Why has Trump imposed a new travel ban and who’s on the list?

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Jun 6, 2025

The discussion delves into Trump's new travel ban affecting twelve countries, including Afghanistan and Iran. It examines the motivations behind the timing and its potential legal challenges. Confusion arises as Egypt remains on the sidelines despite its links to recent attacks. The episode also explores the broader implications of the ban on American identity and immigration, while analyzing the suspension of foreign students from Harvard. Insights from a former ambassador to China highlight the complexities of U.S.-China relations amidst these policies.

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INSIGHT

Trump's New Travel Ban Explained

Donald Trump has imposed a new travel ban on 12 countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, citing national security.
This ban is broader than previous ones and focuses more on Africa but excludes Egypt despite recent related incidents.

INSIGHT

Travel Ban as Political Distraction

The travel ban partly aims to distract from other political issues such as the Biden investigation and Republican legislative struggles.
Critics see it as a diversion tactic rather than a focus on genuine national security.

INSIGHT

Criticism of Ban's Arbitrary Nature

The ban appears inconsistent and arbitrary, including countries like Haiti due to visa overstays but excluding others like Egypt.
It may harm America's global image by making the country appear isolationist and xenophobic.

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The US president Donald Trump has imposed a full travel ban on 12 countries mainly in Africa and the Middle East, following through on a promise made in 2024 on the campaign trail. But why has the president chosen to implement the ban now, and how likely is it to survive a legal challenge?

The ban includes Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and Libya. But there’s also confusion as to why Egypt remains off the list despite the president citing the recent attack Colorado's Jewish community, which was allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national. There are also partial restrictions on seven other nations including Venezuela and Cuba.

And, in another instalment of Donald Trump’s war with Harvard, he’s also suspended foreign students from studying at the university, which could have a big impact on Chinese students. Sarah’s been chatting to Nicholas Burns, a former US ambassador to China who now teaches at Harvard, about how the university should respond to the president, and what it’s like to negotiate in a room with Xi Jinping.

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST: • Nicholas Burns, Former U.S. Ambassador to China between 2022-2025 and Professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is also a Faculty Affiliate at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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