TrumpWorld

After months of campaigning and billions of dollars spent, it’s the day we’ve been waiting for. America has gone to the polls in midterm elections that could reshape President Trump’s final two years in the White House. In a last ditch attempt to claw back voters President Trump dropped a bombshell today - that America will stop its four billion dollars of aid to Israel, by the end of the year. But is it too little too late? The polls suggest it could be. Democrats are hoping to capitalise on the cost-of-living crisis, soaring gas prices, the war with Iran and unpopular immigration politics to take control of the House from Republicans - and potentially make gains in the Senate too. So can the polls be trusted? Will key battlegrounds like Texas and Michigan hold the clues for the future direction of both parties - and could Alaska have the final say? In this episode of TrumpWorld Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana are joined by Nathaniel Rakich - managing editor of non-partisan VoteBeat - a nonprofit news organisation reporting on voting access. They discuss why we can’t fully trust exit polls, why Democrats shouldn't feel like a win is a done deal and how many are already looking towards the next presidential race in 2028.

On the eve of hugely consequential US Midterm elections, a massive row has broken out in Michigan after Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens, has decided to back Republican Mike Rogers, in the race for the Senate. After a long-running feud with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, Stevens removed her endorsement of El-Sayed, saying she "doesn’t belong" in his campaign. Meanwhile in Texas, the Democrats are bidding to win their first Senate seat there in over three decades, in a race that could upend the norms of US politics. In this episode of TrumpWorld Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana discuss whether the Democrats are on the verge of a ‘blue wave’, whether the polls are correct and: is President Trump losing his grip on power?

Will the US Midterms be free and fair? Voters will head to the polls on November 3rd, in elections which look set to be difficult for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. But is Trump preparing to cast doubt on the vote before we even know the results? In this episode of TrumpWorld, former Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair, Ellen Weintraub joins Anushka Asthana to discuss the unprecedented breakdown of America's chief campaign finance watchdog following her controversial removal by Donald Trump. They also discuss the enormous amounts of money funding election campaigns from donors such as Elon Musk, the possibility of voter intimidation by ICE agents, as well as advice on what you should do if someone tries to stop you from voting.

In his new book Michael Lewis, bestselling author of The Big Short and Moneyball, reveals the inside story of Elon Musk’s DOGE and Donald Trump’s assault on the US government. In Blockers , Lewis tells the stories of the civil servants who tried to stop Musk’s cost-cutting crusade and paid the price. What happens when the people protecting the government become the enemy? What is actually left of America’s administrative state? And what comes next?

With weeks to go until the 2026 US midterm elections, both the House and the Senate hang in the balance. As Donald Trump barnstorms the country from Texas to Alaska, the polls increasingly seem to be in favour of the Democrats. In this episode of TrumpWorld, Anushka Asthana sits down with political data analyst Lakshya Jain, co-founder of forecasting platform Split Ticket. Jain’s latest modeling gives Democrats an 89% chance of retaking the House and a 65% probability of capturing the Senate. But could the forecasting be underestimating the Republican vote?

Former CIA analyst turned bestselling author David McCloskey joins Anushka Asthana, where they explore the widening cracks in transatlantic intelligence sharing. Drawing on six years at Langley drafting the President’s Daily Brief across the Middle East, McCloskey’s new spy thriller, ‘London Station’, imagines the CIA and MI6 turning their covert apparatuses against one another. Following the withdrawal of US bombers from RAF Fairford and security tensions over Iran, they discuss whether the "Special Relationship" can survive a second Trump administration. From Five Eyes burden-sharing complaints to Donald Trump’s war in Iran, can intelligence partnerships withstand growing political distrust between the UK and the US?

On this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei speaks to Naomi Klein about her new book, End Times Fascism , and her argument that Donald Trump, Big Tech and the religious right are converging around a shared vision of the future. They discuss Trump’s embrace of AI, the tech industry’s warnings about its dangers, the growing influence of apocalyptic thinking among some of his allies, and whether the backlash against AI and data centres could become a political problem for Trump ahead of the midterms.

On this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana discuss Donald Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly.[Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://channel4news.substack.com/subscribe]During his 37 minute speech there were familiar rants against the media, Cuba and Iran, who he threatened with “annihilation”.This time though, not only did he stay mainly on script - but he also seemed ‘lower energy’ than usual, according to Matt Frei.

Donald Trump claims that warnings across the globe about AI could wipe out humanity are the latest “hoax” to fool the world. Just days after AI leaders across the world - led by the bosses of Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as Elon Musk – united in a call to slow down AI development, Trump has hit back against calls for regulation, saying that the only guardrail we needed was a "smart president". In this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana speak to Channel 4 News’ Science and Technology Editor, Siobhan Kennedy to ask how worried we should really be about the development of AI, and what any regulation to slow it down could actually look like.

Does the Republican Party have an Islamophobia problem? Muslims in the US say they are facing levels of Islamophobia worse than directly after 9/11 - and blame Republican politicians for driving anti-Islam sentiment. Texas is home to the Anti-Sharia caucus, and its governor wants to ban foot washing stations in its airports. And as the Republican convention kicks off in Dallas, TrumpWorld looks at the Islamophobia emanating from the state, and asks how a fringe issue has become rife in the Republican party. In this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana are joined by Mobashra Tazamal, who researches Islamophobia at Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative.

The US has launched fresh strikes on Iran - just as senior American military commanders are warning Donald Trump’s so-called secretary of war Pete Hegseth that the conflict is becoming unsustainable. US forces have hit Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran attempted to target commercial shipping and US forces in the region. Trump has warned Tehran that any retaliation will trigger even larger strikes. So where does this war go next? And as Hegseth faces warnings from his own generals, a depleted military and growing chaos at the Pentagon, does the Trump administration actually have a strategy for ending the conflict?

In another bid to force Iran to succumb to his will, Donald Trump has launched Operation Economic Outcast against Iran - but is it America who is becoming the international pariah? Trump has already infuriated many of America’s traditional allies with his tariff policy, not least its biggest neighbour and trading partner Canada. Those not so quiet Canadians are making a habit out of standing up to the bully in the White House. Today they retaliated by matching Trump’s massive tariffs. So who will support America if they end up taking on China after Beijing promised to protect itself by ‘all means necessary’ if the White House enforces its “economic onslaught” against those who trade with Iran? Last time Donald Trump picked a trade fight with Xi Jin Ping, China won. Is recent history about to repeat itself? To discuss, I’m joined by Soumaya Keynes who’s a Financial Times columnist and co-author of How to Win a Trade War. And Leslie Vinjamuri who’s President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Hasan Piker is one of the biggest political streamers in the world, and an increasingly influential voice on the American left as the Democrats try to figure out a way to take the fight to Donald Trump in the mid-term elections. But Piker is also one of the left’s most controversial voices - frequently criticised for his aggressive commentary and even banned from the UK with the government worried his presence ‘may not be conducive to the public good’. On this episode of TrumpWorld, Anushka Asthana and Matt Frei speak to Piker about the war in Gaza, how a “socialist Trump” could “change the trajectory” of “America’s decline” and whether he regrets any of his past inflammatory comments.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are facing a major confrontation over Gaza after Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point peace plan, raising fresh questions over whether the US president can use his influence to force Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire. Why is Netanyahu defying Trump? Can the Gaza peace process still be salvaged? And with anti-Israeli sentiment rising among young Americans on the right and left, is this a moment of crisis for Israel’s relationship with the US? On this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei is joined by Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin, who has spent decades mediating between Israeli officials and Hamas, and Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky.

From late-night Truth Social posts and all-caps rants to rally speeches packed with humour, anger and spectacle, Donald Trump has built a style that has dominated the American, and perhaps world, political landscape for the past decade. But is he a one-off, or has he changed politics forever? And, with the rise of left wing populists like Zohran Mamdani, do the Democrats think they have found an answer to Trump’s dominance? On this episode of TrumpWorld, Matt Frei is joined by Daniel Kreiss, professor of political communication at the University of North Carolina as well as the Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross, who worked in President Obama’s communications team.

Is Donald Trump still the election asset he once was? With the Midterm election campaign well underway, Republican candidates are grappling with an unpopular president who has left them with a rising cost of living, tariffs and the seemingly never ending war in Iran. Meanwhile the Democrats are beset by internal divisions, questions over leadership, and growing concerns about whether they have the money and the message to capitalise on Trump's vulnerabilities. On this week’s episode of Trumpworld, Matt Frei is joined by Democratic political strategist Simon Rosenberg and Sarah Chamberlain, strategist and president of Republican Main Street Partnership. They discuss if Trump is becoming an election liability for the Republicans and: are the Democrats suffering from an identity crisis?

The “special relationship” is facing its greatest test in years - Andy Burnham had barely unpacked in Number 10 before taking an hour-long call from President Trump to discuss football, Manchester, Nato and Trump’s favourite topic - oil. Now, as the fallout from America's strikes on Iran grows, big questions remain for the new prime minister - how far should the UK go in backing Trump? What happens if the White House pushes for something that crosses Britain's legal or political red lines? And can Burnham really build a successful relationship with one of the world’s most erratic leaders? On this episode of TrumpWorld, Anushka Asthana was joined by Ed Owen, director of Think Labour and Evelyn Farkas who served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Obama and is now the director of the McCain Institute.

Donald Trump's Iran strategy is unravelling. Days after declaring a ceasefire, the agreement appears to have collapsed. Trump has scrapped plans for a 20% toll on ships using the Strait of Hormuz in favour of major Gulf investment deals, while warning that even tougher military action could still be to come. So why did the ceasefire fail? Has Iran emerged politically stronger despite months of conflict? And is the Strait of Hormuz still Tehran's most powerful bargaining chip, or is it becoming a liability? On this episode of Trumpworld, Anushka Asthana is joined by Nate Swanson from the Atlantic Council and British-Iranian author Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini to examine what's really driving the conflict, whether diplomacy is finished, and what Donald Trump's next move could be.

An unprecedented FIFA decision, a direct intervention from Donald Trump, and a World Cup controversy that has left football divided. Trump says he personally asked FIFA to review Folarin Balogun's red card suspension. FIFA overturned the automatic ban, prompting protests from Belgium, criticism from UEFA, and fresh questions about President Gianni Infantino's relationship with the White House. This week on TrumpWorld, Anushka Asthana speaks to Financial Times journalist and author of World Cut Fever Simon Kuper, who is in the US covering his 10th World Cup, about what happened behind the scenes, hydration breaks, whether politics is reshaping world football, and what Trump's involvement means for the 2026 World Cup.

Donald Trump reported earning more than $2.2 billion last year, with huge sums linked to cryptocurrency, licensing deals and his growing business empire. At the same time, fresh questions are being asked about thousands of stock trades, government ethics and where the line between public office and private profit should be drawn. This week on TrumpWorld, Matt Frei and Anushka Asthana ask whether America has entered a new era, one where presidential power and personal wealth are becoming increasingly intertwined. They also examine a landmark week at the Supreme Court, where rulings expanded presidential authority while preserving birthright citizenship, and discuss whether Trump's growing power could reshape the presidency long after he leaves office. They also speak to Justin Florence, co-founder of Protect Democracy and former Special Counsel in the Obama White House, to explain what these developments mean for American democracy.