The News Agents - USA

The Republicans cannot get over Jack Smith. The former special counsel who led two criminal cases against Donald Trump faced a barrage of attacks from GOP senators on the Judiciary Committee: "You make me want to throw up in my mouth"; "The most egregious abuse of power in the history of the Department of Justice"; "You are a total dirtbag."

But when they thought they had a smoking gun, the interrogation backfired spectacularly. Senator Eric Schmitt confused two basketball teams and alleged that Smith was at a game he never attended, in a state he wasn't in. Schmitt was trying to insinuate that Smith was secretly coordinating against Trump with a prosecutor in Georgia, but his "gotcha" humiliated only himself. Why is the GOP still so set on rehashing old, debunked allegations of political persecution against Donald Trump?

Later, gang rape allegations at Cornell University have shocked America and led Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to condemn a "culture of rape, sexual assault, and pedophilia" in elite institutions. Will it change anything?

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Has the GOP woken up to the drag anchor that Donald Trump is on their electoral fortunes? There are signs that MAGA is not the magnet it once was. A steady stream of Republicans have come out in recent days to criticise the President and his administration - on Iran, on beef prices, on Trump Jr's wedding, on ICE. The list goes on. It seemed for so long like diehard loyalty to Trump was an essential ingredient for the American Right - so why are so many hoping to enter Congress scrubbing mentions of him from their websites?

Later, the curious case of Susan Collins and an FBI investigation that Trump shut down. The Dems say that "the jig is up" for the Maine veteran. Could it swing the Senate?

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

With the midterms approaching, President Trump has once again raised the stakes, with FBI Director Kash Patel saying he is open to sending federal agents into polling stations. The comments have sparked alarm among Democrats, who fear the Trump administration could take increasingly aggressive steps to assert control over the coming elections.

Just a week ago, Trump was offering every American adult $5,000 if Republicans won the midterms. So how have things escalated so quickly? And do dire poll numbers increase the chances of Trump taking even more drastic action as November approaches?

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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 USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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 party? Or is this really about who gets the presidential nomination in 2028?

Later, the Pulitzer prize winning biographer Kai Bird on how Donald Trump learnt the dark arts from Roy Cohn - and how Cohn has defined America's politics today.

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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 spiralling — but China is also Iran’s biggest trading partner and a major buyer of Iranian oil. That puts Trump’s new economic pressure on Tehran on a collision course with his attempts to manage relations with Xi.

Later, we discuss another Trump war. This time his war on mail-in ballots.

The News Agents USA is a Global production.

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 staff. Why is the Trump administration now facing a battle with its own military?

Later, another surprise DSA win in Florida left one of Trump's first term foes on the political scrapheap - and why Trump keeps getting so tetchy at the mention of Natalie Harp.

With Miles Taylor.

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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 gaffes along the way they may feel vindicated.

In fact, AOC has been tailoring her messaging and her platform, arguably playing down the more radical side of her politics and playing up her winning track record. A recent poll had her as the preferred presidential candidate for Democrats in New Hampshire. Does she have a real shot?

Later, the problems with Donald Trump's plane bait and switch story. And why Truth Social premium (costing $100,000 a month) might become a whole can of worms.

With Miles Taylor.

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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 Senate? Later, why is alleged domestic abuser Max Miller still standing for the Republican party in Ohio? Has Trump now set the blueprint for any politician facing charges of abuse or violence who believe they can win if they just show resilience?

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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.

That's all changed. In something of a damascene conversion, she's been to Ukraine, interviewed Zelenskyy, and is now shouting from the rooftops about the nobility of the Ukrainian cause and the lies coming out of Moscow. Trump has been posting approvingly about her content, and was glowing about a recent meeting with the Ukrainian President. Sean Hannity too, another Trump whisperer, was practically hero worshipping him when he came on Fox News. So is MAGA finally rowing in behind the country it has so publicly clashed with in Trump's second term? And why?

Later, why Todd Blanche's confirmation as Attorney General is on the ropes - and why this week could be the worst of his life whatever the outcome.

Jon is joined again this week by Miles Taylor.

The News Agents USA is a Global Production.

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/