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Trump in Iran: war as performance art
30:25|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 TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: 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, Reuters00:00 - Inside Trump's "Performance War"01:43 - Bombing Iran: The Battle for the Strait of Hormuz03:33 - A War with No Clear Way Out?05:13 - Trump Unleashed & The Legacy of Lindsey Graham06:36 - Military Strategy vs. Political Illusion in the Gulf10:51 - Trump's History Obsession & The Shocking Oil Market Reality15:25 - The Democratic Party's Sudden Lurch to the Left17:07 - Can Centrist Democrats Survive the Socialist Momentum?21:42 - The Fierce Battle Over Israel Aid & Speculation for 202823:57 - Meet Troy Jackson: The "Johnny Cash of the Allagash"25:34 - Trump's "Wild Card" Speech on Election Integrity28:07 - Laying the Groundwork to Nullify the Next Election?29:44 - "See You In Court" — The Legal War Ahead
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Trump’s dizzying Nato summit: Greenland, Iran and Ukraine
32:15|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 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 - 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
What JD Vance told me: UK politics, Donald Trump and cat ladies
12:40|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 TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalRead more: https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/jd-vance-interview-katy-balls-gv9z738fc Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: Reuters, Fox News00:00 Introduction: Inside the Exclusive JD Vance Interview00:38 Is Britain Broken? JD Vance’s Blunt Take on UK Leadership01:47 The Truth Behind Vance's Fractured Relationship with Europe03:53 An Anglophile at Heart? Decoding Vance’s True Motives05:27 Revisiting the "Childless Cat Ladies" Controversy & Regrets06:39 A Millennial VP: Social Media Fights, Faith and Persona07:47 A Surprise Turn on Ukraine: Why Vance is Shifting Focus09:07 Has Donald Trump Read JD Vance’s New Book?10:30 The Road to 2028: Is JD Vance Too Polarising to Win?
Birthright citizenship reaction: hysterical, borderline insane
25:20|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 TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly Guinness00:00 - Introduction: The State of It USA00:43 - Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban05:07 - King Charles, the Magna Carta, and Executive Power06:14 - The Maga Meltdown and the "USSR" Comparison11:09 - The Dangerous Precedent of Executive Overreach13:32 - America at 250: Celebrating a Deeply Divided Nation18:03 - The American State Fair and Polarised Realities21:05 - The Rise of Anti-Israel Sentiment on the Left and RightPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: Reuters, 9News
Trump, Hitler, Mao, Stalin: the list the president loved
28:41|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 TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty Images00:00 - The "Most Powerful Man in History" Note00:48 - Regime Change: The Explosive New Trump Book02:03 - Situation Room Leaks: Jeffrey Epstein & JD Vance03:18 - The Golf Caddy's Note06:14 - Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0: Is He Losing Control?09:30 - The Secret Internal Fallout of the Iran War14:15 - Keir Starmer Quits: Is the UK a Laughing Stock in America?16:03 - Trump’s Ambassador Clashes with the New UK Government20:49 - Socialists Win Big: The Shocking New York Primary Results25:39 - The Great Corporate Exodus: Why Billionaires are Swapping California for Texas
Trump’s Iran Deal: A Calamity for the US — and JD Vance
26:33|President Trump has made a deal with Iran. On Friday, Vice President JD Vance will attend the official signing in Geneva of a 14-point US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding that covers the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the lifting of sanctions, a $300bn reconstruction fund for Iran and a ceasefire.The deal has gone down badly in the US, and with good reason. Gerry argues that it's a calamity for America and a betrayal of the Iranian people.Could it also be the undoing of JD Vance? It looks like he's been set up as the fall guy in case this all goes wrong. That could scupper his presidential ambitions.And where does it leave Israel? Donald Trump was Israel's ally but with this deal, has he abandoned them?00:00 - Why The Iran Deal is a Calamity00:37 - Breaking Down the 14-Point Peace Agreement01:54 - The $300bn Reparations" Fund Explained03:04 - "An Almighty Raspberry": The Republican Backlash04:05 - Inside the G7 Victory Lap vs. American Reality06:26 - A Disastrous Blow to America’s Global Prestige07:17 - Broken Promises & Betrayal of the Iranian Protesters09:18 - Reza Pahlavi Interview: A Missed Window of Opportunity11:04 - A Seismic Rift in the US-Israel Relationship14:26 - J.D. Vance: Master Architect or Ultimate Fall Guy?16:41 - The Core Maga Position on "Forever Wars"17:48 - Economic Silver Linings: Oil Prices, Inflation & Interest Rates22:33 - How Trump’s Rivals Will Use This in the 2028 Primary26:12 - Navigating the 60-Day Negotiation WindowKaty 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 JournalVideo editor: Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty Images.Audio: Times Radio, Reuters.
Why the naysayers are wrong about the Maga World Cup
28:09|Welcome to the World Cup. Gianni Infantino spent much time and effort cultivating Donald Trump's friendship. Will it have been worth it? Some are complaining about America's border policies and about the price of the tickets but let's see...For a moment President Trump said he was going to bomb Iran, but now he's pulled back. We discuss the dizzying back and forth over the war.Donald Trump's birthday is approaching: not your average 80 year old.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 Images.