From Apprentice to President: Donald Trump, One Year On

What can the Trump presidency tell us about the United States? 

This event will explore Trump’s impact on domestic and foreign politics as our panellists discuss what his presidency can tell us about both the man and the country. The first US President to be elected with no previous political or military experience, Donald Trump’s rise confounded his critics and delighted his supporters. Looking back at the year since his inauguration, panellists Bronwen Maddox,Tim Newark and Luca Trenta, led by chair Philippa Thomas, will explore the major issues which have defined his first 12 months in office. 

Bronwen Maddox is the Director of the Institute for Government, a leading independent think tank, which works to promote better government by focusing on how it is led, how decisions are made and how it is scrutinised. She was previously the Editor and Chief Executive of Prospect, a leading monthly current affairs magazine. Prior to that, she was Chief Foreign Commentator, Foreign Editor and US Editor of The Times. 

Tim Newark is an author, historian and political commentator, contributing to the Daily Express, Telegraph and the Sunday Times. He is the author of Protest Vote (Gibson Square), charting the rise of populist politics in the UK.

Dr Luca Trenta is a lecturer in International Relations at Swansea University. He is the holder of a 2017 British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award. He researches US foreign policy, security issues, and presidential decision-making. 

Philippa Thomas is a BBC newsreader and journalist. A former Nieman Journalism Fellow at Harvard, she has reported extensively from the United States for more than 20 years. She anchored the 2016 presidential election coverage for the BBC World Service. 

Sponsored by the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library, in collaboration with the American Museum in Britain

Image: Donald and Melania Trump, inaugural parade