Christian Amanpour Discusses Travel Fears on “The Ex Files” Podcast

Christian Amanpour, a journalist originally from the UK, shared her apprehensions about traveling to the U.S. during Wednesday’s episode of her podcast, “The Ex Files.” Speaking with her ex-husband, Jamie Rubin, who has a background in the State Department, she reflected on a recent speech she gave at Harvard, where she expressed her underlying fears about dealing with border security.

“Honestly, I was scared,” Amanpour admitted. “As a foreigner without a green card or citizenship, I felt quite vulnerable. I felt like I was preparing for a trip to North Korea. I even got a burner phone, which seems a bit dramatic, right?”

In her conversation, Amanpour noted that she had heard stories about British citizens being detained or turned away at the U.S. border. Prior to her visit, she spoke with CNN’s security team to gain insight into what to expect. Thankfully, when she arrived, the immigration officer was welcoming, which surprised her. “I released a sigh of relief—can you imagine if others knew I was nervous about this?” she reflected.

Rubin chimed in, addressing broader concerns about immigration policies under President Trump. He pointed out how Trump’s actions, including efforts to limit foreign students at Harvard, reflect a deeper issue of treating non-Americans as threats.

“It seems like there’s a longstanding perception that all non-Americans are some kind of risk, and that’s a narrative we have to contend with,” he stated.

Interestingly, this podcast episode aired just before the Trump administration announced a new executive order aimed at restricting travel from numerous countries considered “very high risk,” citing terrorism and security concerns as the main reasons.