November nightmare: how Trump could exploit absentee ballot counting delays to contest the election results

With less than four months remaining until the presidential election, former Vice President Joe Biden holds a substantial lead over President Trump in the polls. US Centre Director, Professor Peter Trubowitz writes that the COVID-19 pandemic means that there will be far more absentee ballots cast this year, and that we should not discount the likelihood of President Trump using this difference to claim that the final result is a fraud if he does not win

What the Covid-19 pandemic has meant for American political life

As we approach the one-year anniversary of many of the first COVID-19 lockdowns, LSE US Centre Director Professor Peter Trubowitz focuses on three important impacts of the pandemic on the US: the partisan divide; the 2020 presidential contest; and America’s role in the world

With the conflict at a standstill, the US is narrowing its sights in Ukraine

It has now been over 100 days since the Russian-led invasion of Ukraine began. As the conflict comes to a standstill with little end in sight, Phelan United States Centre Director, Professor Peter Trubowitz writes that the Biden administration, along with other NATO allies, may be narrowing its strategic objectives in Ukraine

What to look for in tonight’s presidential debate

Tonight sees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump meet for the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York. US Centre Director Peter Trubowitz comments on what to look for tonight, writing that while much of it will be theatre, what the candidates say and how they comport themselves will matter to voters

Super Tuesday has shown that the 2016 election, unlike 2008, is going to be a battle between “hope” and “change.”

Last night the LSE US Centre held an evening of discussion and commentary on the Super Tuesday results which saw Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton come out on top for the Republican and Democratic parties respectively. Here US Centre Director Peter Trubowitz gives a summary of his points from the discussion, including his thoughts on the primary campaign so far, and his predictions for the next few weeks, and also comments on the effects the election might have on America’s role in the world

The first debate: no knockout blows means that both campaignsstill have their work cut out

Last night’s first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was widely anticipated as one of the most important set pieces of the campaign so far. US Centre Director, Peter Trubowitz gives his takeaways from the debate, writing that while neither candidate landed any heavy blows, Clinton won on points by controlling the tone of the debate and by putting Trump on the defensive. Both candidates’ performances will likely reinforce support from their bases, but may have done little to convince undecided voters and those on either side who remain sceptical of their party’s candidate

Theresa May’s White House visit is risky for her but could pay off for Trump

As UK Prime Minister Theresa May meets with President Trump today, LSE US Centre Director, Peter Trubowitz writes that while May will be aiming to use the visit to show that she has set the UK on a strong pro-Brexit path, she could also come away from it with the country looking like a pawn in Trump’s wider international strategy

In his attacks on Jeb Bush, Donald Trump has stolen a pagefrom Karl Rove’s playbook

In last week’s 8th Republican Party debate, Donald Trump attacked Jeb Bush by blaming his brother, George W. Bush for 9/11 and for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. US Centre Director Peter Trubowitz, writes that while Trump’s attack on Bush’s foreign policy is virtually unprecedented for a Republican, such tactics can trace their roots back to the strategy of George W. Bush’s political adviser Karl Rove, who argued that the best way to for politicians to defeat their opponents is to attack their strengths

The U.S. shutdown has a hefty international price tag

This week, President Obama cancelled his appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bali, as well as some regional summits – a direct result of the U.S. government’s shutdown. Peter Trubowitz writes that domestic politics in America is constraining Obama’s ability to act on the international stage. If the deadlock over the government’s budget and the debt ceiling continues, then Washington may find that its previous efforts to ‘pivot’ towards Asia have been wasted

Trump’s foreign policy speech was an attempt to woo independent voters for the general election, not placate foreign leaders

Yesterday, Donald Trump followed his victory in the ‘Acela Primary’ with a major speech on foreign policy. LSE US Centre Director Peter Trubowitz writes that while there was much in the speech to criticise, it was not intended to reassure observers of US foreign policy or America’s allies. He writes that the real audience for the speech was independent American voters who may have lost confidence in Washington, voters that he will need if he is to beat Hillary Clinton in the fall