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PODCAST

American Friction

Does what’s going on in American politics scare and bemuse you? Want to know what Trump is up to, without pulling your hair out? Then you need American Friction, the UK podcast about US politics – from the makers of Oh God, What Now? and The Bunker. Every Friday and Monday, we unpack the big issues, speak to leading experts and talk with blockbuster commentators from the United States to explain the latest news and the big issues with hosts Jacob Jarvis (ex-Newsweek), Chris Jones (Podmasters) and

news politics

All Episodes

62:53

Is MAGA dying? – Trump fans split! Plus, Kristi Noem...

American Friction ·

2026/03/06

The MAGA alliance is splitting apart – could it be the end of Trump’s gang? Plus, Kristi Noem aka Dog Killer in Chief has been fired! What happens now? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki

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33:08

Trump’s warped war logic – If you start more, you can...

American Friction ·

2026/03/04

Trump loves ending wars so much that he just keeps starting more that he can then eventually end. Or something like that… The latest began with strikes on Iran – why is he doing this? And why now? Politico's senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch We’re now on Youtube Follow us on social media: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Jacob

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38:25

QAnon’s Epstein conundrum, Looksmaxxing and Mogging...

American Friction ·

2026/03/02

The weird world of right-wing conspiracy theories and subcultures is stranger than ever. Jarv is joined by Annie Kelly, host of Truly, Tradly Deeply and the UK correspondent for the QAA podcast to get into it all.Back us on Patreon⁠⁠ – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction⁠⁠ We’re now on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod⁠⁠ Follow us on social

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59:23

Trump's violent, weird and lie-filled State of the Union

American Friction ·

2026/02/27

Trump’s State of the Union was not normal. It was longer than ever, more weird and more hate-filled than any before it, and most reports aren’t nailing that. Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss. Back us on Patreon⁠ – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction⁠ We’re now on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod⁠ Follow us on social media: BlueSky ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ Written and presented by Chris

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36:35

How the Mafia made America

American Friction ·

2026/02/23

The Mafia’s place in American culture can be seen as a cultural phenomenon. But how did the real mob, who inspired The Sopranos and The Godfather, come to be? And what influence have they had in shaping the United States? Ryan Gingeras, author of The Mafia: A Global History, joins Chris and Jarv to discuss. Buy The Mafia: A Global History [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781398531659] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund [name of podcast] by earning us a small commission for

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51:47

Has Trump destroyed American elections forever?

American Friction ·

2026/02/20

Trump is meddling where he can and pushing to make it harder for people to vote. Will Trump ever allow free votes in America under his watch? Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss in our latest episode. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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33:25

Why US athletes are turning on Trump – "We're in a...

American Friction ·

2026/02/16

Trump’s despicable shenanigans have seen more and more US athletes speak out against him. The Winter Olympics have thrown this into sharp focus, and Chris is joined by Jules Boykoff, author of What are the olympics for? and Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics to discuss this backlash and the history of protest at the games. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on

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58:22

Donald Trump is losing the culture war

American Friction ·

2026/02/13

Trump and his MAGA goons are trying to pretend Kid Rock is good. Why are they so set on embarrassing themselves and denying themselves from enjoying proper culture? Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss the Bad Bunny Superbowl fallout and ask why Trump is losing the culture war. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on

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37:13

Is Joe Rogan kind of left wing? – The confusing world...

American Friction ·

2026/02/09

Joe Rogan and the world of bro podcasts was a big deal in the run up to the election. Do they still matter? We unpack the impact and politics of the dude podcast world with Melina Much, a postdoctoral fellow for NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics and a Siegel Research Fellow for the Siegel Family Endowment.Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube:

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55:36

Trump on Epstein and the Clintons: 'Nothing to see...

American Friction ·

2026/02/06

Trump says the Epstein files are actually fine for him but we should all ignore them anyway. Oh, and we should leave Bill Clinton alone! What is going on? Nobody knows, but we’ll try get into it anyway. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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38:52

Trump’s destruction of America – Why Congress isn’t...

American Friction ·

2026/02/02

Congress technically should be a check on the presidency, and holding back Trump’s worst ages. It isn’t though. Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief at The Independent, joins Jarv to discuss how Trump has wreaked havoc upon what should be an equal branch of government. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on

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58:14

Trump, ICE and murder – Will this ever end?

American Friction ·

2026/01/30

Trump’s tyrannous ICE crackdown continues unabated despite token changes in personnel. Is anything going to change? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss a dark moment in America. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann

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35:29

Trump and dirty money – Make America Grift Again!

American Friction ·

2026/01/26

Donald Trump loves to bend the law and make money. So we’re looking at how he’s been doing both with legal scholar Jennifer Taub, author of Big Dirty Money, who’s a major expert in white collar crime (tracking it, not committing it that is…). Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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57:22

Trump's wild week – The end of America as we know it?

American Friction ·

2026/01/23

Well, it’s hard to know how to react to that. What a week, and one it feels like we might never come back from. Nikki and Jarv unpack Trump’s latest wild and weird and ultimately tyrannical actions. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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30:51

The Dumb Bro doctrine – Why Trump’s foreign policy...

American Friction ·

2026/01/19

Donald Trump’s foreign policy has been described as the ‘Donroe doctrine’ – but it’s a stretch to say it’s that cohesive. To discuss how damaging he is to the world right now, as he puts American security and everyone else’s at risk, Nikki and Jarv are joined by Brian Finucane, senior adviser at International Crisis Group and editor at Just Security.Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re

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57:16

Donald Trump and the hunt for revenge

American Friction ·

2026/01/16

Trump is obsessed with revenge. Against anyone who’s ever crossed him and anyone who simply didn’t vote for him. Nikki, Chris and Jarv talk you through the latest victims of Trump’s bitterness and what it means for America. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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46:59

America vs. China and the key A.I. battles to watch...

American Friction ·

2026/01/12

Trump is desperate to make money from AI and the US economy is dependent on the industry, so what are the things we need to pay attention to? Friend of the podcast Jeff Jarvis, media commentator, author and co-host of AI Inside, talks us through the key battles to watch, the characters to know and their weird, weird philosophies. Oh and he puts the boot in on the US media too which is always good to hear!Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and

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62:26

Project 2026: Will Trump make this year even worse?

American Friction ·

2026/01/09

It’s been a long year already, hasn’t it? We discuss Trump’s new conflicts, ICE killing people and how this is all just the start. Plus we look ahead at key issues and we name who we think will be the key characters in US politics this year.Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky:

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42:58

Trump and Venezuela: He doesn't have a clue!

American Friction ·

2026/01/05

Trump’s actions around Venezuela have been dramatic. He wants to act like he’s got it under control, but does he have a plan? Nikki and Jarv discuss the aftermath of capturing Maduro, how this might roll on and what known unknowns there are to consider. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social

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63:59

Donald Trump’s nightmare before Christmas

American Friction ·

2025/12/19

Vanity Fair’s profiling of the Trump administration has caused a real headache for the President. Amongst the drama, electoral mastermind Susie Wiles really let loose, saying Trump had an “alcoholic’s personality” and Vance a “conspiracy theorist”. What has this look behind the curtain taught us? Chris and Nikki dive into all of that, plus the BBC lawsuit and more!Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media: Bluesky Instagram TikTok Written

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162 results

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