Politics Weekly America

After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump over the weekend, the Republican national convention gathered in Milwaukee this week to welcome him as the party’s presidential nominee. But not all eyes were on the former president. Standing next to him, above the chanting crowd, was his newly appointed candidate for vice-president, JD Vance. It was a surprising move for the Ohio senator and author of Hillbilly Elegy, who once described himself as a ‘never Trumper’ and his new boss as ‘America’s Hitler’. So what’s behind this transformation, and what’s in it for Trump? To find out, Jonathan Freedland is joined this week by Tara Setmayer, a former Republican congressional communications director

On Saturday night in London, word came through that Donald Trump had been injured during one of his rallies in Pennsylvania. A shooter, who killed another person and seriously injured others, was killed by Secret Service agents. As the US comes to grips with what just happened, Jonathan Freedland and Sidney Blumenthal discuss what this tragedy means for the former president’s image with less than five months until the election

Back in December Donald Trump said the quiet bit out loud when he announced he wanted to be a dictator – if only on day one. Looking around the world in the 21st century, autocracy is getting a new lease of life – authoritarian regimes are working together, and the danger to democracies like the United States is getting closer to home. This week, Jonathan Freedland is joined by the political commentator and author Anne Applebaum to look at what the US should be doing to tackle the growing threat of autocracy

As Americans celebrate Independence Day, Democrats are scrambling after a pretty disastrous week for the party – and arguably US-democracy. On Monday, the US supreme court handed Donald Trump a victory by ruling that former presidents are entitled to some degree of immunity from criminal prosecution. Stemming from this, the judge overseeing the former president’s criminal case in New York postponed his sentencing from next week to 18 September. This falls against the backdrop of Joe Biden trying to convince the public and members of his party that he is still fit to run for president. This week, Jonathan Freedland and Paul Begala, a former adviser to Bill Clinton, discuss how the Democrats can regroup

Analysis of the recent presidential debate between Biden and Trump, critiquing Biden's performance and concerns about his candidacy. Debate incident sparks concerns within Democratic Party about Biden's ability to remain as the nominee.

Discussions on Biden's immigration policies, reactions from Democrats and Republicans, criticisms of being too lenient or harsh, and the implications of upcoming TV debates on voter perception.

On Tuesday, Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three criminal charges relating to buying a handgun while being a user of crack cocaine. His father – the president – was firm in his support for his son, but also in his belief in the justice system. After Donald Trump was convicted in a New York court last month, rightwing pundits and Republican politicians were lining up to accuse the Biden administration of rigging the justice system for political advantage. Yet now the courts have convicted Biden’s own son. Jonathan Freedland is joined by Susan Glasser of the New Yorker to look at how the right has decided to spin this latest historical conviction.

Reports surfaced a few weeks ago that the supreme court justice Samuel Alito had flown an upside-down US flag outside his home days after insurrectionists flew similar flags when they stormed the Capitol on 6 January 2021. Alito has blamed his wife, saying he wanted her to take down the flag down after a dispute with neighbours. Democrats want Alito to recuse himself from any supreme court case involving 6 January, but he has refused to do so. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Amanda Marcotte of Salon about whether this latest scandal is proof that the supreme court is incapable of being unbiased

Political analysts Jonathan Freedland and Sam Levine discuss Donald Trump's historic conviction on all counts by a New York jury, his plans to appeal, and the impact on the upcoming election. They delve into legal intricacies, prosecutor strategies, Trump's potential legal fate, and the message of accountability in American politics.

Last week it was announced that Donald Trump and Joe Biden would finally hit the debate stage for a rematch. While voters contemplate which of the pair stands to lose more by going head to head, another candidate is working hard to try to join them – Robert F Kennedy Jr. The controversial independent candidate doesn’t even have the backing of his famous political family, but he’s polling nationally stronger than any third-party candidate has in decades. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to political analyst David Corn about which of the two frontrunners should be more worried by RFK Jr’s presidential campaign