The Bottom Line Podcast
1) After Maduro: Is the US driving global instability? | The Bottom Line
America First foreign policy means that the United States is becoming a country that opposes the rule of law, free trade and collective security, argues Ian Bremmer, president of the risk analysis fir...Show More
2) Has the US made peace with the rise of China?
The United States has realised it cannot keep “trying to police the whole world”, argues Victor Gao, the vice president of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. Gao tells host Steve Clemo...Show More
3) Javad Zarif: Main threat to the Middle East is Israel, not Iran | The Bottom Line
Months after being attacked by the United States and Israel, Iran finds itself in the crosshairs again, with Israeli officials lobbying US President Donald Trump to address Tehran's ballistic missiles...Show More
Javad Zarif: Main threat to the Middle East is Israel, not Iran | The Bottom Line
23:00 | Dec 28th, 2025
4) Trump declared a 'new Middle East’ – but what has changed? | The Bottom Line
Two months ago, United States President Donald Trump held an international gala to celebrate his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, but his plan has been stuck in phase one since then. Bronwen Maddox, t...Show More
Trump declared a 'new Middle East’ – but what has changed? | The Bottom Line
24:00 | Dec 23rd, 2025
5) Will Trump’s ‘imperfect plan’ for ending the Ukraine war work? | The Bottom Line
After years of support from the United States for the Ukraine war to continue “as long as it takes”, the Trump administration is now pushing to end Europe’s war – quickly and imperfectly. While detail...Show More
Will Trump’s ‘imperfect plan’ for ending the Ukraine war work? | The Bottom Line
23:58 | Dec 21st, 2025
6) Kagame: ‘Never seen this much attention’ to ending Africa war
US diplomacy under President Donald Trump has a bigger chance of success because it focuses on transactional deals that “translate into improvements of people’s lives” instead of “theories about democ...Show More
7) Trump says US economy is in a ‘golden age’. Do Americans agree? | The Bottom Line
United States President Donald Trump insists he’s “created the greatest economy in the history of our country”, but to middle-class and poor Americans, argues economist Peter Atwater, the president so...Show More
Trump says US economy is in a ‘golden age’. Do Americans agree? | The Bottom Line
24:02 | Nov 30th, 2025
8) Why is Saudi Arabia doubling down on its relations with the US?
United States President Donald Trump “looks at Saudi Arabia like a piggy bank or an ATM machine” and that’s why the recent Saudi-US summit focused on deals instead of strategic regional issues, such a...Show More
9) Does the rise of Mamdani indicate a major shift in the US | The Bottom Line
After the capital of capitalism voted for socialism and Democrats in two states trounced Republicans, United States President Donald Trump is worried that he won’t be able to impose his domestic visio...Show More
Does the rise of Mamdani indicate a major shift in the US | The Bottom Line
24:11 | Nov 9th, 2025
10) Who has the upper hand in China-US relations? | The Bottom Line
The United States and China have declared a truce in the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump in April, argues Evan Medeiros, former US National Security Council director for China. Medeiro...Show More