Trump, Gaza and shutdown

Trump, Gaza and shutdown

Author: Chatham House October 10, 2025 Duration: 28:41

At home the US is mired in domestic dysfunction with a government shutdown now in its second week. But abroad, President Trump has brokered a deal that - although it didn't win a Nobel Peace Prize - could end the two-year Gaza war. Laurel Rapp and Max Yoeli join guest host Christopher Sabatini.

They discuss the effects of the government funding crisis and protracted political deadlock on the US economy, international investment, the military and foreign policy.

Read our latest:

Comment | Egypt is crucial to Trump's Gaza plan – but fears a security vacuum after an Israeli withdrawal

Comment | The rise of Reform, the AfD and RN is more than a blip – so what happens if the E3 goes far right?

Comment | Attacks on 'drug boats' are pushing the US away from the consensus on the rules of international law

Presented by Christopher Sabatini. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
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