The Ceasefire and the Business of Trump’s Diplomacy
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 18 October 2025
⏱️ 42 minutes
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Summary
The Washington Roundtable examines the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the uncertain road ahead, asking to what degree the Trump family’s business interests in the Middle East are shaping American foreign policy. The panel discusses the financial relationships between Qatar, the U.A.E., and Jared Kushner’s private-equity firm, and analyzes the intertwinement of personal profit and global dealmaking in the President’s approach. “The cliché about Trump is that he’s a transactional President,” the staff writer Evan Osnos says. “He’s basically putting that at the center of the diplomatic discussion.”
This week’s reading:
- “The End of Israel’s Hostage Ordeal,” by Ruth Margalit
- “Donald Trump’s Dream Palace of Puffery,” by Susan B. Glasser
- “How Will Americans Remember the War in Gaza?,” by Jay Caspian Kang
- “Donald Trump’s Deep-State Wrecking Ball,” by Andy Kroll
- “The Last Columbia Protester in ICE Detention,” by Aida Alami
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The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.
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| 0:00.0 | The site of the press corps walking out of the Pentagon is amazing. |
| 0:06.7 | And it's a genuine act of solidarity on the part of the press. |
| 0:09.5 | I think here here. |
| 0:10.2 | And maybe even a sign that people are realizing solidarity and saying no are the only winning tactics here. |
| 0:18.0 | And it was across the ideological spectrum. It went from |
| 0:22.4 | left to Fox News and even to Newsmax. They're saying something, which is the free press |
| 0:28.9 | matters and you're trying to keep us on free. Well, when Pete Hegeseth, Fox Weekend News anchor, |
| 0:34.7 | has lost Fox. You know, it's really remarkable. |
| 0:39.9 | Did you see, though, that he is now insisting that this is Hegseth, that everybody |
| 0:46.5 | certify in the Pentagon that they have watched his speech? |
| 0:51.0 | Yeah. |
| 0:51.3 | I mean, that is really something. |
| 0:53.7 | It's not optional. I'm going to start doing that, guys. I'm going to |
| 0:54.6 | start asking people to certify that they've... They've listened to this podcast. I sign right here. |
| 1:00.9 | For a nice social occasions. Have you completed your certification? |
| 1:04.8 | When you say that you really enjoyed that column and listen to that podcast, like I would like to test your |
| 1:10.1 | comprehension. |
| 1:19.7 | Welcome to the political scene from the New Yorker, a weekly discussion about the big questions in American politics. |
| 1:21.6 | I'm Evan Osnosed, and I'm joined, as ever, by my colleagues, Susan Glasser and Jane |
| 1:26.4 | Mayor. |
| 1:27.1 | Good morning, Susan. Hey, it's great to be with you. |
| 1:29.2 | Hi, Jane. Hey, Evan. Hey, Susan. Today on the show, Trump, the Middle East, and the art of the deal. |
... |
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