US politics
Can the special relationship survive Trump?
Since this calamitous Iran war began, there’s been endless talk in Britain about our ‘special relationship’ (often capitalised) with the…
‘We don’t know what’s going on or why we’re doing this’: how Trump’s Iran gamble backfired
‘Donald Trump is a complicated person with simple ideas,’ said Kellyanne Conway, the former White House senior counsellor. ‘Way too…
Operation Epic Fury is already tearing the MAGA movement apart
When President George W. Bush invaded Mesopotamia in 2003, everybody laughed at Comical Ali, the bespectacled Iraqi information minister who…
Who doesn’t want a better life?
Every couple of years a columnist-cum-novelist will inevitably stoop to shameless self-promotion. In my defence, at least the novel released…
Trump’s Epstein gamble
It is always interesting to see who the American left claims are the leaders of the American right. There was…
Meet Zohran Mamdani, the man who will ruin New York
Manhattan The Friday before New York’s Democratic mayoral primary election, the 33-year-old candidate Zohran Mamdani walked the entire length of…
The unbearable smugness of American journalists
Polls occasionally appear which reveal the extent to which people trust – or rather don’t trust – journalists. In one…
The biggest threat to Trump is Trump
Although Republicans and Democrats have few things in common, there’s one American universal: we don’t like when you mess with…
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…
America’s new ally in the battle against Isis: the Taliban
Isis are back. In fact, to borrow Gerry Adams’s remark about the IRA, they never went away. Now, they are…
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…
Reality check: why the Democrats lost
For the past decade, Donald Trump has been the most famous and influential man on the planet. But he had…
Should we prioritise the LGBTQI community when disaster strikes?
Are homosexuals and transgendered people more at risk from natural disasters than the rest of the population? I dare say…
My problem with the American election
In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have chosen an election year for my American book tour. It’s not that I…
How I keep Question Time audiences under control
Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love – or it’s supposed to be. William Penn, good Quaker that he was,…
Starmer’s specs appeal
No doubt Lord Alli should not have been given a 10 Downing Street pass, but that is true of most…
Can Kamala Harris bluff her way to the White House?
Chicago ‘There are no disasters,’ said Boris Johnson, who was born in America. ‘Only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh…
Trump misses Biden
Chicago Everyone in the Democrats’ Convention centre – a bleakly corporate sports stadium on the edge of Chicago – is…
Is it time for me to move back to Britain?
I first saw America 50 years ago. I spent the summer of 1974 with my New York girlfriend. Richard Nixon…
Portrait of the week: riot justice, Olympic success and Ukraine’s Russian advance
Home Riots subsided after 7 August, a night when many were expected but only empty streets or demonstrations against riots…
My ringside seat at the Nixon resignation melodrama
American politics seem particularly febrile in 2024. The sitting President has withdrawn from the election, days after his predecessor was…
Woody Johnson: What a second Trump term would mean for the UK
If Donald Trump does return to the White House, then another restoration could soon follow. Woody Johnson, a confidant of…
How supporting Trump became cool
For the past decade, the basic lines of conflict in American public life seemed clear. Donald Trump was pitted against…
Joe Biden’s legacy is one of failure
He resisted as they tried to force him away. He showed his defiance. Then, after a struggle, he gave in…
Republicans shouldn’t underestimate Kamala Harris
Joe Biden has bowed to the inevitable in withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris.…
