American Thought Leaders

American Thought Leaders

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1.1K Followers 200 Episodes
At a time when our nation is portrayed as increasingly polarized, media often ignore viewpoints and stories that are worthy of attention. American Thought Leaders, hosted by The Epoch Times Senior Editor Jan Jekielek, features in-depth discussions with some of America’s most influential thought leaders on pertinent issues facing our nation today.

Episode List

Why Isolationists and Interventionists Are Both Wrong | Yoram Hazony

Aug 29th, 2025 1:00 AM

For years, U.S. strategic missteps have empowered Tehran and Beijing, according to political theorist Yoram Hazony. Now, as a new strain of isolationism grows in America, Hazony says, both isolationism and hyper-interventionism have key flaws.In this episode, we dive into President Donald Trump’s distinct foreign policy approach as well as what Hazony sees as an assault on nation-states and their right to independent decision-making.Nationalism has been falsely vilified, and global governance has become the new mantra, he says.Hazony recently released a revised edition of his 2018 seminal work, “The Virtue of Nationalism,” which played a key role in bolstering the global national conservatism movement. Hazony is also Chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, which hosts the National Conservatism Conference in the United States, Britain, and Europe.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

How the CCP Dupes the West—and We Keep Falling for It | Chenggang Xu

Aug 27th, 2025 1:00 AM

Political economist Chenggang Xu grew up amid the upheaval of China’s Cultural Revolution and in the 1970s was beaten, imprisoned, and subjected to years of forced labor by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).Today, he is a senior research scholar at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and author of the new book, “Institutional Genes: Origins of China’s Institutions and Totalitarianism.”For decades, Beijing has repeatedly deceived the world about its true intentions, Xu says. So why do we keep falling for it?In this episode, we dive into the origins of the Chinese Communist Party and why Xu believes its model of totalitarianism is distinct from any other regime today.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

9 Years Later, Here’s What We Know About the Origins of the Russia Probe | John Solomon

Aug 23rd, 2025 9:00 PM

In this episode, I’m sitting down with award-winning investigative journalist John Solomon, founder and editor-in-chief of Just the News, for a deep dive into what we now know—nine years later—about the origins of the Russia collusion probe. How did these events change America?“We'll never know what history was stolen from us, what opportunities diplomatically were stolen from us, what security opportunities were thwarted because this dirty trick was allowed to extend so far,” Solomon says.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

How Hollywood Alienated Middle America—And What’s Next | Nick Searcy

Aug 22nd, 2025 1:00 AM

How has Hollywood changed in the last several decades, and why are film productions leaving Los Angeles and increasingly going abroad? Where is the industry headed, and what role should Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood play?“Hollywood spent probably the last 15 or 20 years basically telling half of its audience that they don’t want them to watch, that they hate them, that they’re deplorables,” says actor and filmmaker Nick Searcy. “They’ve driven half the audience away.”Searcy played James Baker in the Reagan biopic last year and is perhaps best known for his role as Art Mullen in the crime drama “Justified.” He’s also the director of “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer,” a film about an abortion doctor who was convicted for the murder of three babies.A few months ago, Searcy released his memoir, “Justify This: A Career Without Compromise.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

I Met the Syrian President, and Here’s What I Learned | Rabbi Abraham Cooper

Aug 20th, 2025 1:00 AM

A few weeks ago, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, a prominent advocate for religious freedom and human rights, was invited to the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria, alongside fellow religious freedom advocate Johnnie Moore.They had an intimate meeting with the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.In this episode, the rabbi shares what he learned about al-Sharaa and whether he believes a peace between Syria and Israel is possible in the near future.“There’s a term in Hebrew: It’s called Kabdehu ve Hashdehu, [which] means show respect and verify,“ he says. ”So, this is not a ‘kumbaya’ moment. This is a moment where there’s great leverage.”Cooper previously chaired the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom and also serves as associate dean and director of global social action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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