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The State of It: USA: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Times
Katy Balls and Gerard Baker on the state of Trump’s America. No fake news, no flag waving and no Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just honest, in-depth discussion of what’s going down inside the White House.
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- 3 days ago29 min
The Nvidia Scandal: the fallout
Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive of Nvidia after admitting to one extramarital affair and facing allegations of a second. One of the women involved, Alice Huang, has been accused of being a Chinese spy. Nvidia has been leading the AI boom and so the damage to this one company has huge implications for the US economy, and beyond: Jensen Huang is a close ally of President Trump. Andrew Neil joins Gerard Baker to discuss the economic, political, geopolitical and technological implications.And the Republican losses in the midterms keep coming: Scott Colom has won his race, making him the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi since 1982. Where do the Republicans go from here, and what will the Democrats do next? Does either party really know what it stands for?Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalAndrew Neil, presenter of The Andrew Neil ReportProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4 days ago26 min
"Buckle up. It's going to be a nasty two years."
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's war secretary, has narrowly survived an attempt to impeach him. He was lucky that the Democratic political operation was chaotic. But how long will he be safe?Stephen Miller has taken over from Susie Wiles as President Trump's chief of staff. He is an expert at exerting the power of the executive as far as it will go. What's on his agenda?After their victories in the midterms, you might think the Democrats would be happy and united, but the battle is on for the soul of the party. Progressives want to challenge Chuck Schumer, their longstanding Senate leader. Could Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez be the Democratic candidate in 2028, and is a newly empowered left carving out an “America First” agenda of its own?Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist, The Times and The Sunday TimesMax Kendix, Washington correspondent, The TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago30 min
US midterms: what now for MAGA?
It’s been a long night for President Donald Trump in the US midterm elections. The Democrats have taken control of both the House and the Senate, inflicting defeat on the Republican Party. Despite him not being on the ballot, this was for many, a referendum on Trump and his record in office.The Iran war, rising gas prices, tariffs, aggressive immigration enforcement, allegations of corruption and scandal have all played a part. But perhaps most damagingly, the coalition that carried Trump to victory two years ago has fallen apart: Hispanic voters, young people and working-class Americans have all turned against him.So what does this mean for Trump’s final two years in office? And is it an end to MAGA as we know it? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonPicture: Getty ImagesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Trump's midterm circus
The countdown to the midterms is on, and Trump’s campaign is descending into chaos. He’s cancelling rallies in crucial states, berating reporters over their looks and praising Nicki Minaj’s bum. Texas is surprisingly close, while Democrats have resorted to some seriously dirty tricks in Alaska.With Republican fortunes looking grim, could Democrats take both the House and Senate? And if they do, will they go after Trump himself — or set their sights on Pete Hegseth?Meanwhile, what damage has the campaign done to the presidential ambitions of JD Vance and Marco Rubio? Clue: not much good.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonPicture: Getty ImagesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago30 min
Musk and Trump dance to Putin's tune
It's been confirmed that Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the Starlink internet that Ukraine relies on to defend itself from Russian attacks. President Trump has said he didn't know who was responsible but is this a Henry II-Thomas Becket situation?In Moscow, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has called President Putin a humanitarian. Russia has released retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard after four years in prison. But the overall strategy with regard to Russia seems flawed and naïve. It could leave the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, with a dreadful choice: does he want to be like South Korea or like South Vietnam?Donald Trump once referred to his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, as the "ice maiden". She was accused of arranging a "sanctioned hit" on Katie Zacharia, who ended up leaving her post as White House press secretary after only five days. Now there are rumours that Wiles's job may not be safe. The White House says it's fake news. Could Trump do without her?With two weeks to go to the midterm elections, some Republicans seem to be resorting to desperate measures. In Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy recruited the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent Amy Acton. A family tragedy is now playing out in competing attack ads.Katy has been with Democratic senator Jon Ossoff as he campaigns for re-election in Georgia. Could he be the Democratic 2028 presidential candidate?Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Oct 14, 202627 min
Is this the real reason Trump made a deal with Putin?
Gargantuan griftAre the wheels coming off the Trump administration? President Trump's deal with Putin to buy Russian diesel has even dismayed some Republicans. Both the domestic politics and the geopolitics of it are baffling. Gerry has another theory about Trump's motivations for making a deal with Moscow.Katy has been on the campaign trail with Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to hear what Republicans are saying ahead of the midterms on November 3rd.The fall of Kimberly GuilfoyleKimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s ambassador to Greece, has been asked to resign after allegations she solicited $100,000 from a donor to pay her credit card bill. Guilfoyle, the former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr, has denied all wrongdoing and has said she'll vigorously defend her name.Meanwhile, new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia had a rocky first outing in front of the cameras, and now she's facing questions about her CV. Can she survive the week?Elizabeth Holmes tried to sue meFinally, a new documentary takes us inside the extraordinary story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Gerry was editor of The Wall Street Journal when it broke the story that unravelled Holmes’s billion-dollar blood-testing empire. He remembers how aggressively Holmes tried to sue the paper.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Oct 6, 202629 min
Is Iran getting reckless?
The threat from IranThe Trump administration has given mixed messages about exactly why US jets have been moved from RAF Fairford. It's still unclear whether there was a terror plot and whether Iran was involved and no one has been charged, but there's speculation that Iran could be activating terror cells around the world.Midterm U-turnDonald Trump has made a rare U-turn. He has said he plans to pay for controversial television ads using funds from his Maga Inc. super Pac rather than the federal government after being accused of using taxpayers' money for campaign ads.America's death penalty problemThe Pentagon has announced that the Fort Hood attacker, Nidal Hasan, will be executed by firing squad. Hasan fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers in 2009, injuring another 32. The announcement comes just after Tennessee's botched execution of Christa Pike. We look at the history of the death penalty in America and ask if there really is any way to kill someone without violating the US constitution, which bans cruel and unusual punishment.What went wrong with Doge? Katy has interviewed Michael Lewis whose new book Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State tells the story of the people who stood up against Doge. Elon Musk and his team of young cost-cutters would even set up camp in government buildings.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: Reuters, @WhiteHouse on X00:00 - Is Iran’s Strategy a Sign of Strength or Weakness?00:18 - B-1 Stealth Bombers Pulled After RAF Fairford Arrests01:35 - Washington Weighs the Iranian Drone Threat04:38 - Are U.S. Bases Worldwide Becoming Easy Targets?08:44 - Soaring Diesel Prices & Trump's Midterm Nightmare10:53 - Trump Backs Down On Federal-Funded Campaign Ads13:55 - The Death Penalty: Botched Executions vs. Firing Squads21:42 - Michael Lewis Exposes What Really Happened Inside DOGE23:32 - Why Elon Musk’s Government Cuts Completely FailedThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 30, 202625 min
Is a blue tsunami coming for Trump?
A blue wave is building across America, as Republicans brace for a brutal midterm reckoning. Red strongholds like Kansas, Oklahoma and Florida are starting to look vulnerable. Does President Trump even care?The mystery surrounding RAF Fairford is only getting stranger, raising more questions than answers and exposing the fragility of the US-UK relationship. Is Marco Rubio right that a foreign actor is involved? And could it ultimately be good news for Andy Burnham?And as the world wakes up to the potential dangers of AI, Trump is embracing America’s tech giants. Is he sleepwalking into a crisis?Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: Reuters00:00 - Is a Republican Midterm Disaster Looming?00:33 - The "Blue Tsunami" & Key Battlegrounds (Kansas, Florida, Texas)06:33 - Is Trump Becoming an Electoral Liability?09:18 - Fearing Subpoenas: The Final Years of a Trump Presidency11:46 - UK Foreign Security Incident & US Reaction17:06 - Trump's "Superintelligence" AI Summit & Silicon Valley Backlash21:01 - AI Anxiety, Tech Billionaires, and Backlash from VotersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About The State of It: USA
Katy Balls and Gerard Baker on the state of Trump’s America. No fake news, no flag waving and no Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just honest, in-depth discussion of what’s going down inside the White House.
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