Are We Sleepwalking into an Autocracy?

Amanpour

CNN

News

4.2 • 929 Ratings

🗓️ 31 January 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Donald Trump's unprecedented power grab since regaining the presidency challenges the strength of democratic institutions to act as checks and balances. It's the kind of struggle that Norm Eisen and Kim Lane Scheppele have observed closely outside America. Eisen was US Ambassador to the Czech Republic and served as a counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, and Princeton professor Scheppele worked as a researcher at the Hungarian constitutional court. They join the show to discuss their recent New York Times opinion piece, "Are We Sleepwalking Into Autocracy?" Also on today's show: Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui, co-directors, "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story"; journalist/author Chris Hayes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:33.3	Hello everyone and welcome to Amunport. Here's what's coming up.
0:40.3	He promised to be a dictator on day one.
0:44.1	He fulfilled that promise by trying to rewrite the Constitution.
0:52.3	Stark warnings about sleepwalking into autocracy from former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, Norm Eisen,
0:55.5	and expert Princeton professor Kim Lane Shepley then I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to
1:01.0	persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles Superman the Christopher Reeves story
1:09.2	the first authorized documentary that charts the actor's life and the accident that changed it.
1:15.2	I speak to directors Ian Bonnott and Peter Etedgi.
1:18.8	Plus, author and journalist Chris Hayes tells Haris Srinavasan about his new book, The Sirens Call.
1:25.1	The Sirens Call.
1:43.7	Welcome to the program, everyone. I'm Christiana Wanpur in London. Donald Trump has been testing presidential power to the limit in the couple of weeks. He's been back in the White House. But the courts and legislative branch have begun an immediate pushback and with some success. By Wednesday, just two days after ordering it, the White House rescinded Trump's plan to freeze federal aid.
2:03.9	This, after a judge, temporarily blocked another Trump order, which was to end birthright citizenship.
2:10.3	This unprecedented power grab is shaping up into a serious constitutional showdown,
2:16.2	and it's challenging the strength of the democratic institutions
2:19.3	to act as checks and balances. It's the kind of struggle my first guest tonight have observed
2:25.3	closely outside America and now are asking whether America is quote sleepwalking into autocracy.
2:33.3	Norm Eisen was U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic
	...

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