3 weeks ago
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British journalist Christiane Amanpour said she treats travel to the U.S. under President Donald Trump “as if I was going to North Korea.”
The longtime CNN correspondent talked about her experience flying to the U.S. on her podcast, “The Ex Files.”
“I must say I was afraid,” Amanpour told her co-host and ex-husband, Jamie Rubin, on Wednesday’s episode.
Amanpour was traveling to the U.S. last week to give a speech at Harvard University, which has come under increased attacks by Trump, including revoking the university’s ability to enroll international students.
Trump has also ramped up his attacks on immigrants, using agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to snatch people off the streets and imprison them without due process.
And on Thursday, Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the U.S. and seven others that would face restrictions.
“I’m a foreigner,” Amanpour said. “I don’t have a green card. I’m not an American citizen. I’m fairly prominent, and I literally prepared to go to America as if I was going to North Korea. I took a burner phone, Jamie. Imagine that. I didn’t take a single … not my mobile phone, not my iPad, nothing, and I had nothing on the burner phone except a few numbers.”
Amanpour said she also spoke to CNN security about what precautions to take.
“I’ve heard that many, including British citizens, have been stopped at the border and been questioned for hours and hours and hours,” she said.
Thankfully, Amanpour said she went through airport security without any issues.
“I was welcomed,” she said. “The immigration officer at Boston, where I came in, could not have been nicer. Huge sigh of relief I breathed.”
English (US) ·