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It’s a week since Donald Trump stormed to victory in Iowa.

The polls predicted he would do well, but that didn’t make this first test of his re-electability any less remarkable.

The four-times indicted, twice impeached, election-denying, global agitator won in all but one of the state’s 99 counties.

It was unprecedented on many levels. He secured 51% of the vote, winning by a margin of 30 points.

For the former president’s many supporters, it represents the beginning of his second coming. His road back to the White House is clearer, they think.

But many in America and well beyond are baffled and alarmed. Why is a man so divisive, so polarising, so surrounded by chaos, so popular still?

As America’s media pundits packed up their glitzy pop-up Iowa studios and headed east back to their metropolitan bases, I headed west into the heart of the US.

I wanted to understand the enduring draw of Donald Trump.

Donald Trump holds a rally in advance of the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Rochester
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Donald Trump at a rally before the New Hampshire presidential primary


Over the past few years, I’ve spent plenty of time at Mr Trump’s rallies.

They are more like rock concerts than political events and they are where you’ll find the diehards; the people who’ll seemingly do anything for Mr Trump.

They are the people for whom he is more than a political leader. He’s worshipped.

There is genuinely a strange gravity at the rallies. Conspiracies swirl. Truth and fiction blur. Reason is absent.

I wanted to get beyond that.

The people at the rallies represent his base of support but they alone didn’t win him the White House before and they won’t do it again.

He won the White House in 2016 by convincing a broader group that he was the answer.

In 2020, he failed to convince enough Americans that he deserved another four years, losing to Joe Biden.

But now he hopes Iowa is the indicator that he can turn it all around again this November.

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Donald Trump won comfortably in Iowa

Getting beyond the base

To the west of Iowa is Nebraska. It’s a conservative heartland. Farming is the main industry.

It’s the start of a journey to understand the broader and apparently enduring appeal of Mr Trump – beyond the rallies.

First stop is the small town of Prague and a meeting with farmer Mike Kubik.

His business is grain, his politics is conservative and his life is good.

“I’ve been here basically my whole life. Nebraska born and bred,” he tells me as we tour his snow-covered land on his all-American quad buggy.

“Life is excellent,” he adds. “I love my job – I’ve never had a bad day.”

Mike Kubik says it feels like the Biden government 'doesn't seem to care'
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Mike Kubik says it feels like the Biden government ‘doesn’t seem to care’

Mr Kubik’s experience is a reflection of Nebraska’s economy.

The midwestern state has among the nation’s largest gains in personal income, and unemployment is low.

He is happy with his son’s education at the local school. It’s the good life.

Economically his experience mirrors the national story, too. America is booming but it’s not trickling down; people aren’t feeling it.

“Our economy is going down,” Mr Kubik tells me from across his kitchen table.

“We’ve more than doubled our fuel costs. Our chemicals have gone up, our fertilizer has gone up, the cost of equipment has gone up. Food is terrible, and our government doesn’t seem to care.”

Mr Kubik’s story reflects the puzzle of American politics right now.

There is a disconnect between perception and reality in America.

Mr Kubik’s lot may be good, but it just felt better before. There is a lingering nostalgia compounded by stubborn inflation.

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A sign promoting Donald Trump's popular 'Make America Great Again' slogan in Nebraska
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A sign promoting Donald Trump’s popular ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan in Nebraska

Nostalgia for Trump?

Mr Kubik adds: “Our government is not getting deals done, the export – our grain. It is hurting our bottom line, our prices are dropping.”

And then a view I will hear over and over on my journey ahead: “Trump put America first. There are some things that I didn’t agree with, but overall, he leads with leadership. He’s a businessman. He’ll get a deal done.”

As we talk, Mr Kubik conveys a multi-layered nervousness – about the economy, about the “woke” direction of the nation, and about global security – all of which seem far removed from his good Nebraskan life.

Mr Kubik points out that no wars began under Mr Trump.

President Biden is managing two and is exposing the limited worth of American leadership – with Israel-Gaza, Russia-Ukraine and China’s century-defining rise.

He presents an argument you hear over and over among supporters of the former president – that Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn’t have dared invade Ukraine with Mr Trump in the White House – a point Mr Trump likes to run with, probably because it’s neatly unprovable.

“Donald Trump has power to say ‘don’t do it’. And the thing is, they believe that he’ll enforce it,” Mr Kubik says.

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From 16 Jan: ‘I’ll solve Ukraine and Israel situation’

Trump ‘not afraid’ of ‘chaos’

At one level or another, most here are in agriculture.

Deeper into Nebraska, my next conversation is with crop scientist Trey Stephens.

He helps the farmers to make a profit.

“I think now in these last four years, I haven’t felt a lot of attention to agriculture from this administration,” he tells me.

But quickly, Mr Stephens conveys that it’s about more than just business and the economy.

Trey Stephens says it always felt like Trump was 'in control'
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Trey Stephens says it always felt like Trump was ‘in control’

“It always felt like Trump was in control and, you know, right now, these last four years, it’s kind of like who is in control?” he asks.

“What about the chaos that seems to follow Trump?” I ask.

“Yeah. I think I mean, in order for change to happen, sometimes chaos ensues. And Trump is not afraid of that,” Mr Stephens says.

He returns to the same thought repeatedly in our conversation – that Mr Trump isn’t a politician. He was elected to shake things up and to return power to the American people.

And the divisiveness?

“I try to remove myself from a lot of the things he says and focus on the things that he does,” Mr Stephens adds. “If it was my wish, I would have a businessman that’s strong like Trump, but maybe he just doesn’t say as much.”

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Mark Stone spoke to Trump supporters in snow-covered Nebraska

‘I miss the America I grew up in’

As the interstate cuts south, Nebraska becomes Kansas, but the politics doesn’t shift much.

The weekly auction in the town of Manhattan draws farmers and their cattle from across the state.

It’s an all-American scene – cowboys in their stetsons. Cliched? No. This is as real as it gets – a snapshot from the very middle of America.

Among the crowd, I meet rancher Jamie Grollmes.

She says: “When Trump was in office, it was a lot more steady. You didn’t see the highs and lows. It was a lot more consistent, you knew what to expect. With Mr Biden we’re on a rollercoaster in terms of our markets.”

Jamie Grollmes says things were more 'steady' under Trump
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Jamie Grollmes says things were more ‘steady’ under Trump

But what about Mr Trump the man, I ask. He’s pretty unique?

“He annoys me,” she replies. “I think he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut on some things. I think he’s very good on business, but I think he says some things he shouldn’t and sometimes I think he needs to keep his mouth shut.”

A few seats away is retired rancher Tom Massey. His baseball cap reflects his politics.

“I miss the America I grew up in,” it says.

Retired rancher Tom Massey is wearing a cap that echoes the feelings of many Americans
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Retired rancher Tom Massey is wearing a cap that echoes the feelings of many Americans

Who’s the answer, I ask. Who is going to make America better?

“Well, I think Trump will change things around if he gets back in, I really do,” he answers. “I think he’s going to get our border closed up, get things back to normal.

“I think he’s not a politician, I think he’s a businessman. When he came in the first time, he changed a lot.”

The man running the auction is something of a local celebrity. Andrew Sylvester is an award-winning auctioneer.

We sit for a coffee in the auction hall cafe where he reflects on two Americas, far apart.

He says: “We live here in the middle of the United States. I think that people on both the east and west coast, where there’s high populations, I think they probably forget where their food comes from.

“To them, their food comes from the grocery store, when in fact, we grow it right here in what they call flyover states.”

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Like others, he sees flaws in Mr Trump. And he’s baffled at America’s inability to find fresh candidates.

“I don’t know why the Democrats and Republicans can’t come up with younger candidates or candidates that don’t have any baggage,” he says.

“Biden’s side obviously has baggage. And Donald Trump seems to be in and out of court and there’s issues there. But we’re going to vote with whoever the nominees are.”

“And for you, that means Trump’s the man if he’s the nominee?” I ask.

“Absolutely. Absolutely. I’ll vote for Donald Trump again.”

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Donald Trump’s tariffs will have consequences for globalisation, the US economy and geopolitics

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Donald Trump's tariffs will have consequences for globalisation, the US economy and geopolitics

For decades, trade and trade policy has been an economic and political backwater – decidedly boring, seemingly uncontroversial. 

Trade was mostly free and getting freer, tariffs were getting lower and lower, and the world was becoming more, not less, globalised.

But alongside those long-term trends, there were some serious consequences.

Trump latest: US president announces sweeping global trade tariffs

Mature, developed economies like the UK and US became ever more reliant on cheap imports from China and, in the process, saw their manufacturing sectors shrink.

Large swathes of the rust belt in the US – and much of the Midlands and North of England – were hollowed out.

And to some extent that’s where the story of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” really began – with the notion that free trade and globalisation had a darker side, a side he wants to remedy via tariffs.

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He imposed a set of tariffs in his first term, some on China, some on specific materials like steel and aluminium. But the height and the breadth of those tariffs were as nothing compared with the ones we have just heard about.

Not since the 1930s has the US so radically increased the level of tariffs on all nations across the world. Back then, those tariffs exacerbated the Great Depression.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what the consequences of these ones will be. But there will be consequences.

Consequences for the nature of globalisation, consequences for the US economy (tariffs are exceptionally inflationary), consequences for geopolitics.

President Trump with his list of tariffs for various countries. Pic: Reuters
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Imports from the UK will face a 10% tariff, while EU goods will see 20% rates. Pic: Reuters

And to some extent, merely knowing that little bit more about the White House’s plans will deliver a bit of relief to financial markets, which have fretted for months about the imposition of tariffs. That uncertainty recently reached unprecedented levels.

But don’t for a moment assume that this saga is over. Nothing of the sort. In the coming days, we will learn more – more about the nuts and bolts of these policies, more about the retaliatory measures coming from other countries.

We will, possibly, get more of a sense about whether some countries – including the UK – will enjoy reprieves from the tariffs.

To paraphrase Churchill, this isn’t the end of the trade war, or even the beginning of the end – perhaps just the end of the beginning.

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‘A genius actor’, ‘firecracker’, and ‘my friend’: Tributes paid to Top Gun star Val Kilmer

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'A genius actor', 'firecracker', and 'my friend': Tributes paid to Top Gun star Val Kilmer

Actors, directors and celebrity friends have paid tribute to Val Kilmer, after he died aged 65.

The California-born star of Top Gun, Batman and Heat died of pneumonia on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes told the Associated Press.

She said Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered.

Tributes flooded in after reports broke of the actor’s death, with No Country For Old Men star Josh Brolin among the first to share their memories.

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Watch: Val Kilmer in his most iconic roles

He wrote on Instagram: “See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those.

“I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”

Kyle Maclachlan, who co-starred with Kilmer in the 1991 biopic The Doors, wrote on social media: “You’ll always be my Jim. See you on the other side my friend.”

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Michael Mann, who directed Kilmer in 1995’s Heat, also paid tribute in a statement, saying: “I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character.

“After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.”

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Heat co-star Danny Trejo also called Kilmer “a great actor, a wonderful person, and a dear friend of mine” on Instagram.

Cher, who once dated the actor, said on X that “U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND… BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness”.

Lifelong friend and director of Twixt, Francis Ford Coppola said: “Val Kilmer was the most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life.

“He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know – I will always remember him.”

The Top Gun account on X also said it was remembering Kilmer, who starred as Iceman in both the 1986 original and 2022 sequel, and “whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations”.

Nicolas Cage added that “I always liked Val and am sad to hear of his passing”.

“I thought he was a genius actor,” he said. “I enjoyed working with him on Bad Lieutenant and I admired his commitment and sense of humor.

“He should have won the Oscar for The Doors.”

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Elon Musk calls reports he will step back from government role ‘fake news’

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Elon Musk calls reports he will step back from government role 'fake news'

Elon Musk has called reports that he will leave his government role in the coming months “fake news”.

A senior White House official previously told NBC News, Sky’s US partner network, that Donald Trump had discussed the Tesla and X boss transitioning back to the private sector at a cabinet meeting last month.

Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk before attending a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024 . Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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The Tesla boss has headed DOGE since 20 January. File pic: Reuters

After reports emerged of the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was “garbage” and added: “Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”

Mr Musk added in response on X: “Yeah, fake news.”

NBC News reported that the official said Mr Musk would leave at the end of his 130 days as a special government employee.

That would be 30 May, but it is unclear if the billionaire businessman will indeed leave on that date.

Previously, the White House said that as a temporary organisation, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would be terminated on 4 July next year – the 250th anniversary of the US.

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It comes days after Mr Musk said some members of his DOGE team were getting death threats on a daily basis.

Mr Musk had drawn criticism over his efforts to downsize the US federal government.

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‘Elon Musk has got to go’

In just weeks, entire agencies were dismantled, and tens of thousands of workers from the 2.3 million federal workforce have been fired or have agreed to leave their jobs.

A number of lawsuits were filed in state and federal courts over cuts recommended by DOGE.

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