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PODCAST

Americast

Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America

news politics

All Episodes

30:12

Why is Trump targeting America's most powerful bank?

Americast ·

2025/09/02

For some time Donald Trump has been taking shots at the Federal Reserve. It's America's central bank and the institution that decides on interest rates and regulates the nation's financial system.In the main it operates independently of the White House and it's therefore no stranger to conflict when it comes to presidents and their economic agenda. Up until now, no president has ever actively tried to reshape its governance in the way that Donald Trump has, either by publicly insulting its chair,

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26:07

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Why did the internet think...

Americast ·

2025/09/01

Over the weekend rumours were swirling on social media that the president was dead. Marianna and Sumi join Matt Chorley on 5 Live to look at how the unfounded claims were sparked. And the US Centre for Disease Control Chief, Dr Susan Monarez was fired last week. The White House said it was because she was “not aligned with the president's agenda". The decision prompted other leading figures at the agency to resign over frustrations about Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's leadership and vaccine

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29:24

Will the Democrats go "dark woke" to take on Trump?

Americast ·

2025/08/28

Sharing AI-generated images of himself riding a horse, waving a giant flag, inserting his face on Mount Rushmore...sound familiar?If you're California Governor Gavin Newsom, that's entirely the point as he embarks on a new strategy to combat Donald Trump online, by imitating him.It’s all part of a “dark woke” strategy which sees Newsom playing Trump at his own game on social media. Is the approach an online blueprint for the wider Democratic Party, and what are the risks for taking on the president

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31:14

Americanswers! Is Donald Trump behaving like a...

Americast ·

2025/08/27

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to cause problems for the Trump administration, and in today’s listener Q&A, the team delve into whether newly released interviews between Ghislaine Maxwell and Trump’s Deputy Attorney could provide a reprieve for Donald Trump. Or will it just help her chances of receiving a pardon or commutation from the president?Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, is now facing threats of deportation to Uganda. Is

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27:51

Is Donald Trump losing his Latino base?

Americast ·

2025/08/22

One of the biggest stories of last year’s presidential election was Donald Trump’s success with Latino voters which led him to win crucial swing states in the battle for the White House.While the Democrats still won the popular vote nationwide, there was no question that Trump’s messaging on the economy appealed to voters worried about the cost of living.Eight months on from that victory, are Latinos still with Trump? Recent polling suggest that doubts are growing about the president’s ability to

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34:38

Americanswers! Has Donald Trump really stopped six...

Americast ·

2025/08/20

Fresh off the back of Monday’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S could offer Ukraine some form of security guarantee in the event of a peace deal with Russia. While the details of any security guarantee are yet to be confirmed, it has prompted fear and uncertainty within parts of the president’s MAGA base, who view the prospect of a security guarantee as a precursor to a messy U.S entanglement in European affairs. Will they give him the benefit of the doubt

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29:13

What did Trump offer Zelensky after their Oval Office...

Americast ·

2025/08/18

Straight off the back of the Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump hosted Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House as he pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine.The last time they met in the Oval Office, it ended in an argument in front of the world's media. It was a friendlier encounter this time, with Zelensky handing a letter to Donald Trump from his wife to the First Lady, Melania Trump. It was soon followed by a meeting of major European leaders, all of whom travelled to Washington in

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31:45

What happened when Trump met Putin in Alaska?

Americast ·

2025/08/16

The first face to face meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin since the war in Ukraine started is over, with Donald Trump saying “we didn’t get there” on a Ukraine deal, or a ceasefire. The meeting lasted three hours, with the US president insisting progress was made, and Putin saying he is “sincerely interested” in ending the war, but without giving details. The two leaders both addressed the media at the end of the summit, but didn’t take questions. Sarah was in the room, in

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32:37

Inside Trump’s meeting with Putin… Americast is in...

Americast ·

2025/08/14

Ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, Donald Trump has said that “in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made”.Trump will be the first US president to have a face to face meeting with the Russian president since the war in Ukraine started. Alaska is a state which is already home to a historic deal between both countries - in 1867 the United States purchased it from Russia for around $7 million, making it one of the most successful business deals in

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26:14

The National Guard: coming to a city near you?

Americast ·

2025/08/13

What is really behind Donald Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Washington DC, and what could it mean for other states in America? As troops arrive into DC, after Trump said the deployment was necessary to bring down crime and homelessness, Sarah and Justin talk about why the US president has made the announcement now.We also discuss crime rates, particularly as his opponents say the figures are trending downward in DC, and how this deployment might expand to other Democratic cities.

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41:25

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Why is Donald Trump...

Americast ·

2025/08/11

Washington D.C. has been "taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals”.That was Donald Trump’s claim at this morning’s press conference in Washington DC, where he invoked his presidential powers to deploy the National Guard, and do a federal takeover of the state’s police force. Justin and Anthony join Matt Chorley on 5 Live to discuss why the US president is singling out DC, and what might happen next. Also, with reports of a 19-vehicle motorcade, armed agents and security crawling

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34:55

Why are Texan Democrats on the run?

Americast ·

2025/08/08

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Monday: “There are no rules anymore, apparently,” as he stood alongside the Democrat lawmakers who fled Texas to prevent a vote which would redraw the state’s political map in favour of the Republican Party.It is a process known as ‘redistricting’, which normally occurs at the end of each decade when the census takes place. But in a move designed to give the Republicans a crucial advantage heading into the 2026 Midterms, Donald Trump wants it to take place now

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25:18

Why has RFK Jr pulled $500m of mRNA vaccine funding?

Americast ·

2025/08/06

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has cancelled 22 projects - worth $500m (£376m) in funding – for tackling infections such as Covid and flu. During the pandemic, mRNA vaccines were heralded as a medical marvel that saved lives, but RFK Jr says he wants to shift the money to "safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate". Justin and Marianna look at the broader reasons behind the decision, what the science says, and the possible ramifications. Also today,

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52:59

BONUS EPISODE: Newscast and Americast live from the...

Americast ·

2025/08/05

Today, Newscast joined forces with Americast for an episode live from the Edinburgh fringe recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe in front of a live audience.They were joined by friend of the Newscast James Cook to discuss all things Trump. They chat about what it’s like being part of the President’s press pack, why Sydney Sweeney’s jeans are so controversial, plus what last week’s Truth Social posts about nuclear submarines were all about.GET IN TOUCH:• Join our online community:

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34:49

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why has Sydney Sweeney's...

Americast ·

2025/08/04

On this week’s Q&A, why is Donald Trump personally endorsing a jeans advert with Sydney Sweeney? The US president calls it a ‘fantastic’ ad - but the campaign has sparked claims of racism and a row over promoting eugenics? Justin and Marianna also talk about the convicted child sex offender, Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been moved to a new minimum-security facility in Texas. Why has this been sanctioned, and could the move foreshadow a pardon from the president? And how can Trump fire the head of

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31:25

Trump v Murdoch: Who will win?

Americast ·

2025/07/31

Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch have had a tumultuous relationship over the decades, but increasingly tensions have threatened to boil over. Following Donald Trump’s claim that he’s ‘been treated very unfairly by The Wall Street Journal on everything’, it’s the president versus the press.Will this dispute end their relationship, or are they just going through a rough patch?Joining us on today’s podcast is one of Rupert Murdoch’s former editors - David Yelland. He helps us understand Trump’s

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26:01

Will Trump stand firm on his tariff deadlines?

Americast ·

2025/07/30

President Trump has said he’s holding firm strong on his deadline this Friday for tariffs to go into effect on nations that do not come to new trade agreements with his administration.“THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE IS THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE – IT STANDS STRONG, AND WILL NOT BE EXTENDED,” he wrote on Truth Social.So what can we expect this Friday? Will the US president be true to his word? Sarah and Anthony are joined by BBC North America business correspondent Erin Delmore to chew this over - and they

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29:58

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Trump hosts Starmer at his...

Americast ·

2025/07/28

It was a wide-ranging and lengthy press conference between Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump’s luxury golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. But what new things did we learn? Could anything sour their relationship? And how clean is Trump’s golf game?Also, the questions keep flying in about the Epstein files. The President has again denied that he'd been told his name appeared in them. Justin, Sarah and Anthony join 5 Live’s Matt Chorley to discuss all this and more. Also, what do

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31:58

Donald Trump vs The Wall Street Journal

Americast ·

2025/07/24

Since returning to office Donald Trump has followed a familiar playbook when confronted with unfavourable stories in the press, often ending in a large lawsuit. That was exactly the case with the Wall Street Journal, subjected to a $10bn suit after they published a story about Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.But even after the lawsuit, the Journal has continued its reporting on the story, this time alleging that Donald Trump is named in the ‘Epstein Files’. The story makes clear that being

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31:57

Donald Trump’s mid-year review

Americast ·

2025/07/23

We’ve now witnessed six months of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In that time he's dominated the world's media and international headlines, but how much has he actually achieved so far? And what could he improve on? Today, Sarah and Justin are conducting a mid-year appraisal of the president with someone who knows him well - Marc Short, chief of staff to vice president Mike Pence during Trump’s first term.HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America EditorGET

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