The ‘better America’ bias
Donald Trump isn’t an aberration – he’s as much a product of American history as JFK or Barack Obama.
On the 50th episode of After America, Nick Bryant joins Dr Emma Shortis to reflect on the second Trump presidency, why division is the default in American political history, and what the United States might look like after Trump.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 15 May 2025 and things may have changed since recording.
Order After America: Australia and the new world order or become a foundation subscriber to Vantage Point at australiainstitute.org.au/store.
Guest: Nick Bryant, author of The Forever War: America’s unending conflict with itself // @nickbryantoz
Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis
Show notes:
The Forever War: America’s unending conflict with itself by Nick Bryant (2024)
When America Stopped Being Great: a history of the present by Nick Bryant (2020)
Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s fatal alliance with the United States by Emma Shortis (2021)
Polling: Australia-US relations, the Australia Institute (May 2025)
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (BY-SA 2.0)
Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
This World Cup shows who holds the cards in Trump’s economy
With the men’s football world cup underway and after a UFC event on the White House lawn, the relationship between sport and politics seems especially close in the United States right now.
“No plan” and no end in sight for Trump’s “little excursion” in Iran
The Trump administration’s war on Iran is the most “incompetent, incoherent” war the United States has fought in a century, according to one US Senator.
Vance joyless as US-Iran negotiations fall apart
The Trump administration’s failure to reach an agreement with Iran to end the war shouldn’t come as a surprise.