Leon Panetta talks to @IgnatiusPost about the state of democracy in America today. #PostLive pic.twitter.com/AEncfuDAic
— Washington Post Live (@postlive) July 11, 2018
Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta sat down for a one-on-one interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius as part of the Post’s Worldviews: The Future of Democracy on Wednesday, June 11th. Worldviews takes a look at the state of democracy, both in America and around the world, ahead of President Trump’s weeklong trip to visit with European leaders and NATO allies.
Panetta issued an impassioned plea to all Americans to help preserve democracy saying, “Our democracy is not going to solve its problems from the top down. It will only solve its problems from the bottom up…from the election of new individuals who are willing to give back.”
During the conversation, Leon Panetta expressed dismay at the President’s seemingly comfortable relationship with Vladimir Putin saying, “I worry that this president, for whatever reason, is not operating with the awareness of how much an adversary Russia is to the stability of the United States.”
Leon Panetta tells @IgnatiusPost that the President’s meeting with NATO allies this week could define the Trump Administration’s foreign policy doctrine. pic.twitter.com/AzUmnktQ6Q
— Washington Post Live (@postlive) July 11, 2018
The ambassadors from Brazil, Israel, and France discussed the global outlook for democracy, while FOX’s Steve Hilton spoke with Amb. John Negroponte about the rise of the populist movement in the wake of President Trump’s election as well as the Trump administration’s foreign policy in a panel moderated by Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah. Democracy Fund president Joe Goldman was also on hand to remind the audience of the importance of protecting democracy in a country where 25% of the population think that America should have a strong leader who doesn’t need to bother with Congress or hold elections.