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The State of It: USA
Why America's leaders keep getting worse
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- California is "a beautiful state, and they keep electing these terrible people to run it". Any chance of a change now?
- We discuss how polarisation drives the decline of character in political leadership.
- Donald Trump has suffered some political setbacks. His anti-weaponisation fund has been scrapped and his preferred candidate lost out in Iowa. Blips or signs of something more serious for the White House?
- And..."I don't know how more dishonest you can possibly be" — Gerry's excoriating review of Jill Biden's memoir.
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
Image: @spencerpratt on X
Clips: Reuters, Gettym CNN, @spencerpratt on X, @grahamformaine on X
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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
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No dissent: Donald Trump's revenge tour
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Trump in China: Iran for Taiwan?
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Trump's Iran problem deepens as a new king moves into view...
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Trump and the King, and America's age of political violence
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