Swamp Notes is the weekly US politics podcast from The Financial Times. Every Friday, host Marc Filippino talks to reporters in Washington as well as the FT's veteran US political commentators and a cast of expert guests to explain what the latest moves in the Capitol mean for the economy, business and for people in America — and beyond. Subscribe and listen for incisive analysis, on-the-ground insights and a uniquely global perspective.
Each week, Swamp Notes answers one listener question. If you have a question about US politics and the global economy, send an email to marc.filippino@ft.com. If you leave us a voice memo, we may even play it on the show!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Swamp Notes is the weekly US politics podcast from The Financial Times. Every Friday, host Marc Filippino talks to reporters in Washington as well as the FT's veteran US political commentators and a cast of expert guests to explain what the latest moves in the Capitol mean for the economy, business and for people in America — and beyond. Subscribe and listen for incisive analysis, on-the-ground insights and a uniquely global perspective.
Each week, Swamp Notes answers one listener question. If you have a question about US politics and the global economy, send an email to marc.filippino@ft.com. If you leave us a voice memo, we may even play it on the show!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The US military has killed more than 60 people in attacks on boats they say are running drugs in Latin America. Its navy has moved its most powerful warship to the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is increasing its rhetoric against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. James Story, the former top US diplomat to Venezuela, and the FT’s Michael Stott, puzzle out what the Pentagon and Maduro may do next.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Venezuela’s creaking military prepares for US strikes
Donald Trump aims to topple Venezuela’s leader with military build-up
Email Marc your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Samantha Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson and Roxanna Vigil at the Council on Foreign Relations.
CREDIT: NBC News, CBS News
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
US President Donald Trump and his family have made at least $1bn since he was elected to serve a second term, thanks to their rapidly growing cryptocurrency empire. That’s according to an FT investigation which also found that at least 30 individuals or companies that collectively donated to the president’s causes have received benefits or advantages. The FT’s Joe Miller and Alex Rogers unpack their findings.
Mentioned in this podcast:
How dozens of Trump’s donors have benefited from his second term
How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. We had help from Lauren Fedor. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: KVUE
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stephen Miller has played a central part in shaping White House policy since Donald Trump’s first term as president. But with less opposition this time around from Congress or other figures inside the administration, Miller’s hardline agenda has started to come to life. The FT’s US national correspondent Guy Chazan and US national editor Ed Luce join this week’s Swamp Notes to explore what Trump’s top policy adviser might be planning next.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Stephen Miller: Donald Trump’s ‘prime minister’ executes his plan to reshape America
Stephen Miller, Trump’s implementer-in-chief
Russell Vought: the man on a ‘divine mission’ to traumatise US bureaucrats
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson and Ethan Plotkin. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: CNN, Washington Post, Daystar
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US President Donald Trump has long campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he seemed closer to that goal earlier this week when he helped broker a ceasefire in Gaza. But the Nobel Committee had other plans. So what exactly is Trump’s track record on peacemaking and what does it take to actually win the Nobel Peace Prize? Norwegian humanitarian studies professor Kristin Sandvik and the FT’s US-Middle East foreign policy correspondent Abigail Hauslohner explain.
Mentioned in this podcast:
How Trump cornered Netanyahu into signing up for peace
Donald Trump looms large over Nobel Peace Prize
Email Marc with your questions. (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. We had help from Lauren Fedor. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: NBC News, Forbes Breaking News, C-SPAN, Norwegian Nobel Committee
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For the first time in nearly seven years, the US Congress was unable to come to a spending agreement in time. The government shut down. Democrats want to challenge President Donald Trump and extend healthcare subsidies. Republicans don’t want to budge. The Financial Times’ Washington bureau chief James Politi and deputy chief Lauren Fedor break down how it all went down and the position Democrats now find themselves in.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Donald Trump threatens permanent spending cuts as US shutdown continues
What happens when the US government shuts down?
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: FOX News, Reuters, ABC News, C-SPAN
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show is back on the air.The president of the US isn’t happy about it. He’s threatened to revoke licenses from broadcast networks that air negative programming about him. The former counselor to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Gigi Sohn, and the FT’s Los Angeles bureau chief Christopher Grimes unpack what’s at stake for America’s television industry.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Inside Disney’s decision to bring back Jimmy Kimmel
Is America entering a new era of McCarthyism?
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: Benny Johnson podcast, New York Post, Verdict with Ted Cruz
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On Monday, Donald Trump posted on social media that he wanted US public companies to ditch quarterly reporting. It is yet another move by his administration to hand more power to corporate executives and take power away from investors. The FT's Wall Street editor Sujeet Indap and global business columnist Rana Foroohar break down the arguments for and against the president’s efforts, and what it’ll mean for businesses.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Trump’s quarterly reporting move is the wrong idea at the wrong time
Donald Trump tilts balance of power from investors to CEOs
Bonus ep: How the UK is navigating the Trump era
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Sam Giovinco mixed this week’s episode. Our show is mixed by Kelly Garry. The FT’s acting co- head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The US Supreme Court’s next term is just weeks away, and the decisions facing the court’s nine justices could define the future of President Donald Trump’s second administration. The FT’s Brooke Masters and Stefania Palma break down what makes this new era of the Supreme Court so unique and controversial.
Mentioned in this podcast:
US Supreme Court to decide how far Donald Trump’s power really goes
Will the Supreme Court stand up to Trump?
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: FOX News, CBS News
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
US President Donald Trump is coming to the UK next week. What can we expect from his visit? And where do things stand between the US and the UK?
In this special bonus episode, our two FT political chat shows, Political Fix and Swamp Notes, team up to unpack relations between the two longtime allies. Marc Filippino, host of the Swamp Notes podcast, and US managing editor Brooke Masters are joined by Political Fix’s George Parker and Lucy Fisher to discuss. This episode was recorded on September 6 in front of a live audience at the FT Weekend Festival in London.
Mentioned in this podcast:
-Listen to the Swamp Notes podcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.
-Listen to the Political Fix podcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify.
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. The executive producer for Political Fix is Flo Phillips. This episode was mixed by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-heads of audio are Topher Forhecz and Manuela Saragosa.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest round of jobs numbers this week. A former BLS commissioner, Erica Groshen, and the FT’s US economics correspondent Myles McCormick break down what’s inside that report and what it means for a federal agency preparing for a controversial new leader.
Mentioned in this podcast:
US adds just 22,000 jobs in August as labour market sputters
Donald Trump picks Heritage economist to head US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Email Marc with your question (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Alex Higgins. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Trump administration announced that it is taking a 10 per cent stake in troubled chipmaker Intel. It’s another interventionist move by the White House in less than a year since US President Donald Trump returned to office. What does it mean that the federal government is getting more involved in the free market? The FT’s Richard Waters and the American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Strain discuss.
Mentioned in this podcast:
US to take 10% stake in troubled chipmaker Intel
Why Intel investors have embraced an interventionist White House
Trump’s Intel deal is a threat to US economic liberty
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is Hosted by Marc Filippino and produced by Henry Larson. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: Howard Lutnick on X
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The world trade order is being remade. US President Donald Trump has led that charge with tariffs and trade deals that have upended the past 30 years of advancement towards global free trade. If that order is going away, what should replace it? Council on Foreign Relations president Michael Froman and the FT’s senior trade writer Alan Beattie talk through one option for the future of international exchange.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Read Michael Froman’s Foreign Affairs article
No, Trump is not ushering in a new global trading order
Canada cultivates Nordic connections to offset its reliance on US trade
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Samantha Giovinco. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the president’s most recent executive orders paved the way for American retirement accounts to invest in cryptocurrencies and private equity. It’s a seismic change for savers and investors both. The FT’s Sujeet Indap and Duke University professor Elisabeth de Fontenay break down what it means for you and for Washington.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
Donald Trump exposes US retirees to new world of risk with 401k order
Trump opens US retirement plans to crypto and private equity investments
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry and Kent Militzer. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Six months after the Trump administration gutted the US Agency for International Development, experts are tracking the impact of its absence. The FT’s David Pilling and the Brookings Institution’s George Ingram describe the surprising ways countries are adapting to a world with less resources for the poor, sick and starving.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com)
What the closure of USAID is really costing the world
USAID cuts threaten 14mn extra deaths by 2030, warns study
The shifting future of foreign aid
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Samantha Giovinco mixed this week’s episode. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On a visit to the UK this week, Trump broke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on the war in Gaza. The FT’s Edward Luce and US foreign affairs correspondent Abigail Hauslohner unpack how the situation in the region became so dire, and why world leaders are pressuring Trump to act.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Has Gaza tested the limits of Donald Trump’s support for Benjamin Netanyahu?
‘Worst-case scenario’ of famine unfolding in Gaza, says global hunger monitor
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson and mixed by Samantha Giovinco. We had help from Marc Filippino. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: CNN, Times News, France24
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The US president is angry with the chair of the Federal Reserve over interest rates. He’s applying a lot of pressure on Jay Powell to lower them or leave his job. The FT’s Claire Jones and Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, break down what will happen if Trump succeeds in either of those goals.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@ft.com)
Donald Trump and Jay Powell spar as US president visits Federal Reserve
Why a $2.5bn refurbishment of the Federal Reserve could be Jay Powell’s undoing
Donald Trump brings war against the Fed to Jay Powell’s home turf
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson and mixed by Samantha Giovinco. We get help from Lauren Fedor. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: CNBC
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Zohran Mamdani shocked a city, and his own political party, when he soundly defeated his influential rival in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary election. Now, as the second leg of the race reveals itself, Mamdani has a chance to redefine how the party talks about its critical issues. The FT’s Rana Foroohar and the American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Strain discuss what the party can learn from its nominee and what it would mean if he won.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@ft.com)
New York’s Zohran Mamdani wins over some of the city’s business elite
Zohran Mamdani is wrong — of course billionaires should exist
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson and mixed by Samantha Giovinco. We had help from Lauren Fedor. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: Zohran Mamdani For NYC, NBC News, NPR, NY1, CNBC
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When US President Donald Trump threatened 200 per cent tariffs on foreign-made pharmaceuticals, investors responded like it was a placebo. It’s the latest spat between drugmakers and an administration that share a complicated relationship. The FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Patrick Temple-West explain why Trump and Big Pharma aren’t getting along, and what that prescribes for the future of the industry.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc your questions (Marc.Filippino@ft.com)
Investors shrug off Donald Trump’s 200% tariff on pharma
The looming ‘patent cliff’ facing Big Pharma
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: The White House, Roll Call
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
US President Donald Trump’s approach to the economy has left investors on edge and markets unsure how to react. But his tariffs, trade deals and Truth Social posts have left some corporations better off than others. The FT’s Derek Brower and Gregory Meyer break down who is coming out on top, and who is getting left behind.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Triumphing under Trump: the corporate winners and losers
Is Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ a political curse for Republicans?
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s episode was mixed by Samantha Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
CREDIT: The White House, LiveNOW from Fox, Forbes
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After more than a week of fighting between Israel and Iran, US President Donald Trump bombed the Islamic republic and then announced a ceasefire. Former national security adviser John Bolton and the FT’s chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman share their views on what America’s relationship with Iran should look like next and what will happen to the embattled regime.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Email Marc with your questions (Marc.filippino@ft.com)
How Israel inadvertently reawakened Iranian nationalism
Early intelligence suggests Iran’s uranium largely intact, European officials say
Trump’s fragile peace in the Middle East
Listen to the Rachman Review podcast
Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter
Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. Kelly Garry mixed this week’s episode. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
