut short military drills between the US and South Korea this week, saying that they sent the wrong signal to the "unthreatening and respectful" North Korea. Fareed asks former NSA official and scholar Victor Cha if Trump is throwing over one longtime US ally to court a rogue state...again?

Then, China spends a fraction of what the US does on data centers and lacks the most advanced AI chips. Why, then, does its AI industry appear to be catching up, and rivaling Silicon Valley? Fareed discusses with Evan Osnos, staff writer at the New Yorker.

Later, Fareed speaks to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe about this summer of record heat and raging wildfires in many parts of the world, and climate change’s role in all of it.

Finally, the V-Dem Institute’s latest Democracy Report has downgraded the US from a liberal democracy to an electoral democracy. Why is American democracy in decline? Fareed asks Nobel Prize winning economist Daron Acemoglu.

GUESTS: Victor Cha (@VictorDCha); Evan Osnos (@eosnos); Katharine Hayhoe (@KHayhoe); Daron Acemoglu (@DAcemogluMIT)
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Today on the show, President Trump's plane switch after last month's NATO summit was said to be in response to an assassination threat from Iran. It begs the question: How credible are Iran's threats against the president and, more broadly, against the United States? Fareed asks David Sanger of the New York Times.

Then, it’s been five years since the US’ tumultuous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Fareed talks to Jason Kander, a veteran of America’s war there, about what has happened to the thousands of Afghan allies who aided American forces during the war but are now trapped in the country under Taliban rule.

Later, Fareed speaks with Asutosh Padhi, a senior partner at McKinsey about why despite the hype, AI has yet to dramatically reshape the way many businesses operate, or deliver meaningful returns.

Finally, worries of mass layoffs thanks to AI haven’t materialized yet, but what happens if those fears become reality? Fareed asks former US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

GUESTS: David Sanger (@SangerNYT), Jason Kander (@JasonKander), Asutosh Padhi, Gina Raimondo (@GinaRaimondo)

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When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling investigation that takes her from the Mississippi parking lot where he died to Washington, D.C. to unravel the mystery: Why did Ilya abruptly leave his family and his job and head for the border with laptops and cash? Why is there still no official explanation of his death? And maybe most importantly: Was Ilya a spy?
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