Politics Weekly America

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Will ‘prairie populism’ defeat Republicans in the midterms? Oct 28, 2026

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Adam Hamilton in Kansas, Dan Osborn in Nebraska, Joshua Turek in Iowa. They’re all hoping to flip ruby red states in the midterm elections next Tuesday. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Rachel Leingang about her reporting across the midwest, where she has charted the renaissance of progressive populism

What will Trump do if he loses in November? Your questions answered Oct 23, 2026

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Will Donald Trump accept a ‘blue wave’ if it happens? Have young people turned away from centrist politics for ever? Will the US ever recover its image on the world stage? Jonathan Freedland is joined by the Guardian US columnist Moira Donegan to answer these questions and more

Is JD Vance campaigning for the midterms … or 2028? Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

The US vice-president is following the Donald Trump playbook, attacking the Democrats, attempting to make jokes and even swearing more. Jonathan Freedland talks to Arwa Mahdawi about why Vance is making such an effort to court voters

Is a ‘blue tsunami’ going to wipe out Republicans? Oct 09, 2026

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Polling out this week suggests the Democrats could do something no one thought possible even a few months ago: take back the US Senate. Despite this, Donald Trump is telling crowds at rallies across the country that the Republicans will ‘win big’. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to David Nir of the Downballot about why Democrats are feeling so hopeful in deep red states

Can the Democrats take Texas? Oct 02, 2026

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Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is surprising everyone, as polls have him leading his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, in the Republican-led state of Texas. Jonathan Freedland speaks to James Henson, founder and executive director of the Texas Politics Project, about why a blue wave in the Lone Star State would be seismic

Trump loses the fear factor Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

This week, the US press corps stood up to Donald Trump after he banned three organisations he doesn’t like from the White House. But when it came to the leader of one of America’s oldest adversaries – China – well, Trump literally rolled out a very long red carpet. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Shrai Popat about why Trump seems weaker these days, and why it might be dangerous to underestimate him

Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster? Sep 18, 2026

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Tech bosses have called for a slowdown in artificial intelligence and the creation of formal guardrails from the US government. But why is President Trump unmoved by the doomsday predictions, dismissing them as a ‘hoax’? What lies behind his embrace of the AI industry? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian US tech editor, Blake Montgomery

Trump-a-palooza: why are Republicans avoiding the president’s convention? Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump has thrown a convention to amp up the Republican base ahead of the midterm elections, but not everyone is thrilled about it. Dozens of officials running for re-election have stayed away, choosing instead to campaign locally. Are they worried about Trump’s current unpopularity weighing down their ticket?
This week Jenna Amatulli is in for Jonathan Freedland and speaks to Guardian US politics correspondent Rachel Leingang

Introducing Black Box: The Chatbots Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

From the Guardian Investigates team: Across the world, hundreds of people have come to believe they have made extraordinary scientific discoveries with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Others say their AI has ‘awakened’, or is leading them to a higher spiritual realm. The Guardian journalist Michael Safi begins investigating a phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’, travelling to the US to meet two people who have been on weird journeys with their chatbots

Is Jon Ossoff the key for Democrats in 2028? Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

In August, the Democratic senator from Georgia, Jon Ossoff, implied Donald Trump was not interested in being president because he just wanted to ‘build his ballroom and travel with Natalie’. The implication Trump was having an affair with his aide (which he denied) rattled Republicans and excited Democrats. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to David A Graham of the Atlantic about why Ossoff is now a potential candidate for 2028

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