Ro Khanna: “Newsom Doesn’t Want to Offend the Donor Class”
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Ro Khanna: “Newsom Doesn’t Want to Offend the Donor Class”

40:42 Jan 24, 2026
About this episode
Ro Khanna is the U.S. representative for California’s 17th Congressional district, more commonly known as “Silicon Valley.” He was a co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020, and there’s been speculation he may run for president himself in 2028. He joined Current Affairs associate editor Alex Skopic to discuss his bipartisan efforts to release the Epstein files, a “new FDR moment” for the Democratic Party, and the dangerous state of U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump.? Read Alex Skopic's Article on Ro Khanna: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/every-argument-against-the-california-billionaire-tax-is-wrong? Interview Transcript: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ro-khanna0:00–4:22 Why the Epstein Files Still Aren’t Public4:22–5:18 Impeaching Attorney General Pam Bondi5:18–7:05 What’s Inside the Epstein Files7:05–8:38 Will the Epstein Files Ever Be Fully Released?8:38–15:39 The Billionaire Tax & an FDR-Style Economic Vision15:39–21:20 Should Billionaires Exist at All?21:20–24:25 Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, and Gaza24:25–29:36 Ro Khanna Explains His Israel Aid Vote29:36–31:58 Offensive vs. Defensive Weapons to Israel31:58–35:36 China, Competition, and Rejecting a New Cold War35:36–37:38 Can Congress Stop Trump’s Wars?37:38–40:42 Should Trump Face War Crimes Charges??SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership ? PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs ?THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
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