The State of It: USA

Trump's three gifts to the Democrats

September 16, 2026
Trump's three gifts to the Democrats

Why is Donald Trump so relaxed about AI regulation?

After the Anthropic boss Dario Amodei called for AI regulation to save the human race, Trump said that his own IQ was the only guardrail needed to prevent an AI Apocalypse. Not everyone has been reassured by that. And President Trump's breezy attitude to AI may end up costing the Republicans votes.

How are rising gas prices impacting the 2026 US midterms?

All the warning signs on the US economy are flashing red, especially after Houthis in Yemen took over key Red Sea shipping routes. Are there any levers left to pull? The problem is all the options are bad.

Why did a Russian oligarch pay for Donald Trump Jr's wedding?

Umar Kremlev, who's a friend of President Putin, paid for wedding celebration for Donald Trump Jr. We look at how the White House is reacting, why Senate Democrats like Jon Ossoff are seizing on the story, and the dismay that Republicans are expressing behind closed doors.


Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal


Producer: Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness


Picture: Getty Images

Audio: All In, Reuters

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The State of It: USA is a weekly US politics podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times, offering agenda‑setting analysis of American power and its global impact. It promises frank, in‑depth conversations that cut through spin, conspiracy and partisanship to explain what is really happening inside the White House and beyond.

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