The State of It: USA

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 Calamity
00:37 - Breaking Down the 14-Point Peace Agreement
01:54 - The $300bn Reparations" Fund Explained
03:04 - "An Almighty Raspberry": The Republican Backlash
04:05 - Inside the G7 Victory Lap vs. American Reality
06:26 - A Disastrous Blow to America’s Global Prestige
07:17 - Broken Promises & Betrayal of the Iranian Protesters
09:18 - Reza Pahlavi Interview: A Missed Window of Opportunity
11:04 - A Seismic Rift in the US-Israel Relationship
14:26 - 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 Rates
22:33 - How Trump’s Rivals Will Use This in the 2028 Primary
26:12 - Navigating the 60-Day Negotiation Window

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

Video editor: Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images.
Audio: Times Radio, Reuters.
This 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.

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 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.

This 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.

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
This 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.

President Trump's pick, Ken Paxton, has won the Republican primary to set up an interesting senate race in Texas. He beat John Cornyn who joins a growing group of Republican senators who are not standing for re-election so have little to lose from standing up to Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Steve Hilton is hoping to become the Republican governor of California and Katy has spent some time with him.
We hear what people inside the Iran discussions are saying about the prospects of a deal.
And finally New York has something sporting to shout about.

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: Getty Images.
Clips: Reuters
This 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.

Donald Trump has demonstrated his grip on his party in this week's Republican primaries, and dissent will be punished.
The president has established a $1.8bn fund to compensate people who've been unfairly investigated. Critics say it's just a slush fund for his allies. We explain how it came into being, how it will work and why people are worrying about it.
And Britain's deputy ambassador to Washington has been sacked. We have the details.

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: Getty Images.
Clips: Reuters
This 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.