Episodes
In another extraordinary week in U.S politics, the US government has shut down for the first time in almost seven years after members of Congress failed to agree a last-ditch funding deal. Donald Trump has said federal workers could start losing their jobs in the coming days, but what are the other consequences of the shutdown for American citizens? And how long will the shutdown last?Meanwhile, Donald Trump has hosted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu again at the White House, this time to reveal proposals for a peace plan in Gaza. The plan itself has been accepted by Israel and we...
It started with a Truth Social post from the president, calling for a handful of his critics to be prosecuted, one of those targeted was the former FBI director James Comey. Less than a week later, he has been indicted and charged with perjury over testimony he gave to Congress five years ago about the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege he lied about whether he authorised the leak of classified information to members of the media.Sarah and Anthony discuss the rocky relationship between Trump and Comey, concerns about whether Trump is weaponsin...
Monday’s White House announcement made headlines worldwide when Donald Trump - flanked by his health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior - said taking Tylenol, also known as paracetamol, during pregnancy was linked to a "very increased risk" of autism in children. Medical experts have strongly pushed back on the claims, saying there is not strong enough scientific evidence to show a link, with some calling the president's comments dangerous. In the past few months, several of the main scientists in charge of public health in America have either been sacked by the health secretary, or have re...
Donald Trump’s appearance at the United Nations was a clear - and at times stark - outline of his global vision, often involving sharp attacks against his opponents. His speech - the longest by any US president in history - took aim at countries who have recently recognised a Palestinian state, including a number of European countries. It was Europe itself where the president reserved some of his strongest criticism, arguing it was being “destroyed” by immigration and policies to tackle climate change, which he described as a “con job”. We answer your questions on Trump’s speech and his dam...
Justin and Anthony unpack the memorial service held yesterday in Glendale, Arizona for the conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earlier this month. Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was given a standing ovation for forgiving the man who shot her husband, delivering an emotional and deeply religious speech where she called for people to “choose Christ” and take up her husband’s mission.
In this episode, the Americast team also look at whether MAGA politicians and officials will use Charlie Kirk’s assassination to intensify a religious war against the left to ignite a “sp...
Donald Trump has finished his state visit to the UK and it ended with a joint press conference with the British PM Keir Starmer. What did the two leaders say about Gaza and Ukraine, why was Epstein not really mentioned, and what does it tell us about the relationship between the two countries? Sarah - who was in the room with Trump and Starmer at Chequers - also reveals what Susie Wiles, the US president’s chief of staff, told her about Trump. The other big topic discussed - and the story dominating US headlines - is the broadcaster ABC’s decision to take Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show o...
As King Charles welcomes Donald Trump to Windsor, England for the US president’s second state visit to the UK, what should we be expecting from the trip? Sarah joins Justin and Marianna from Windsor to unpack how divisions over Gaza, Ukraine and tariffs might be dealt with, and what would constitute a successful trip for both countries. The team also discuss potential flash points for both the UK PM Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, particularly over the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the sacking of the UK’s ambassador Peter Mandelson. Also, in the aftermath of the assassination of conserv...
What do we know, and not know, about Tyler Robinson - the 22 year old man who has become the main suspect in the shooting of the conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk? After a 33 hour manhunt, investigators say Robinson’s father recognised him from images released to the public, and persuaded his son to hand himself in. Sarah, Marianna and Justin unpack the various theories around Robinson’s possible motive, how the case is developing and the continuing political fallout from the shooting. Also, in the week of the US president’s historical second state visit to the UK we get a b...
Charlie Kirk, the right-wing influencer and trusted ally of Donald Trump has been shot dead while speaking with students at a university in Utah.Kirk was one of the most prominent conservative activists and media personalities in the United States, and a trusted ally of Donald Trump. Many credit his influence - particularly with young people - as a key reason behind Trump’s victory in last year’s election.The president, visibly angry and upset, delivered a message to the nation last night in which he described Kirk’s killing as a “dark moment for America”.Justin, Sarah and Marianna assess w...
On Tuesday Decarlos Brown Jr was arrested and charged with first-degree murder over the unprovoked attack on Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month. A video of Zarutska's killing has been circulated - and shared widely - on social media, including by key MAGA figures like Stephen Miller and Elon Musk. It has prompted a widespread debate over crime in American cities, a topic that Donald Trump has cited frequently in his attacks against the Democrats.Iryna's family have said they are "heartbroken beyond words" and asked people to stop sharing a video showing her f...
"I love the smell of deportations in the morning..." It was those words, posted alongside a mock-up of Donald Trump dressed as Lieutenant Kilgore from ‘Apocalypse Now’, that has worried Chicago Democrats, who the president has threatened with the deployment of the National Guard. Sarah, Anthony, and Marianna join Matt Chorley on 5 Live to discuss what Trump is planning for Chicago, and how the Democrats should be responding. Plus, what does Trump being booed at the US Open final on Sunday say about his national popularity? The team also unpack the implications of the biggest workplace depo...
For the first time in over six years, victims of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came together in DC this week, claiming the US government has not published everything it knows. The survivors said they’re now compiling their own list of Epstein’s associates, calling on Trump and Congress to make public the information it has. Also this week, the House of Representatives Oversight Committee published 33,295 pages relating to Epstein, including flight logs, court filings, emails and the infamous “missing minute” of Epstein’s last hours in jail. Sarah, Anthony and Marianna unpack this week...
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, Jerome Powell, or attempting to fire one of its governors, Lisa Cook.But as ever when it comes ...
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 policy. Matt, Marianna and Sumi unpack the fallout. And we look at whether Donald Trump’s tarif...
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 so directly?HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Corre...
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 the Trump administration clamping down on legitimate crime, or using him as a political pawn?And ...
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 ease the cost of living. With the midterm elections roughly a year away, are Latino voters goin...
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 over his handling of peace negotiations?Meanwhile, the Trump administration says a Nobel Peace P...
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 solidarity with the Ukrainian president. Beyond the smiles and warm words, how much was actuall...
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 Anchorage, Alaska, and was joined by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko from Ukrainecast and Ad...
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 history.
Sarah and Anthony are in Anchorage, covering all you need to know about the meeting…wh...
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. Plus, we answer your questions on whether this is just a distraction technique to “flood the ...
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 over the Cotswolds…it must be JD Vance’s summer holiday. Matt Chorley, Justin and Anthony unpac...
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. It would give Republicans five extra seats in the House.It is an unconventional request by Do...
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, we discuss stories away from the main American headlines: why former US president Bill Clinton...
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: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
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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 one of America’s most important economic institutions because he didn’t like the latest job stati...
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 relationship with Murdoch throughout the years, what the current tensions could mean for the future o...
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 analyse the US-EU trade deal that was reached on Sunday.We are doing some research to find o...
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 you really think of Americast? The team at the WWHQ are doing some research to find out the ...