Tonight on Amanpour and Company, Monday, April 13th, 2026
Danny Citrinowicz
Sr. fellow, Institute of Policy and Strategy
Peace is off the table, for now, between the U.S. and Iran. After diplomatic talks in Pakistan, peace seems if anything to be slipping farther away. President Trump is putting the blame squarely on Iran. He is ordering the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian ports, and is threatening to sink any Iranian ships that come near them. Trump seemed unbothered by whether this might stop Iran from returning to the negotiating table. The move is intended to deal a devastating blow to Iran's already frail economy. But will Tehran be forced to concede? With oil prices surging once again, Iran's top negotiator warns that American consumers will soon be "nostalgic" for lower gas prices. Danny Citrinowicz is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies and former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence. He joins the program from Tel Aviv.
Adam Kinzinger
Former U.S. Representative (R-IL)
President Trump is attacking an unlikely target — the Pope — after the Catholic leader called for peace in Iran. Trump called the Pontiff “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy;” praised Pope Leo’s MAGA-supporting brother; claimed the Pope is fine with Iran getting a nuclear weapon, and said he only became Pope because of Trump. The President then posted a picture of himself as Jesus, healing the sick. After backlash, he deleted the image about 12 hours later, saying he thought it showed him as a doctor. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Trump critic, joins the show.
David Pressman
Former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary
Donald Trump threw the weight of the White House's support behind Hungary's strongman leader, Viktor Orban. Yet it didn't matter. Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted Orban after 16 years in power, instead electing a former ally of his, Peter Magyar, to become the country's next prime minister. EU leaders were delighted by the results. Orban had been a thorn in the bloc's side for years over a wide range of issues, including Hungary's recent tilt toward Russia. David Pressman was the U.S. Ambassador in Budapest under President Biden, and he joins the program from New York.
A. Mechele Dickerson
Author, "The Middle-Class New Deal"
Owning a home, having stable employment and a retirement plan, all of these are key elements of middle-class life. But for the majority of young Americans, these are goals that feel out of reach. That's according to Mechele Dickerson, author of "The Middle-Class New Deal: Restoring Upward Mobility and the American Dream." The author tells Walter Isaacson how the middle class was first established, and why it's struggling to stay afloat today.