<p>The unpredictability of Trump’s conflict with Iran shows no sign of slowing. Is a genuine peace deal with Tehran actually close — or is the President once again overstating progress? Why did Trump abruptly announce and then abandon “Project Freedom,” the US naval plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz?</p><p>Meanwhile, Marco Rubio’s warmly received White House press briefing has sparked fresh speculation about his 2028 ambitions. And despite Trump’s declining national approval ratings, the latest Indiana primary results suggest it still pays for Republicans to stay firmly in line behind the President.</p><br><p><br></p><p>Katy Balls,&nbsp;Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times</p><p>Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal</p><br><p>Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson</p><br><p><br></p><p>Image: Getty Images.</p><p>Clips: Reuters</p><p><em>This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. </em><a href="https://www.thetimes.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=audio&amp;utm_campaign=FY26_TML_thestateofitusa_" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe today</em></a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>