The News Agents - USA

Why did Trump decide to strike Iran? Was it the US that started the war? Is it even a war? Listening to senior figures in the administration and in MAGA it's not entirely clear. The accounts are confused, contradictory, and seem to change by day. What is clearer is that the American public don't support the action. Polling suggests only one in four Americans back the strikes - and a series of Trump influencers have reacted with fury to the move. This is another war from the President who pledged to end them. With the midterms critical for Trump's future, could this intervention become a massive own goal if gas prices rise and voters turn away from the GOP? This week, Jon is joined by Michael D. Shear, the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times correspondent. And later - James Talarico electrifies Democrats in Texas, but is talk of turning the State blue premature? Or does Talarico represent a generational shift in the party? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Has the DOJ withheld documents from the Epstein files that relate to allegations against President Trump? That's the accusation from senior Democrats after an NPR investigation found that more than 50 pages of FBI interviews and notes from a conversation with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse when she was a minor were removed from the dataset. California Congressman Robert Garcia is calling it "the largest government cover up in modern history". The White House says that President Trump has been "totally exonerated on anything relating to Jeffrey Epstein". So what's actually going on? We speak to the editor of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, about Epstein, the State of the Union address, and the state of journalism in the era of Trump. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Senator Mark Kelly is a former astronaut, a Navy pilot, and was almost Kamala Harris VP pick. Now he’s weighing up a run for the presidency himself in 2028. He came into the News Agents studio this lunchtime to tell us why Trump is helping his cause by threatening to have him “hanged“ and why it’s important for European leaders, including Starmer, to push back on Trump’s bullying. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The News Agents USA listeners, we've got a new podcast we think you'll love. Step inside sport’s greatest soap opera, Formula One, with a brand-new podcast Up To Speed. Hosted by Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, racing driver-turned-broadcaster Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 content creator Jolie Sharpe. Expect razor-sharp reaction, behind-the-scenes insight, blockbuster interviews and answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask! With their deep knowledge, expert analysis and infectious love for racing, Will, Naomi, DC & Jolie dive into the stories that matter - on and off the track. It’s fast-paced, unfiltered and full of the gossip that keeps the paddock buzzing. They’ll react to the weekend's race drama every Monday. On Thursday they’ll deep dive into the biggest stories of the week. Watch and listen to episode 1 now on Global Player, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Trump is trying his best to manifest good polling numbers. But the raw numbers as they stand are dire for the President. This week, we talk to top pollster Doug Sosnik, who was at Bill Clinton’s side for six years, about political shamelessness, polling and 'the Epstein class'. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In an exclusive interview with Emily, Amy Wallace - who co-authored Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir - warns that lives are being put in danger by the way that the US department of justice has handled the Epstein files. Why are victims' names appearing unredacted but possible perpetrators are having their names concealed, and testimony against them omitted entirely? Donald Trump has told America to move on and focus on something "people care about". Does the President's feeble attempt to draw a line under the Epstein files only strengthen the resolve to get to the bottom of the scandal and bring about justice? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The actor Billy Crudup, known for The Morning show, Jay Kelly, and Almost Famous, is bringing the Western to the London stage in High Noon. It's an allegory of McCarthyism and Hollywood’s “black list ". This week, he joined Emily in the studio to discuss why he’s drawn to stories of moral cowardice and why he finds it so easy to speak up right now. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The deadline to release the Epstein files is now over a month old. Last night, a congressional committee confirmed Ghislaine Maxwell would appear before it in a hearing on February 9th. Although she may choose to say little. The vote in Congress last November created a legal obligation on the government to release the Epstein files. So what happens now if the justice department refuses to comply? Later, how Gavin Newson rose through the Democrat ashes to lead the polls as the front runner in 2028. What has he discovered in how to deal with Trump? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It's a week since Renee Nicole Good was shot by an ICE agent whilst in her car in Minnesota. Since then, protests have erupted around the country, schools in Minneapolis have closed, and last night saw a second shooting by an ICE agent. Is the immigration law enforcement now just a political weapon? And, as Trump threatens martial law, is ICE deliberately trying to provoke conflict in Minnesota? We're joined by Semifore's Ben Smith. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The plan to taken down Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, was months in the making. And yet, when it did finally happen, it not only took Caracas by surprise but even Washington was stunned by the speed of the incursion. What does the operation in Venezuela tell us about how Trump might be planning to take over other territories? Why has he got his eyes on oil tanks, and is he prepared to go battle with Putin? We speak to The Crisis Room's Marc Polymeropoulos. Later, Tim Walz has ended his campaign to run for Minnesota governor after ongoing fraud accusations became the focus of Republicans. Are fraud claims a new effective weapon for MAGA to attack the Democrats? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Trump's inner circle may be wondering this week why they gave Vanity Fair exclusive access and close up photos for the magazine. The portrait is unflattering to say the least. And highly revelatory. Will it change how Trump sees those around him? And why is the MAGA aesthetic so central to the brand? Also - Trump speaks to the nation about the economy. Why’s he had to make up all his figures? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Affordability is the word that Zohran Mamdani made the centre of his New York mayoral campaign after watching the Democrats lose so badly in 2024. But now it’s the Republicans and President Trump that have to convince voters the economy is going in the right direction. And 70 percent of them no longer trust Trump to get it right. What does this mean for the midterms? Later, why the Supreme Court could be about to hand Trump the power he craves to fire whoever he fancies. We talk to Slate' s Mark Joseph Stern. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The story of the affair between journalist Olivia Nuzzi and Health Secretary RFK Junior has been called the least important and most important story of our times. What does it tell us about MAGA culture, journalistic ethics and the power of click bait versus deep dive investigation? Why is America so obsessed with her story? Later, has a leaked recording of Pete Hegseth, Secretary of WAR, opened him up to accusations of war crimes? And what happens to those who speak out against Trump's extra judicial killings? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The former FBI director James Comey has walked free after his indictment was thrown out by a judge who decided the presiding attorney was actually invalid. It’s a tricky moment for Donald Trump, who had pursued his enemies in the hope of putting behind bars people who he called “bad” - and led to accusations of “vindictive prosecution“ by the President. But already, the administration's ire has turned to its next victims - former astronaut and Arizona senator Mark Kelly. A decorated, highly respected military man who finds himself facing a possible court martial for sedition after Pete Hegseth's latest outburst. What effect are these arrests and investigations having on America's institutions? And after the resignation of outspoken congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, is Trump starting to lose his grip on his own base? We talk to the New York Times journalist Mark Landler. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Last night both houses of Congress overwhelmingly voted to force the justice department to release the Epstein files. We could see the contents made public within days. But the vote itself, long resisted by Trump, has left the President looking weaker and more friendless amongst the MAGA base than he’s ever been. Is he starting to look like a lame duck President? And are Republicans imagining a MAGA world that comes after Trump? Or will they quickly revert to fealty? Later, the college professor in exile from America after being targeted by death threats for his academic work on Antifa. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Donald Trump has told Fox News he has an "obligation" to sue the BBC - claiming the broadcaster "defrauded the public" in the way a Panorama episode misleadingly edited a clip of his January 6th speech. The dispute has made it on to Joe Rogan's podcast, and the BBC is being hauled into the 'fake news' category by MAGA commentators. How serious is President Trump in his threats? And could he bankrupt the BBC? Jon and Emily speak to Andrew Weissmann, law professor and former FBI general counsel. The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

After a year in the wilderness for the Democrats, last nights electoral victories have given many a taste of winning again. Races in Democratic strongholds like New York, California, New Jersey and Virginia may not have been a shock - but the scale of the victories and the size of the turnouts has put a spring back into the step of those who’d given up hope. Today we discuss what Zohran Mamdani Gavin Newsom, Abigail Spanberger and others are getting right. And whether it’s a useful predictor for what happens next? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

A week out from the New York mayoral contest we speak to a good friend of Zohran Mamdani - journalist and broadcaster Ross Barkan. Does Mamdani represent a totally fresh start for the Democrats - or did he just get lucky with his opponents? And what lesson will the party take away if he’s victorious next week? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Former Republican congressman George Santos was jailed for wire fraud and identity theft and began his 7 year sentence in the summer. On Friday, after a mere 87 days, it was commuted - by the president - and Santos walked free. Today he gives us the first UK interview since his commutation to explain his crimes, his appeal for clemency, and what it tells us about Trump's America in 2025. Later, what on earth is going on in the east wing of the White House? The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Saturday could see the largest mass demonstration in modern American history. The "No Kings" rallies across the country will see millions turn out to voice their discontent with Donald Trump and his administration's increasingly authoritarian actions. Robert De Niro is among those urging people to take to the streets, But senior MAGA figures are trying to discredit the whole thing before it's even started. They are describing it as a "Hate America" rally - demonstrators labelled "pro-Hamas", "Antifa", and "rabid". Will Donald Trump's base really buy that? Or should the White House be concerned about the swell of civil discontent? We speak to Bill McKibben, behind the group Third Path which is helping to organise the rallies. Later, Joe Rogan has condemned the way ICE is snatching an ever increasing number of people from the streets. Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken to CNN to criticise the lack of leadership on healthcare coming from her own party. When influential voices on the Right like those two are coming out rebuking the actions of the Trump administration, is that more likely to make him sit up and take notice? Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee