Podcast examines Gaza policy and Trump’s 2024 comeback
Al Jazeera’s The Take features Akbar Shahid Ahmed on how Biden’s Israel policy after October 7 affected Democratic politics.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Al Jazeera’s podcast The Take has released a 25-minute episode examining how the Biden administration’s response to the October 7, 2023, attacks affected US politics and the 2024 presidential election. The episode centers on reporting by journalist and author Akbar Shahid Ahmed, whose book Crossing the Red Line addresses US policy toward Israel and Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera says the episode looks at what took place inside the White House after October 7 and how those decisions shaped Israel’s war on Gaza, which the network describes as genocidal. The programme argues that the administration maintained its support for Israel and that this position affected the Democratic Party and helped create conditions for Donald Trump’s return.
Ahmed appears as the featured guest, according to the episode listing. Al Jazeera identifies him as a journalist and the author of Crossing the Red Line, and links to his account on X under the handle @AkbarSAhmed.
The episode also connects the administration’s Gaza policy to three Democratic primary elections that Al Jazeera says could offer signs about the party’s base. The listing does not name the elections or give vote totals, but frames them as part of a broader shift inside Democratic politics after the war in Gaza became a defining issue for many voters.
What the episode covers
The Take presents the discussion as an account of how US policy after October 7 reached beyond foreign affairs and into domestic politics. According to Al Jazeera, Ahmed’s reporting describes a White House that did not retreat from backing Israel even as the war in Gaza became a major source of conflict within the Democratic coalition.
The episode runs 25 minutes and 28 seconds, according to Al Jazeera. It was published on June 30, 2026, as part of The Take, the network’s podcast series hosted by Malika Bilal.
Al Jazeera credits Tamara Khandaker and Sonia Bhagat as producers of the episode, with Spencer Cline, Jana Dabliz and Bilal also involved. Alexandra Locke edited the programme and is listed as executive producer of The Take.
The production credits also name Alex Roldan as sound designer and Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem as video editors. Al Jazeera lists the wider Take team as Marcos Bartolome, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sari el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Chloe K Li, Alexandra Locke, Catherine Nouhan, Alex Roldan and Noor Wazwaz.
The programme is distributed through Al Jazeera’s podcast channels, with the network directing listeners to AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.