|
|
|
|
|
Anthony Zurcher
|
|
North America correspondent
|
|
|
|
Hello from Washington DC, where President Donald Trump has been out of the public eye for the past six days. He’s been active, as always, on Truth Social, though - attacking Democrats, wishing US attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro a happy birthday and asserting that negotiations with Iran “have been going on continuously”.
While the talks may be ongoing, they don’t seem to be making much progress, as my colleague Bernd Debusmann Jr notes in today’s Spotlight. It’s been a rough week for Trump domestically, as well, as his golden endorsement record took a hit on Tuesday night. I explain below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Trump backed Feenstra just four days before the Iowa primary. Credit: Getty Images
|
|
Readers might remember that last week, I wrote about how Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton didn’t really need Trump’s late-in-the-game endorsement to win his state’s Republican Senate nomination contest.
On Tuesday night in Iowa, Randy Feenstra lost in spite of Trump’s last-minute backing. The three-term Iowa congressman, running for his party’s nomination to be governor, had been a reliable Trump supporter. But the winner, farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, campaigned on a decidedly Trumpian platform - with slogans like “Make Iowa Healthy Again” and “Iowa first”.
He had the backing of Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by the late commentator Charlie Kirk, and grass-roots conservatives in the state who viewed Feenstra as too much a part of the Washington establishment.
This may prove to be a case of the president’s political instincts missing the mark in a state that, while having voted for him in three straight elections, appears to be souring towards him a bit.
Tariffs - and China’s response to them - hit Iowa’s farmers hard. And just when that was easing, the Iran war, bringing higher fuel and fertiliser costs, packed a double-punch.
According to a recent YouGov/Economist poll, Trump has a net approval rating of negative 20% in Iowa. This unease has given Democrats hope of flipping the governorship when Lahn faces off against Democratic state auditor Rob Sand in November, and winning the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Joni Ernst.
The takeaway: While Texas gets a lot of national attention, the key to Democratic success in November’s midterms may lie amid the cornfields of Iowa. Keep a close eye on the Hawkeye State.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The incumbent will compete to run California’s largest city in November, when she could face Republican reality TV star Spencer Pratt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I explore how the president’s plans for the 250th anniversary of America’s independence risk becoming another partisan battleground.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Kean Jr has not been seen in his New Jersey district or Congress for months, reportedly missing more than 100 votes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
|
|
Find out how judicial checks on Trump’s executive power have stalled some of the administration’s plans. And there’s been an update about the president’s health.
|
|
-
Security summit: During a trip to Singapore, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to reassure Asia-Pacific allies about the US’s commitment to the region. Here’s what he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The secretary of state faced questions about US policy on Iran on Tuesday. Credit: Getty Images
|
|
Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter
Just before President Trump entered the White House situation room last Friday, he vowed that he would be making a “final” decision on Iran, prompting intense speculation that weeks of back-and-forth through intermediaries was about to bear fruit.
Days later, that deal continues to elude the administration, which appears to have only narrowly avoided the total derailment of the deal because of Israel’s separate - but inextricably linked - war in Lebanon.
That possibility reportedly led to an extremely terse, and at times profanity-laden, call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some commentators have said that was due to intense frustration and a feeling that Israel’s war in Lebanon is dragging out a conflict in Iran that many Americans have grown weary of.
Publicly, administration officials continue to be optimistic about a deal with Iran that will extend the ceasefire and allow more detailed discussions to take place.
The timeline, however, remains unclear. Speaking to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered little clarity. “There is the prospect before us, which could happen today,” he said. “It could happen tomorrow. It could happen next week.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In this episode, the team examine whether Europeans are becoming less inclined to visit the US, and answer more listeners’ questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is there anything you want to know about US politics? You can email me to share what you think are the big issues. And why not forward the newsletter to friends? They can sign up here.
Thanks for reading!
- Anthony
Lead image credit: Getty Images
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
News Daily
|
|
Get our flagship daily newsletter delivered straight to your inbox first thing throughout the week.
|
|
Sign up
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Emails made for you
|
|
You've received this email as you've previously been interested in US Politics Unspun newsletters.
If you've changed your mind and would rather receive something else, let us know and we’ll remember for next time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To stop receiving ‘BBC emails for you’ newsletters click here to unsubscribe. Or you can update your email preferences in your BBC account settings.
This email is intended for UK residents. Please note that some features and content in this newsletter are only available to people in the UK. You can update your personal details including your Postcode and Email Address in your account settings.
Find out everything you need to know about using your BBC account, all in one place.
This email newsletter suggests things we think you'll like based on what we know about you. To find out more about personalisation at the BBC, click here.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Replies to this email will not be monitored. If you have any questions, please refer to our FAQ page.
BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA, UK
Copyright © 2026 BBC.
|
|
|
|
[[ua-unsubscribe-page href="__REPLACE_LINK_PLACEHOLDER__"]]
|
|
|
