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The State of It: USA

The Times

Katy Balls and Gerard Baker bring you the REAL truth about US politics and power. No fake news, no flag waving and no Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just honest, in-depth discussion of what’s really being said inside the White House. 


Join the conversation between two people who know everyone in the USA who matters. Beaming in from NYC, Gerard brings almost 30 years’ experience reporting on America while Katy is the new kid on the block, spending her days chasing news and her nights on the Washington cocktail circuit. 


This series launches on 28 January 2026.


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.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Updated Wednesday

Episodes20

Newest first
  • Wednesday · 28 min

    How Trump changed his mind about Zelensky

    US foreign policy shifts on Ukraine: President Zelensky and President Trump have met in the White House and US-Ukraine relations are on a much friendlier footing than at any time since Donald Trump returned to office. They agreed that the US will give Ukraine licences to make their own Patriot missile interceptors to protect from Russian attacks, and there's talk that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could make a trip to Ukraine. Maga influencer Laura Loomer went from saying that Ukraine was full of Nazis to being a cheerleader for President Zelensky. That shift in opinion seems to have filtered through to the Oval Office, but how much has Trump's position shifted? And how has the war in Iran changed his view on Russia and Ukraine? The Battle for Fifa: after Martyn Ziegler's Times scoop that Fifa's president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell off parts of Fifa to private investors, even Andy Burnham has weighed in to telegraph his disapproval...is the reaction justified or "complete balderdash"? 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 Audio: 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.

  • July 21 · 12 min

    Bromance but for how long? Trump and Burnham's first call

    Andy Burnham and Donald Trump have had their first phone call. How did it go? Will President Trump find time to visit Manchester? And how is Ed Miliband's appointment as foreign secretary going down in Washington? Also, why has the US announced 50% tariffs on goods from Canada? And JD Vance and his wife Usha have had another baby, their fourth child. How is the Secret Service coping with Vance's growing family? Bonus episode from Times Radio. Hugo Rifkind, Times Radio presenter Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Producer: Amelia Melvin 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.

  • July 21 · 30 min

    Who the hell is this Andy guy? Washington sizes up Burnham

    As Andy Burnham takes over as prime minister, how will he get on with Donald Trump and what will their relationship mean for US-UK relations? President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the people of Aberdeen are dancing in the streets because Burnham will open up North Sea Oil, and will "make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World!" But is Burnham as enthusiastic about drilling as Trump thinks he is? And what other issues could make or break their relationship? After three US servicemen died over the weekend, will the US feel obliged to escalate the war with Iran to avenge their deaths? Is there a danger that they get locked into a cycle of escalation with Iran? Plus, does Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey set the lights flashing on Gerry's woke radar? 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, Sophie Dolding Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images Audio: Reuters, The Odyssey trailer 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.

  • July 15 · 30 min

    Trump in Iran: war as performance art

    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 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: 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, Reuters 00:00 - Inside Trump's "Performance War" 01:43 - Bombing Iran: The Battle for the Strait of Hormuz 03:33 - A War with No Clear Way Out? 05:13 - Trump Unleashed & The Legacy of Lindsey Graham 06:36 - Military Strategy vs. Political Illusion in the Gulf 10:51 - Trump's History Obsession & The Shocking Oil Market Reality 15:25 - The Democratic Party's Sudden Lurch to the Left 17:07 - Can Centrist Democrats Survive the Socialist Momentum? 21:42 - The Fierce Battle Over Israel Aid & Speculation for 2028 23:57 - Meet Troy Jackson: The "Johnny Cash of the Allagash" 25:34 - Trump's "Wild Card" Speech on Election Integrity 28:07 - Laying the Groundwork to Nullify the Next Election? 29:44 - "See You In Court" — The Legal War Ahead 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.

  • July 1 · 25 min

    Birthright citizenship reaction: hysterical, borderline insane

    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 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 00:00 - Introduction: The State of It USA 00:43 - Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban 05:07 - King Charles, the Magna Carta, and Executive Power 06:14 - The Maga Meltdown and the "USSR" Comparison 11:09 - The Dangerous Precedent of Executive Overreach 13:32 - America at 250: Celebrating a Deeply Divided Nation 18:03 - The American State Fair and Polarised Realities 21:05 - The Rise of Anti-Israel Sentiment on the Left and Right Picture: Getty Images Audio: Reuters, 9News 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.

  • June 24 · 28 min

    Trump, Hitler, Mao, Stalin: the list the president loved

    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 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 00:00 - The "Most Powerful Man in History" Note 00:48 - Regime Change: The Explosive New Trump Book 02:03 - Situation Room Leaks: Jeffrey Epstein & JD Vance 03:18 - The Golf Caddy's Note 06:14 - Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0: Is He Losing Control? 09:30 - The Secret Internal Fallout of the Iran War 14:15 - Keir Starmer Quits: Is the UK a Laughing Stock in America? 16:03 - Trump’s Ambassador Clashes with the New UK Government 20:49 - Socialists Win Big: The Shocking New York Primary Results 25:39 - The Great Corporate Exodus: Why Billionaires are Swapping California for Texas 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.

  • June 11 · 28 min

    Why the naysayers are wrong about the Maga World Cup

    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.

  • June 3 · 32 min

    Why America's leaders keep getting worse

    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.

  • May 27 · 31 min

    Republicans find their spines

    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.

  • May 7 · 27 min

    Trump's Iran problem deepens as a new king moves into view...

    The unpredictability of Trump’s conflict with Iran shows no sign of slowing. Is a genuine peace deal with Tehran actually close — or is the President once again overstating progress? Why did Trump abruptly announce and then abandon “Project Freedom,” the US naval plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz? Meanwhile, Marco Rubio’s warmly received White House press briefing has sparked fresh speculation about his 2028 ambitions. And despite Trump’s declining national approval ratings, the latest Indiana primary results suggest it still pays for Republicans to stay firmly in line behind the President. 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 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.

  • April 29 · 25 min

    Trump and the King, and America's age of political violence

    After an assassination attempt on President Trump threatened to derail the Royal Visit, King Charles has gone on the charm offensive -- with some mild and elegant rebukes. Katy Balls describes the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' attitude inside the White House Correspondents' Dinner. And as the former FBI director James Comey is charged with endangering the president's life, we discuss the weaponisation of political violence. 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.

  • April 22 · 27 min

    Is the Trump magic gone?

    President Trump has said he's extending the ceasefire with Iran, and it's still unclear when talks will resume. What could an eventual deal look like and can the US find a radically better one than the deal that President Obama signed in 2015 to so much Republican scorn? Can the King paper over the cracks in the US-UK relationship? And did a joke by President Obama sow a seed that led to Donald Trump standing for office? 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. 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.

  • April 15 · 26 min

    Trump's blockade, AI Jesus and JD Vance's soul

    Why the US counter-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is an elegant solution Will Donald Trump pay a price with voters for his row with the Pope? And Gerry tells us what he really thinks about JD Vance. 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: TruthSocial.com/@realDonaldTrump Clips: Reuters Email us: thestateofit@thetimes.co.uk 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.

  • April 9 · 21 min

    A fragile ceasefire and JD Vance's moment in Budapest

    After threatening Iran with total civilisational collapse, Donald Trump steps back from the brink and agrees to a fragile ceasefire that both sides claim as a win. But how long can it really hold? And as Hungary heads to the polls, JD Vance lands in Budapest to back Viktor Orbán—a leader often seen as aligned with Moscow. What does it mean when the White House throws its weight behind a pro-Russia candidate in one of Europe’s most consequential elections? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times Fraser Nelson, columnist at The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: 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.