Why is American politics so depressing?

Andy and Martijn unpack Trump's first six months and what the Republican Congress has - and hasn't - accomplished.

Andy and Catherine talk about what was and was not accomplished at last week's NATO summit. At least Donald Trump didn't have a tantrum, but is that really enough?

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get ⁠⁠⁠⁠15% off for podcaster listeners⁠⁠⁠⁠!Andy and Martijn talk about Trump's falling approval ratings and how much they matter.

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get ⁠⁠⁠15% off for podcaster listeners⁠⁠⁠!Andy is joined by Jeff Le, who among a host of other jobs was California's negotiator with the first Trump administration, to discuss all things Trump, trade, and technology.

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get ⁠⁠15% off for podcaster listeners⁠⁠!Andy and Catherine discuss the Trump administration's deportation of migrants to a mega-prison in El Salvador and the threat it poses to the rule of law in the United States.

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get ⁠15% off for podcaster listeners⁠!Andy and Martijn discuss Trump's shocking policy towards Ukraine and its impact on Europe and beyond.

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get ⁠15% off for podcaster listeners⁠!Andy and Catherine talk about the history of USAID and why the Trump administration picked it as the first target of its efforts to destroy the federal bureaucracy.

Check out our weekly newsletter - and get 15% off for podcaster listeners! It's Inauguration Day and America Explained is backed. In today's episode, Andy and Martijn discuss what to expect from Trump in foreign and domestic affairs in the coming months - and whether he will really be the unconstrained MAGA steamroller that a lot of commentary assumes.

*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** ***Andy and Catherine talk through the latest polls, and about how much to trust polling in general. Andy also shares his number one nightmare scenario for Harris losing on election day.CreditsHost - Andy GawthorpeCo-host - Catherine Wood

*** *** Receive 15% off the America Explained newsletter *** ***Andy is joined by Elena Guido from the Leiden Asia Centre to discuss all things North Korea. We talked about North Korea's growing alignment with Russia and China, what trends have been affecting the country domestically, and whether - as some former U.S. officials have claimed - war on the peninsula is imminent.CreditsHost - Andy GawthorpeCo-host - Catherine Wood