Trump and the King, and America's age of political violence

Trump in Iran: war as performance art

It's groundhog day in the White House, as Donald Trump reverts back to all out war with Iran, bombing essential targets and threatening escalation if Iran refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz. Is there any genuine optimism in Washington that the regime could fall—or is this 'hit em hard' attitude a cover for a foreign policy running out of options? If there is no appetite for real military action in US politics, are we left with an Iran War being used as a political statement rather than a coherent military strategy? Also in this episode: the Democratic Socialists of America. Centrist Democrats are making a stand against a group of socialists that include Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, promising 'capitalism not socialism', but are they being pulled leftwards on the economy? Troy Jackson, aka Johnny Cash of the Allagash, is a Democratic Socialist, and is currently favourite to replace the disgraced Graham Platner as the candidate for Maine.  Finally, Katy Balls and Gerard Baker look ahead to Trump's prime-time address on Thursday. White House aides are increasingly nervous; Trump is expected to use the broadcast to aggressively attack the integrity of US voting system. Is the President laying the ground to nullify the upcoming midterm elections in November? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Handout photo by US Department of Defense via Getty Images (US sea drones strike a submarine and a ship maintenance facility on July 13, 2026 in an undisclosed area of Iran) Audio: Fox News, AP, CBS, https://www.facebook.com/TroyJacksonmaine, Reuters 00:00 - Inside Trump's "Performance War" 01:43 - Bombing Iran: The Battle for the Strait of Hormuz 03:33 - A War with No Clear Way Out? 05:13 - Trump Unleashed & The Legacy of Lindsey Graham 06:36 - Military Strategy vs. Political Illusion in the Gulf 10:51 - Trump's History Obsession & The Shocking Oil Market Reality 15:25 - The Democratic Party's Sudden Lurch to the Left 17:07 - Can Centrist Democrats Survive the Socialist Momentum? 21:42 - The Fierce Battle Over Israel Aid & Speculation for 2028 23:57 - Meet Troy Jackson: The "Johnny Cash of the Allagash" 25:34 - Trump's "Wild Card" Speech on Election Integrity 28:07 - Laying the Groundwork to Nullify the Next Election? 29:44 - "See You In Court" — The Legal War Ahead This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today [https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Trump’s dizzying Nato summit: Greenland, Iran and Ukraine

Donald Trump has called the Iranians scum, as he calls off ceasefire talks. At the NATO summit in Ankara, his comments on Iran, Ukraine and more have once again put allies on edge. Nigel Farage has just returned from Washington to deepen his ties with Donald Trump – but is he also borrowing Trump's political playbook to distract from increased interests in his undeclared finances ahead of the looming by-election? Gerry unpacks Trump's surprising role in that World Cup red card controversy. Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images Audio: Reuters 00:00 - Will Trump Pull Out of NATO? 00:41 - "They’re Scum" — Is the Iran Ceasefire Officially Over? 05:21 - NATO Summit Chaos: Trump Slams "Weak" European Allies 07:51 - The Absurd Battle for Greenland (Are We Planning for War?) 17:45 - Nigel Farage Resigns: Copied Straight From the Trump Playbook 26:30 - Trump’s Bizarre World Cup Intervention (The Secret FIFA Call) 31:46 - Why Trump’s Strongman Tactics Just Backfired This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today [https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

What JD Vance told me: UK politics, Donald Trump and cat ladies

Vice-President JD Vance has said there is something very broken about British politics and that he hopes Andy Burnham can figure out how to get Britain back on track. He has spoken exclusively to Katy Balls for the Sunday Times. They also discussed: * Social media spats: does he regret the childless cat ladies comment? * His faith and how it's changed him. * And has Donald Trump read his book? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Read more: https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/jd-vance-interview-katy-balls-gv9z738fc Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images Audio: Reuters, Fox News 00:00 Introduction: Inside the Exclusive JD Vance Interview 00:38 Is Britain Broken? JD Vance’s Blunt Take on UK Leadership 01:47 The Truth Behind Vance's Fractured Relationship with Europe 03:53 An Anglophile at Heart? Decoding Vance’s True Motives 05:27 Revisiting the "Childless Cat Ladies" Controversy & Regrets 06:39 A Millennial VP: Social Media Fights, Faith and Persona 07:47 A Surprise Turn on Ukraine: Why Vance is Shifting Focus 09:07 Has Donald Trump Read JD Vance’s New Book? 10:30 The Road to 2028: Is JD Vance Too Polarising to Win? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today [https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Birthright citizenship reaction: hysterical, borderline insane

* Donald Trump has been thwarted by the Supreme Court over his plan to end birthright citizenship, prompting passionate reactions on both left and right. One Maga influencer has called for a ban on pregnant women travelling to the US and for the sterilisation of foreign visitors. Is the Trump v Barbara Supreme Court ruling evidence that the reports of the death of American democracy have been exaggerated? * As America celebrates its 250th birthday at a time of bitter divisions in US politics, are there reasons to be cheerful about, well, the state of it? * And another left-wing, anti-Israel candidate wins a Democratic primary. Melat Kiros, who has won her primary in Colorado, has said that calls for the elimination of the Israeli state should not be conflated with antisemitism. What does her win tell us about the direction of travel for the left in America, and about the future of relations between Israel and the US? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness 00:00 - Introduction: The State of It USA 00:43 - Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban 05:07 - King Charles, the Magna Carta, and Executive Power 06:14 - The Maga Meltdown and the "USSR" Comparison 11:09 - The Dangerous Precedent of Executive Overreach 13:32 - America at 250: Celebrating a Deeply Divided Nation 18:03 - The American State Fair and Polarised Realities 21:05 - The Rise of Anti-Israel Sentiment on the Left and Right Picture: Getty Images Audio: Reuters, 9News This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today [https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Trump, Hitler, Mao, Stalin: the list the president loved

Find out why President Trump was thrilled to be on a list with Hitler, Mao and Stalin. It's one of many astonishing details in a new book, Regime Change, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. We pick some highlights from the book, and Katy has been speaking to authors. As Andy Burnham prepares to take over as British prime minister, how would a more left-wing government go down in Washington and in Wall Street? Katy has interviewed the US ambassador to London, who did not speak enthusiastically about Ed Miliband. And Gerry has been speaking to senior officials and financiers who were pretty scathing about Britain's prospects. And in New York, candidates supported by the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, have swept the board in Democratic primaries. We look at the power of the far-left and anti-Israel vote and discuss what that means for the future of the Democratic Party. Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - The "Most Powerful Man in History" Note 00:48 - Regime Change: The Explosive New Trump Book 02:03 - Situation Room Leaks: Jeffrey Epstein & JD Vance 03:18 - The Golf Caddy's Note 06:14 - Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0: Is He Losing Control? 09:30 - The Secret Internal Fallout of the Iran War 14:15 - Keir Starmer Quits: Is the UK a Laughing Stock in America? 16:03 - Trump’s Ambassador Clashes with the New UK Government 20:49 - Socialists Win Big: The Shocking New York Primary Results 25:39 - The Great Corporate Exodus: Why Billionaires are Swapping California for Texas This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today [https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.