A Charlie Rose Global Conversation

We begin tonight a series of conversations about the United States military’s mission to arrest the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and bring him to the United States for trial on drug charges. Is it part of the controversial new initiative in American foreign policy?We start with Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times. He is one of the world’s most influential foreign affairs columnists and a speaker at conferences around the world. His ideas are read and sought out by influential leaders in capitals everywhere. His subject is global affairs in all its reality—from war and peace to politics, technology, climate, and biology—as well as the strategy and motivation of the leaders whose actions drive the forces that determine the future. He is the recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes and the author of seven books.This is an important moment to consider the consequences of the United States’ action.Throughout the multiple conversations, we will ask many questions about the mission, including why it was undertaken, the role of oil, what happens now, and the impact on China, Russia, Iran, Europe, and other nations in Latin America. Is it the first of other missions regarding the Western Hemisphere, part of a renewal of the Monroe Doctrine?

* This conversation was recorded on Dec 22nd 2025, before the events in Venezuela. We hope to follow up with David Ignatius soon on Venezuela and more.America is at an interesting moment.We are approaching one year into the second Trump administration and are one quarter of the way through the 21st century. On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate our 250th birthday. I am asking a series of extraordinary Americans - many without fame or fortune, and coming from prose and poetry - to help take the temperature of America in 2026.What is the American idea?What do we stand for?What values do we need to remind ourselves of?How is this country doing politically, economically, culturally, and as a force for good around the world?David Ignatius is the internationally admired foreign affairs columnist and associate editor at The Washington Post.He joined the paper in 1986, later served as foreign editor, and has written his twice-weekly column since 1998 - more than 25 years.From 2000 to 2003, he was executive editor of the International Herald Tribune in Paris, while continuing to write his column.Earlier in his career, he was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering the State Department, the Justice Department, the CIA, and the Middle East.He is the author of twelve spy novels, including Agents of Innocence, his first - considered by many who know the agency to be the best description ever written of spycraft and the CIA.Born into a family shaped by public service, educated at Harvard and King’s College, Cambridge, and based in Washington for much of his professional life, he has had a front-row seat to America’s actions in the world.

Freedom was at the heart of America 250 years ago on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Freedom of speech was recognized as an American right. It was essential to the responsibility of journalism in America to hold power accountable. How was journalism doing as America celebrates its 250th birthday, enters the second quarter of the 21st century and the second year of the second Donald Trump presidency. Martin "Marty" Barron is America's most celebrated newspaper editor lionized in the Academy Award film spotlight as the executive editor of the Boston Globe, which received a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for its coverage of the Boston Catholic sexual abuse scandal. In January 2013, he became executive editor of the Washington Post, which was purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos from the legendary Graham family after the death of Katherine Graham. During his editorship, the Washington Post received a number of Pulitzer prizes.Baron retired in early 2021 and wrote his memoir, Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post. He was also executive editor of the Miami Herald and has worked at the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. He has received many journalism honors in addition to the Pulitzer Prizes.

Rob ReinerFrank GehryTom StoppardBill MoyersDiane KeatonJane GoodallRobert RedfordDavid LynchVal KilmerGene HackmanRoberta FlackRichard Chamberlain Terence StampJim LovellGeorge Foreman Charles Rangel Sam MooreJules FeifferBrian WilsonAthol FugardDick CheneyFrederick SmithJames WatsonEdmund White

Fareed Zakaria has spent decades explaining the forces shaping the modern world, and America’s place within it.He is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN, a weekly international affairs program he has anchored since 2008. He writes a weekly foreign affairs column for The Washington Post. He previously served as Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs and as Editor of Newsweek International.Zakaria is the author of four books: The Future of Freedom (2003), The Post-American World (2008), Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World (2020), and Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present (2024).Born in India, educated at Yale and Harvard, and shaped by the experience of becoming American, he has spent his career thinking about how democracies function, how power is used, and how ideas shape the course of history.

America is at an extraordinary moment in its history.We are one quarter of the way through the 21st century, and in 2026 we will celebrate our 250th birthday.I am asking a series of extraordinary Americans - many without fame or fortune, speaking from lived experience as well as poetry - to take the temperature of America in 2026.What is the American idea?What do we stand for?Which values do we need to remind ourselves of?How is this country doing politically, economically, culturally, and as a force for good in the world?Walter Isaacson has long served as one of America’s great interpreters of ideas, leadership, creativity, and power.He has held senior leadership roles at some of the most influential institutions in American media and civic life, including Editor of TIME, Chairman and CEO of CNN, and President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. He is currently a Professor of History at Tulane University.Isaacson is the author of nine books, including acclaimed biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Elon Musk.His newest book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, steps back from biography to focus on a single line from the Declaration of Independence:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”It is a sentence that has echoed throughout American history—invoked by Lincoln at Gettysburg, challenged by generations who saw its promise unfulfilled, and returned to again and again during moments of national crisis.As America approaches its 250th birthday, Isaacson asks what that sentence still means - and whether it can continue to bind a deeply divided nation.Born in New Orleans, educated at Harvard, and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Isaacson has spent a lifetime examining how societies innovate, how democracies endure, and how human creativity advances both science and freedom.Walter Isaacson has been - and is - many things:father, husband, teacher, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard graduate, TV commentator, journalist, editor, writer, son of New Orleans, CEO, and yes, biographer - often chosen by the famous when they want their story told.He has been described as a bridge between power and ideas, science and the humanities, the past and the future, and creators and consumers.

America is at an interesting moment. We are one quarter of the way through the 21st century, and in 2026 we will celebrate our 250th birthday. I am asking a series of extraordinary Americans—many without fame or fortune, but rich in experience and poetry—to take the temperature of America in 2026.What is the American idea?What do we stand for?What values do we need to remind ourselves of?How is this country doing politically, economically, culturally, and as a force for good in the world?Bret Stephens has emerged as a translator between the American establishment of both parties and the conservative rank and file, making him a sharp guide to the nation’s path forward. In 2017, he joined The New York Times as an opinion columnist, after a distinguished career at The Wall Street Journal, where he served as deputy editorial page editor from 2015 to 2017. Prior to that, he was a foreign affairs columnist at the Journal and received the Pulitzer Prize in 2013.At just 28 years old, Stephens became editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post, a role he held from 2002 to 2005. Born in New York and raised in Mexico City, he is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics. He has long championed the classical liberal order—free enterprise, free trade, free speech, and the preservation of democratic institutions.In his 2014 book America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder, Stephens warned of the consequences of diminished American leadership. As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, his recent books, columns, and articles reflect a notable evolution in his thinking. He has increasingly analyzed the presidency of Donald Trump not as a historical accident, but as the product of deeper political, economic, and cultural forces.Stephens has argued that part of the Democratic Party’s defeat stemmed from a growing divide between the “economy of words”—lawyers, journalists, and academics—and the “economy of things,” including manufacturers and service workers. He has also become a fierce critic of what he sees as intellectual rot within elite universities, particularly around antisemitism and the erosion of free speech.And perhaps most concerning to many, he now suggests that the United States may be in retreat not only politically, as he argued a decade ago, but more broadly across multiple dimensions of global leadership.

Rob Reiner, who became famous for his acting in All in the Family and was much admired as a director of classic films, was brutally murdered on December 14, 2025, in his Brentwood, Los Angeles, home alongside his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner. He was 78. She was 70.Their deaths are the subject of a homicide investigation. Their son, Nick Reiner, is being held.Rob Reiner, the son of legendary writer-director Carl Reiner, first made it as an actor portraying “Meathead,” the liberal son-in-law, on Norman Lear’s groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family. It earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and made him a familiar face on American television. The series became a cultural touchstone, sparking discussion around the generational clash of the 1970s.Reiner reinvented himself as a director with an extraordinary streak of films in the late 20th century that have become classics across several genres. He debuted with the rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, followed by the coming-of-age drama Stand by Me, the adventure film The Princess Bride, the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, and the legal thriller A Few Good Men.Reiner’s range made him one of Hollywood’s most versatile and celebrated filmmakers. At the same time, Reiner continued to act in films and on television shows.Reiner’s company, Castle Rock Entertainment, produced a number of popular properties, including Seinfeld and The Shawshank Redemption.In the 21st century, Rob Reiner emerged as a prominent liberal voice and activist, particularly in Democratic politics, gay rights, women’s rights, and children’s issues.

Rob Reiner, who became famous for his acting in All in the Family and was much admired as a director of classic films, was brutally murdered on December 14, 2025, in his Brentwood, Los Angeles, home alongside his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner. He was 78. She was 70.Their deaths are the subject of a homicide investigation. Their son, Nick Reiner, is being held.Rob Reiner, the son of legendary writer-director Carl Reiner, first made it as an actor portraying “Meathead,” the liberal son-in-law, on Norman Lear’s groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family. It earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and made him a familiar face on American television. The series became a cultural touchstone, sparking discussion around the generational clash of the 1970s.Reiner reinvented himself as a director with an extraordinary streak of films in the late 20th century that have become classics across several genres. He debuted with the rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, followed by the coming-of-age drama Stand by Me, the adventure film The Princess Bride, the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, and the legal thriller A Few Good Men.Reiner’s range made him one of Hollywood’s most versatile and celebrated filmmakers. At the same time, Reiner continued to act in films and on television shows.Reiner’s company, Castle Rock Entertainment, produced a number of popular properties, including Seinfeld and The Shawshank Redemption.In the 21st century, Rob Reiner emerged as a prominent liberal voice and activist, particularly in Democratic politics, gay rights, women’s rights, and children’s issues.

Spike Lee received an honorary Academy award for his “lifetime achievement and significant contribution to cinema recognizing him as a champion of independent film and an inspiration to young filmmakers.”In more than 35 films, he has explored politics, history, sports, music, and culture with a voice that is unique.He rose to prominence in the 1980s as part of the independent film movement, beginning with She’s Gotta Have It and School Daze, and breaking through in 1989 with Do the Right Thing.Among his most notable films are Malcolm X, 25th Hour, Crooklyn, Inside Man, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods and his latest, Highest 2 Lowest, released in 2025 and starring Denzel Washington with whom he has made more than 5feature films. Spike has also made important documentaries including “4 Little Girls” about the church bombing in Birmingham Alabama and “When the Levees Broke” about the devastation from hurricane Katrina. Spike Lee became famous to millions of Americans because he appeared in commercials he made with Michael Jordan for Nike shoes. He is also a longtime professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he has helped shape a new generation of filmmakers.This is an important moment in American culture. The country is deeply divided, solutions to questions of race continue to be debated, the role of art in public life is being analyzed and cultural institutions are under attack.We will talk of many things—Spike Lee’s early life in Brooklyn, the origins of his voice as a filmmaker, the evolution of independent film, the intersection of politics and storytelling, his collaboraton with Denzel Washingon, his political differences with President Trump and how he thinks about America as It marks it’s 250 Birthday on July 4, 2026. I am pleased to welcome Spike Lee.

Joe Manchin came from immigrant parents and grandparents in in Farmington West Virginia to the Governor’s Mansion in Charleston, and then to the United States Senate in Washington, where he served from 2010 to 2025. Manchin left the Democratic Party in 2024 to register as an independent.During his Senate career, Manchin was known for taking centrist positions and for working with both parties. He often found himself at the center of national attention with huge power as he held the decisive vote especially when President Biden came to the Presidency in 2021. His new book, Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense, is part memoir of a political life, a reminder of traditional values, a reflection on how polarization has reshaped Washington, why consensus has grown more difficult, and what it might take to renew trust in American government at a moment when many Americans fear the country is coming apart.This is an important moment for the United States as it approaches its 250th birthday in July. The country is deeply divided, the political center has weakened, and citizens are asking whether our democratic institutions can still meet the challenges ahead in an increasingly competitive world with Chinas.We will talk of many things including Manchin’s roots in West Virginia, the Presidency of Joe Biden and Donald Trump the midterm elections in 2026, the Presidential election in 2028 and what it means to be independent in an age of identity politics and why he still argues for common purpose, common ground, and common sense.

A Charlie Rose Global Conversation.Frank Gehry - a great and distinctive architect by any definition - died on December 5, 2025. He was 96.Gehry was perhaps most famous for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Disney Concert Hall, the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris and his home in Santa Monica, California, connected to chain link fence. He is survived by his wife, Berta, their children and grandchildren, and by unique structures that are truly pieces of art.

Sir Tom Stoppard, the Czech-born British playwright in a nation of brilliant playwrights, made an incredible contribution to the world’s theatre. Stoppard died on November 29 at his home in England. He was 88. Stoppard was taken from then Czechoslovakia in 1939 to Singapore to be with his father a doctor who died during WWII. His mother later married a British journalist, Kenneth Stoppard, and the family moved to England in 1946 Stoppard became a journalist which led him to writing short plays for the stage. His breakthrough play about 2 minor characters from Hamlet was “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”​ It won a Tony award for Best Play and set Stoppard on a brilliant career. Stoppard took on the most complex subjects like math and philosophy and made them theatrical magic. Among his plays were “Jumpers” (1972), about acrobatics and moral philosophy; “Travesties” (1974), on Joyce, Lenin, and modernism; “The Real Thing” (1982), an inquiry into betrayal; and “Arcadia” (1993), on Romanticism, science, and loss.​ Some consider it his masterpieceHe continued into the 21st century with “The Coast of Utopia” (2002) about Russian intelligensia, and “Rock ’n’ Roll” (2006), which linked Cambridge and Prague. In “Leopoldstadt” (2020), he turned to identity with a portrait of Jewish family in Vienna facing war and hadthe author consider his own Jewish history. The writing and conceptual gifts of Stoppard were also expressed in a number of films. He received an Oscar for screenwriting for “Shakespeare in Love” (1998) and continued to make contributions in other film projects.Tom Stoppard was frequently described as the greatestIiving playwright writing in the English language. He wasKnighted in 1997. He legacy of plays is a tribute to his talent, intellect and confidence to make difficult subjects compelling to an audience, all born of the central idea that playwright and audience shared a passionate curiosity.Tom Stoppard is survived by his third wife, Sabrina Guinness and 4 sons.

A Charlie Rose Global Conversation:Tom Freston is very much admired for his winning personality and unconventional leadership of MTV, the culture defining cable tv channel that merged music and television. He added Comedy Central, South Park and Live Aid to his success. It all led to becoming CEO of Viacom and then being fired within a year by Sumner Redstone. Freston has spent his time since then advising a series of friends and clients including Oprah and Bono. His well-traveled life story is told in a new memoir, “Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu.”It is an interesting moment to look at these foundation blocks as we witness media and technology in transition.We will talk of many things including the ideas and people who were part of the Freston journey traveling the world. We will examine the philosophy that made many friends, and we will hear observations on the new world of streaming, podcasting and artificial intelligence as they change media, entertainment, sports, business, medicine, science and politics.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia - widely known as MBS - came to Washington this week to meet with President Trump and business leaders. It is his first visit to America in eight years and seven years after the murder of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi.The Crown Prince also attended a White House dinner and, the next day, met with business leaders at the Kennedy Center.This visit is an important moment for both the Crown Prince and President Trump, given their significance in the region.We will talk about many things, including:The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and President Trump’s comments about it at a press conferenceThe Saudi–American relationship on defense and nuclear issuesThe Abraham Accords and the pursuit of a two-state solutionThe role of China as a tech leaderAnd the broader strategic landscape across the Middle EastKaren Elliott House has been reporting on Saudi Arabia for decades - as a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, foreign editor of The Wall Street Journal, and author of the 2012 book On Saudi Arabia and her biography published earlier this year, The Man Who Would Be King. She also wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal this week titled “MBS Returns to Washington.”

Jonathan Karl is a reporter’s reporter. He is the Chief Washington correspondent for ABC News and co-anchor of This Week, the ABC News Sunday morning program.His new book on the 2024 campaign is Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America. It is his fourth book on President Trump, the previous three were:Front Row at the Trump Show, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, and Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party.This is a significant moment as the country experiences a prolonged shutdown, the Supreme Court hears arguments on tariffs, both political parties prepare for the midterm elections, and the nation prepares for the presidential election of 2028.For more, please visit: www.charlierose.com

James Watson, an American scientist and Nobel laureate who was involved in two of the most important scientific achievements of the 20th century, died on Thursday. He was 97.James Watson and Francis Crick received the Nobel prize in 1962 for the discovery of the structure of DNA, the genetic blueprint for life. It is considered one of the most momentous breakthroughs in the history of science. He wrote one of the most noted memoirs in science called the Double Helix published in 1968. He built on that fame by leading the human genome project.Watson was associated with two famous universities. Cambridge and Harvard and led the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.To appreciate his historic achievements as a scientist you have also take note of his controversial life. He was severely criticized for what he said about the intelligence of black people and his failure to give appropriate credit to women in science, especially Rosalyn Franklin who was part of the team that discovered the double helix. When he repeated assertions on racial differences about intelligence on the PBS show American Masters the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory revoked its relationship with Watson.James Watson made five solo appearances with me. Here are those conversations.

The voters have spoken, and we have the first indication of what they think since the election of 2024 which put Donald Trump back in the White House for a second term.Our focus is what these results say and what are their implications for the future.Joining me is Mike Murphy, a Republican strategist who has advised candidates including John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush and now co-hosts the popular political podcast Hacks on Tap with David Axelrod and John Heilemann.It’s an important moment; it’s the first time we’ve heard from voters since Donald Trump returned to the White House.We’ll talk about many things: what mattered most to voters, what these results tell us about Donald Trump and the Democrats, one year since the presidential election - and one year before the midterms.We’ll also look at the candidates, including the governor-elect of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, the governor-elect of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, and the mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.We’ll ask whether there are common themes and narratives and what impact these results may have on the midterms and the shaping of future presidential candidates.For more, please visit: www.charlierose.com

The voters have spoken, and we have the first indication of what they think since the election of 2024 which put Donald Trump back in the White House for a second term.Our focus is what these results say and what are their implications for the future.Joining me in separate conversations Molly Ball, a political reporter who has written for Politico, The Atlantic, TIME, and most recently The Wall Street Journal.She’s the also author of the 2020 book Pelosi: The Path to Power and is now at work on a new book about the political realignment reshaping the country.The other, Mike Murphy, a Republican strategist who has advised candidates including John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush and now co-hosts the popular political podcast Hacks on Tap with David Axelrod and John Heilemann.It’s an important moment; it’s the first time we’ve heard from voters since Donald Trump returned to the White House.We’ll talk about many things:what mattered most to voters,what these results tell us about Donald Trump and the Democrats,one year since the presidential election - and one year before the midterms.We’ll also look at the candidates, including the governor-elect of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger,the governor-elect of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill,and the mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.We’ll ask whether there are common themes and narratives and what impact these results may have on the midterms and the shaping of future presidential candidates.We begin with Molly Ball, who joins me from Virginia, followed by Mike Murphy from California.For more, please visit: www.charlierose.com

Remembering the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84. We honor his decades-long struggle with heart disease, and reflect on his significant influence on U.S. foreign policy and national security.