America
Right young things: meet the Trumpian twentysomethings taking over Washington
Washington, D.C. ‘What made you open a restaurant?’ I ask Bart Hutchins, the owner of Butterworth’s, a French-style bistro turned…
Britain could learn from Trump’s approach to foreign policy
The Foreign Secretary describes his approach to diplomacy as ‘progressive realism’. One can legitimately ask what is progressive about a…
What economists don’t get about Trump’s tariffs
We already knew that most economists are quite bad at economic policy. Unfortunately, foreign policy appears not to be much…
America has seen sense on aid. When will we?
The new administration in Washington has somewhat startled its critics by issuing a blizzard of executive orders during its opening…
How to solve a problem like the Chagos Islands
Very soon – as soon as the mutual courtesies now being exchanged between the new American President and his British…
Peter Mandelson’s rocky path to Trumpworld
The muddle about who’s to be the next British ambassador in Washington has been only a small part of the…
Will Trump remember his allies?
I had thought that having to be inaugurated indoors would have cramped Donald Trump’s style. Not so. The rhetoric with…
The Trump resistance is dead
The special relationship is dead, long live the special relationship. On Friday, at a ‘Stars and Stripes & Union Jack…
Am I a MAGA icon?
‘Traitor!’ the woman yelled at me the instant I entered the beautifully decorated living room of a famous actress. It…
Empire of Trump: the President’s plan to make America greater
‘The mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation,’ said William McKinley, America’s 25th commander-in-chief, who happens to…
J. D. Vance is the future of MAGA
The vice-presidency of the United States has always been the butt of jokes. ‘I don’t plan to be buried until…
The architectural provocations of I.M. Pei
When first considering architects for the new Louvre in 1981, Emile Biasini, the project’s head, liked that I.M. Pei was…
The growing wealth gap between Britain and the US
New year predictions are always rash, but it feels as though one aspect of the story of 2025 can already…
Portrait of the year: Subpostmasters scandal, Rishi in the rain and Syrian rebels topple regime
January After an ITV drama, the government suddenly proposed to do something about the unjust prosecution of sub-postmasters. Junior doctors…
Elon Musk is wrong about the Roman Empire
I was in Washington D.C. during The Election, living halfway between the Capitol and White House. Concerned friends suggested I…
Why does James Baldwin matter so much now?
The rise of Queer Studies and Black Lives Matter has led to renewed interest in Baldwin – who was exasperated in life with being categorised by colour or as ‘gay’
What Scott Bessent’s appointment means for Trump 2.0
How rare it is to be given a second chance. That’s what the American people have handed Donald Trump. His…
Musical chairs at Mar-a-Lago
Welcome to the United States of Disruption. From his ‘Winter White House’ in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Donald Trump has been busy…
Welcome to life on Planet Elon
On 13 July this year, an assassin’s bullet grazed the ear of Donald Trump as he turned his head on…
Why Trump changed his tune on crypto
This column comes to you from Atlanta, Georgia, where but for one giant ‘Trump Stands Up For Families’ billboard and…
How to process your Trump trauma (with orange soup)
It’s amazing how many people have responded to what they think of as the shattering catastrophe of Donald Trump’s victory…
Not even close: how Trump confounded the pundits
It was supposed to be close. On the eve of election day, Donald Trump was up just 0.1 per cent…
American titan: Inside Donald Trump’s remarkable political comeback
Palm Beach, Florida Donald Trump’s bid to take back the White House has been triumphant. It is a decisive victory…