As President Joe Biden takes off from Washington for his long-awaited visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia, The Economist's Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on U.S. policy in the region.

Hosts Allison Kaplan Sommer and Amir Tibon ask him what Biden will try to extract from the Saudis; how the Gulf states view the Abraham Accords, almost two years after they were signed; and whether Vladimir Putin is the one who should actually get the credit for this visit. Carlstrom also shares his observations from a visit to Gaza earlier this week and his conversations with senior Hamas officials.

Later on the show, Emily Tamkin, U.S. editor for The New Statesman, joins from Washington to discuss the political reality facing Biden at home, and how his trip to the Middle East is viewed inside the Democratic Party. She also comments on Donald Trump's current standing in the Republican Party following the January 6 hearings in Congress, and outlines the factors that will determine the outcome of the midterm elections in November.

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