Author and former speechwriter Don Watson joins us to discuss political violence, America’s deep divisions and whether Kamala Harris can turn the country around.

Don Watson joins Dr Emma Shortis on this episode of After America to discuss the cult-like support Donald Trump has manufactured, the “mad” AUKUS agreement, and his latest Quarterly Essay, ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 20 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

Join President José Ramos-Horta at 6pm AEDT, Tuesday 8 October for an evening of conversation at the Sydney Opera House, presented by the Australia Institute as part of its 30 Years of Big Ideas.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Don Watson, author of ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’

Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’ by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2024)

American Journeys by Don Watson (January 2018)

‘Enemy Within: American Politics in the Time of Trump’ by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2016)

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.

Author and former speechwriter Don Watson joins us to discuss political violence, America’s deep divisions and whether Kamala Harris can turn the country around.
Don Watson joins Dr Emma Shortis on this episode of After America to discuss the cult-like support Donald Trump has manufactured, the “mad” AUKUS agreement, and his latest Quarterly Essay, ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’.
This discussion was recorded on Friday 20 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
<a href="https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/talks-and-ideas/value-independence-lessons-learned-timor-lestes-path-freedom">Join President José Ramos-Horta</a> at 6pm AEDT, Tuesday 8 October for an evening of conversation at the Sydney Opera House, presented by the Australia Institute as part of its 30 Years of Big Ideas.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Don Watson, author of ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’
Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/EmmaShortis">@EmmaShortis</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2024/09/high-noon">‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink’</a> by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2024)
<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/american-journeys-9780143790990">American Journeys</a> by Don Watson (January 2018)
<a href="https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2016/09/enemy-within">‘Enemy Within: American Politics in the Time of Trump’</a> by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2016)
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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

America faces a big choice this November. But whoever wins the presidency, the United States we thought we knew is gone – and it isn’t coming back. In this new Australia Institute podcast, Dr Emma Shortis asks what this means for the rest of us, and how Australia can help shape our rapidly changing world for the better.

America faces a big choice this November. But whoever wins the presidency, the United States we thought we knew is gone – and it isn’t coming back. In this new Australia Institute podcast, Dr Emma Shortis asks what this means for the rest of us, and how Australia can help shape our rapidly changing world for the better.

After America

Author and former speechwriter Don Watson joins us to discuss political violence, America’s deep divisions and whether Kamala Harris can turn the country around.

The church of Trump with Don Watson

We discuss race in the presidential campaign and the fallout from the debate with Terri Givens,Professor of Race, Ethnicity and Politics at the University of British Columbia.

Professor Terri Givens joins Dr Emma Shortis on this episode of After America to discuss race in American politics and whether the country is ready to elect a Black female president.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 13 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Terri Givens, Professor of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, University of British Columbia

Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

‘Race, gender and politics: Is the United States ready for a Black woman president?’ by Terri Givens, The Conversation (July 2024)

‘Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?’ by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)

The Roots of Racism: The politics of white supremacy in the US and Europe by Terri Givens (January 2022)

Radical Empathy: Finding a path to bridging racial divides by Terri Givens (February 2022)

‘With Democrats "fired up" by Harris' candidacy, young people are now registering to vote in droves’ by Nandika Chatterjee, Salon (August 2024)

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.

We discuss race in the presidential campaign and the fallout from the debate with Terri Givens, Professor of Race, Ethnicity and Politics at the University of British Columbia.
Professor Terri Givens joins Dr Emma Shortis on this episode of After America to discuss race in American politics and whether the country is ready to elect a Black female president.
This discussion was recorded on Friday 13 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Terri Givens, Professor of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, University of British Columbia
Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/EmmaShortis">@EmmaShortis</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/race-gender-and-politics-is-the-united-states-ready-for-a-black-woman-president-235406">‘Race, gender and politics: Is the United States ready for a Black woman president?’</a> by Terri Givens, The Conversation (July 2024)
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-america-ready-to-elect-a-black-woman-president-237322">‘Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?’</a> by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)
<a href="https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-roots-of-racism">The Roots of Racism: The politics of white supremacy in the US and Europe</a> by Terri Givens (January 2022)
<a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/radical-empathy">Radical Empathy: Finding a path to bridging racial divides</a> by Terri Givens (February 2022)
<a href="https://www.salon.com/2024/08/29/with-democrats-fired-up-by-harris-candidacy-young-people-are-now-registering-to-vote-in-droves/">‘With Democrats "fired up" by Harris' candidacy, young people are now registering to vote in droves’</a> by Nandika Chatterjee, Salon (August 2024)
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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

We discuss race in the presidential campaign and the fallout from the debate with Terri Givens, Professor of Race, Ethnicity and Politics at the University of British Columbia.

Ready or not: will Americans elect their country’s first Black woman president?

Nick Bryant and Emma Shortis discuss the presidential debate and the state of the race on this bonus episode.

On this bonus After America, Nick Bryant, acclaimed author of The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself and former BBC journalist, joins Dr Emma Shortis to reflect on the Harris-Trump debate.

This discussion was recorded live on Thursday 12 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Nick Bryant, author and former BBC United States correspondent // @NickBryantNY

Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

'Are you ready for it? What a Taylor Swift endorsement means for Kamala Harris' by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)

The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself by Nick Bryant (June 2024)

When America Stopped Being Great: A History of the Present by Nick Bryant (August 2020)

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.

Nick Bryant and Emma Shortis discuss the presidential debate and the state of the race on this bonus episode.
On this bonus After America, Nick Bryant, acclaimed author of The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself and former BBC journalist, joins Dr Emma Shortis to reflect on the Harris-Trump debate.
This discussion was recorded live on Thursday 12 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Nick Bryant, author and former BBC United States correspondent // <a href="https://x.com/NickBryantNY">@NickBryantNY</a>
Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/EmmaShortis">@EmmaShortis</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-ready-for-it-what-a-taylor-swift-endorsement-means-for-kamala-harris-238981">'Are you ready for it? What a Taylor Swift endorsement means for Kamala Harris'</a> by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)
<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-forever-war-9781761048623">The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself</a> by Nick Bryant (June 2024)
<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/when-america-stopped-being-great-9781760896232">When America Stopped Being Great: A History of the Present</a> by Nick Bryant (August 2020)
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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

Nick Bryant and Emma Shortis discuss the presidential debate and the state of the race on this bonus episode.

Trump's debate dog whistle and Swift endorsement | DEBATE SPECIAL

We discuss Trump’s pinky promise to Elon and RFK Jr and Albo’s ‘hot mic moment’ in Tonga.

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Alice Grundy reflect on the presidential campaign so far and on the dynamics of the Australia-United States relationship ahead of the third anniversary of the AUKUS deal.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 6 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

Join our webinar with Nick Bryant, former BBC United States correspondent and author of The Forever War, at 11am AEST on Thursday 12 September. Tickets are free, but registration is essential.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Host: Alice Grundy, Research Manager, Anne Kantor Fellows, the Australia Institute // @alicekgt

Show notes:

‘Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?’  by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)

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.

We discuss Trump’s pinky promise to Elon and RFK Jr and Albo’s ‘hot mic moment’ in Tonga.
On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Alice Grundy reflect on the presidential campaign so far and on the dynamics of the Australia-United States relationship ahead of the third anniversary of the AUKUS deal.
This discussion was recorded on Friday 6 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
Join <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/event/harris-vs-trump-the-contest-for-the-soul-of-america/">our webinar with Nick Bryant</a>, former BBC United States correspondent and author of The Forever War, at 11am AEST on Thursday 12 September. Tickets are free, but registration is essential.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/EmmaShortis">@EmmaShortis</a>
Host: Alice Grundy, Research Manager, Anne Kantor Fellows, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/alicektg">@alicekgt</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-america-ready-to-elect-a-black-woman-president-237322">‘Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?’</a>  by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2024)
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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

We discuss Trump’s pinky promise to Elon and RFK Jr, Trump’s Arlington error and Albo’s ‘hot mic moment’ in Tonga.

The church of Trump with Don Watson

After America

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After America

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