The News Agents - USA

In a characteristic break with US political tradition, President Trump is holding a two-day event in Dallas, Texas ahead of the upcoming midterms. The problem? No one seems to want to go. Dallas is a deeply red state. It's packed with reporters, activists and campaigners. So why aren't republicans turning up? And what does that tell us about what to expect from the midterms?

The News Agents USA is a Global production.

The News Agents...

It's quite a claim, but Bernie Sanders has suggested that some Democrats would rather lose the Senate than support Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Angie Nixon in Florida.

These firebrand progressive candidates, Sanders claims, are too much of a threat to oligarchy and the US relationship with Israel for a minority of establishment Democrats to get behind. Is he right? And if so, what does it say about the depth of division in the par...

As the USA and Canada head towards a prolonged economic confrontation, we look at Trump’s escalating tariffs on Canada, Mark Carney’s decision to hit back, and what a trade war between two of the world’s most integrated economies could mean for American consumers, businesses and their wider alliance.

Then there’s China. Trump is trying to squeeze Beijing while keeping the broader US-China relationship from sp...

The crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln have been at sea for over nine months without docking for a port call. Sailors are reporting grimy conditions, rotting food, and deteriorating mental health. Some have even allegedly taken to trying to throw themselves overboard. President Trump is dismissing the concerns - saying the deployment is "not nearly long enough". Families are urging him to take some accountability and respect Navy staf...

It was a mixed night for progressive Democrats in primaries yesterday. They chalked up some wins, but the Wisconsin gubernatorial hopeful Francesca Hong was probably the highest profile left wing candidate up in a contest - she'd been leading in the polls but ended up falling short to the more moderate Jason Crowley. Notably, neither AOC nor Bernie Sanders took up the invitations to endorse her campaign - and after a series of gaff...

The Michigan Senate race primary between two Democrat candidates was so tight that by midday it still hadn’t been officially called. But it looks like the progressive, Muslim candidate of the Left has edged it over his AIPAC backed opponent. Abdul El-Sayed is a charismatic orator already being compared in tone to Obama.

But is the Democrat party already splitting before a critical midterm election? And could it cost them the S...

There are good signs that Ukraine seems to now be winning the war against Russia - and for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there are even better signs that Ukraine is winning the battle the battle for hearts and minds with MAGA. Now long ago Laura Loomer, the hard-right MAGA cheerleader with the ear of Donald Trump, was accusing Ukraine of starting the conflict, regurgitating Russian propaganda, and generally denigrating the cause of Kyiv.

Tha...

Pete Hegseth took an absolute pummelling in the Senate as he tried to make the continued case for Trump's war in Iran. It wasn't just the Democrats getting exasperated - Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said the situation was as serious as "four strokes and a heart attack" - and lambasted the lack of "straight answers" coming from the Secretary of War.

Trump insisted yesterday that Iran's threats over the Strait of Hormuz "won't have ...

ICE agents have been instructed to immediately suspend vehicle stops during enforcement operations nationwide. It follows two fatal shootings in Texas and Maine over the last week. Are things getting out of control again? Or are ICE about to double down? And how are Americans reacting? Former Chief of Staff at Homeland Security, Miles Taylor joins us.

Later, we look back the strange legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham. How did he go fr...

There were so many signs that Graham Platner was a flawed candidate. A history of offensive social media posts, A tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol. A sexting scandal. And last month, a series of ex-partners accusing Platner of erratic and angry behaviour. But it wasn't until this week, when a woman told CNN that she had been sexually assaulted by Platner, that his position became untenable as the Democrat vying for a Senate seat in ...

President Donald Trump made more than $1bn last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency. This week's disclosure shows his crypto earnings now far overshadow income from his real estate business.

On this week's episode we ask why nobody seems to have too much of a problem with it?

Later, we discuss this week's Supreme Court judgments, where Trump's plan to over-turn the right to birthright citizenship failed.

The News Agents USA ...

There was something of a political earthquake in New York overnight. Three left wing Democratic candidates, endorsed by Mamdani, sweeping out established Congressional characters and hailing in a new era of progressive politics in the Big Apple.

Mamdani's political stardust shows little sign of waning - is he now the most powerful figure in his party? And what does that mean for the future of the Dems?

We speak to Ben Rhodes, one of ...

"Congratulations to all!" Read the President's tweet on truth social. Nominally, this was about the end of the (self-imposed) Iran war. But it’s also possible Trump was congratulating himself on his 80th birthday, which somehow managed to hijack the 250th Independence Day anniversary.

So why was there a cage fight on the White House lawn? What does Joe Rogan really make of Trump now? And why - if there's a ceasefire - are the ...

How should Democrats be feeling today about their Senate candidate for Maine? Graham Platner has a Nazi tattoo, a dodgy past and quite a lot of baggage. But his fans call him an authentic voice that’s ready to shake up the election in a seat they just can’t seem to win.

We ask journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan what’s going on in the Democratic Party more widely - and as turmoil strikes the heart of Americas le...

Trump wanted taxpayer money set aside for a 'slush fund' critics feared would be used to payout millions for his January 6th allies. But in a rare act of defiance, Republicans have killed off the plan before it could become reality.

Why did Trump’s own party draw the line here? Was it a principled stand, a political calculation, or a sign that some Republicans are growing nervous about defending everything linked to January 6t...

Ken Paxton - Texas Attorney General - and a politician with a string of sleaze investigations behind him - has just been anointed by Trump as the Texas Senate candidate.

Has Trump made a terrible mistake here? Why are the Democrats licking their lips? And is a blue seat in a deep red state starting to seem possible?

Later, Philadelphia congressman Brendan Boyle on Trump’s slush fund, the mid term races, and his urgent warning t...

Donald Trump announced a $1.776bn new scheme this week labelled an 'anti-weaponisation fund' to compensate citizens who've been mistreated by the US justice system. Who could the President have in mind as in need of compensation? How about the January 6th rioters? Well they are stepping forward in their droves to state their intentions to claim millions from the IRS - and Trump seems to be cheering them on. Critics say he's using t...

Did Trump really mean to tell Americans he wasn't thinking of their financial situation "at all" when he went to war with Iran? He repeated it several times so we can assume it was no slip of the tongue. The democrats are delighted. His allies are dismayed. Expect that line to get played on a loop. But has Trump stopped worrying about the economy for everyone except his own family? And has he given up on the midterms?

Later, Politic...

Overnight in Indiana ,Trump showed the grasp he still has over the Republican Party where the candidates he’d endorsed for the State Senate won their primaries against the moderate Republicans that had stood up to his attempts to gerrymander.

It's remarkable in itself that Trump was at all invested in the races - these are local politicians earning $33,000 a year - and yet his influence proved key. What does this tell us about...