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 correspondent, Anthony Zurcher. As well as political analysis, we also specialise in social media. Each week Marianna Spring brings listeners the latest updates from the BBC’s Undercover Voters, our award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. The team is also joined by special guests each week, like CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, Emmy Award-winning TV host, Rachel Maddow, and Succession actress, J Smith-Cameron. Podcasts are published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As well as being a podcast, we are also available every Friday on the World Service. Oh, and by the way, you can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say ‘”Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. Every Monday we answer your questions on Americanswers, with some help from special guests, including Miles Taylor, who was chief of staff at the Department for Homeland Security during the Trump presidency before becoming a whistleblower. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with us on email at Americast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
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Episodes
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100 Days of Trump (Part 5)… Has He Redefined What It Means To Be President?
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. “…in the USA we do no have kings, we do not have dictators we have a constitution, and the rule of law, and we’re going to make damn sure Donald Trump and his administration follow the law”Critics like Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes say Trump has defied the U.S. constitution, others say he’s restricted free speech and silenced oppositional voices. Trump says it’s what the American people voted for… In our final episode, how has ...
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100 Days of Trump (Part 4)… Has Elon Musk Changed Government Forever?
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. In our fourth episode, Matt Chorley joins Justin and Marianna to discuss large scale cuts to federal government by Elon Musk’s DOGE, and look at the impact of those cuts. They also talk about what a modern America should be paying for - both at home and abroad - and why some people think Trump is actually a democrat when it comes to big government spending. HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, Radio 5 Live presenter • Justin Webb, Radio 4 prese...
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100 Days of Trump (Part 3)… Who Is Welcome in America, Now?
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. In this third episode, Matt Chorley joins Sarah and Anthony to discuss Trump’s plans to deport migrants on a large scale, how he is circumventing the courts, and revoking hundreds of student visas. We ask who has been allowed to stay in Trump’s America, and who is being forced out?HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, Radio 5 Live presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH: • Join our ...
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100 Days of Trump (Part 2)… What Has He Done to the US Economy?
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. In this second episode, Matt Chorley joins Justin and Sarah to discuss how the American economy has fared during Trump’s 100 days in office. What have been the impacts of tariffs on U.S. businesses, under his plan to put ‘America First’? Are we witnessing the economic liberation of America? Or this is a tipping point for the US and global markets? HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, Radio 5 Live presenter • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sa...
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100 Days of Trump (Part 1)… Why Are Diversity Schemes Being Scrapped?
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United States. In this first episode, Matt Chorley joins Justin and Marianna to discuss Trump’s declaration that America will be “WOKE no longer…whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer or an air traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender.” We look at why private companies have dismantled their diversity and equity programmes, particularly as they were implemented to counter inst...
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Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is the Trump/Zelensky relationship back on track?
Monday, 28 April 2025
After the two leaders were reunited at Pope Francis’s funeral over the weekend, the Americast inbox has been filled with correspondence on whether Trump and Zelensky really have reconciled - and if it could bring a peace deal with Russia any closer.Marianna and Sarah get together with Matt Chorley to answer your questions live on the radio. As well as the war in Ukraine, they discuss the 7-year sentence given to George Santos - the former congressman who is, of course, well known to long term listeners of this podcast via our semi-regular feature, ‘Santos watch’.Plus - has the White House b...
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Signal chats, leaks, and sackings... What's going on in the Pentagon?
Thursday, 24 April 2025
There’s trouble in the Pentagon - again! Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump have dismissed new reports that the defence secretary sent details of confidential military plans to his wife, brother, and personal lawyer on Signal. They both criticised journalists at the annual White House Easter event between egg related activities, but reports keep coming about unrest at the top of the defence department. Justin, Marianna, and Anthony discuss whether Hegseth will survive or not and whether the accusations could start also damaging Trump’s reputation.Plus, have we found the oldest Americast listener...
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Americanswers…on 5 Live! Is Elon Musk being forced out of the White House?
Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Elon Musk says he’s stepping back from his role at DOGE and refocusing on Tesla after the electric car firm reported a huge drop in profit and sales for the start of this year. We look at whether he could be on his way out completely.Donald Trump meanwhile says he’ll be attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome this weekend. The late Pope was an outspoken critic of Trump’s policies during the president’s first term. Will Trump try and influence the appointment of his successor?Americanswers is back on 5 Live to answer your questions…HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, 5 Live Presenter • Justin Webb...
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How the ‘world’s coolest dictator’ is helping Trump
Thursday, 17 April 2025
Justin and Sumi take a closer look into the deepening relationship between Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, as the row over the deportation of migrants to the Central American country escalates.Could the Trump administration run into further trouble with the law over its handling of the situation? And, what's in it for Bukele?Plus, what else have we missed in the news cycle? Sumi shares one story at the US-Mexico border that’s flown under the radar this week.HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Sumi Somaskanda, Chief Presenter in WashingtonGET IN TOUCH:- Join our o...
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Can Harvard afford to fight Trump?
Wednesday, 16 April 2025
President Trump has given Harvard University a long list of demands, but the university has refused to give in to them.The president has frozen $2.2bn worth of funding as a result. He wants Harvard to change the way it governs, hires and teaches because of concerns has over antisemitism on campus."No government - regardless of which party is in power - should dictate what private universities can teach," Harvard's president Alan Garber said.It’s the biggest example of an issue playing out in universities across the US.HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Marianna Spring, Social Media In...
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Americanswers! Does Trump want to bring back the man his administration mistakenly deported?
Monday, 14 April 2025
‘If I had all the money in the world, I’d spend it all just to buy one thing: a phone call to hear Kilmar’s voice again.’ Those were the pleas made to Trump’s administration by the wife of Abrego García, the Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s mega-jail. But can Trump bring him back? And does he want to?Mariana is joined by Sumi Somaskanda to discuss the most important trial in Meta’s history, LA’s largest-ever rally held by Bernie Sanders and AOC, and whether Trump’s eye-watering tariffs will go the distance.Plus we hear some correspondence from some young Americasters on ho...
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Trump's Tariffs... Chaos or a cunning plan?
Thursday, 10 April 2025
Everything has changed…again! Or has it? The team assemble after President Trump scrapped his tariff plans (for 90 days at least) and reverted for a 10% levy across the board. Except for China, that is, who now face a rate of 125%.So what is really going on? The Democrats are crying market manipulation, the markets remain chaotic, and MAGA Republicans are saying the country should trust the president. We try to separate the fact from fiction.Plus the search for the youngest and oldest Americasters continues...HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspond...
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Trump’s Tariffs...
Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Donald Trump's latest wave of tariffs came into force on Wednesday only for him to announce a 90-day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries except China, who were hit by increased levies of 125%.In this episode, the Americast team analyse the economic fallout from the first day of what could be a new era in world economics.HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent - Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:- Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB - Send us a message or voice note via ...
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Americanswers! Which news stories are being overshadowed by Trump's tariffs?
Monday, 7 April 2025
The first US measles death in a decade, mass protests against Trump and El Salvador’s mega-jail…In today’s Q&A Anthony, Justin and Mariana sign the podcasting equivalent of an executive order, putting a one-episode exemption on tariffs to focus on the other stories that may have fallen on the backburner since Trump shook up the world’s financial markets.The team discuss the biggest protests of Trump’s second term so far, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s controversial social media video featuring Venezuelan deportees, and the danger of vaccine misinformation following a measles outb...
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Is Elon Musk leaving the White House?
Friday, 4 April 2025
There was a bright spot for Democrats this week after a liberal judge beat her conservative rival in the most expensive judicial election in US history. Susan Crawford beat Brad Schimel despite being backed by President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser Elon Musk. The results came amid reports that Elon Musk could soon leave his prominent role in Donald Trump's administration. The White House has described the reports as "garbage" and that Musk would only leave when his work at DOGE was complete.And, Justin has been chatting to an economist from The Heritage Foundation, a conservative thin...
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Will Trump’s tariffs start a global trade war?
Thursday, 3 April 2025
Donald Trump has announced sweeping new universal tariffs tonight on all imports into the United States. Justin, Sarah and Anthony unpack the U.S. president’s speech at the White House. Which countries are worst affected? How will the UK be impacted? And what are the chances Trump will change his mind again and roll back on some of his announcements?HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Justin Webb, Radio 4 PresenterGET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp t...
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Americanswers…on 5 Live! Could Trump run for a third term?
Monday, 31 March 2025
‘A lot of people want me to do it’ was Donald Trump’s answer when asked in an NBC interview on Saturday if he wanted to serve a third term as US President. The Constitution says that “no person…shall be elected more than twice”. In today’s Q&A with Matt Chorley on 5 Live, Mariana and Justin unpack whether Trump could rewrite history. The team also discuss whether the million-dollar cheques that Elon Musk has been handing out in Wisconsin ahead of a tightly contested Supreme Court Election are illegal. Comedian Amber Ruffin has been dropped from hosting the White House correspondent’s din...
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Will US-Canada relations ever be the same again?
Friday, 28 March 2025
Donald Trump announced this week 25% tariffs on US car imports, a move that will impact neighbours Mexico and Canada. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has called the tariffs "unjustified" and said it marked the end of "deep ties" between the two countries.Canadian journalist and podcaster Jordan Heath-Rawlings joins Sarah and Anthony today to assess how Trump's policies have flipped Canadian politics on its head.HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGUEST: • Jordan Heath-Rawlings, Host of the Elbows Up podcastGET IN TOUCH: • Join our onl...
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We speak to the journalist behind Signalgate
Thursday, 27 March 2025
The journalist who was inadvertently included in a group chat among Trump’s senior cabinet leaders and national security officials tells Sarah Smith how it happened. He also responds to the White House’s furious reaction to his decision to publish the entire exchange of messages, with Donald Trump calling the reporting a “witch hunt” and declaring the Atlantic a “failed magazine”. He also calls for the Trump administration to acknowledge the security breach and “just go fix it”. HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH: • Jo...
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Can Donald Trump shrug off the Signal chat leak?
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
What constitutes a ‘war plan’ and when is information ‘classified’? After the revelation that the editor of The Atlantic was included in a sensitive group chat discussing plans to bomb Yemen, the magazine has taken the decision to publish the whole conversation discussing operational details of the attack.The publication says it took the decision after repeated statements from top Republicans stating that no classified information was revealed to Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.As the fallout continues from the leak, the Americast team discuss how the mistake will impact Donald Trump, the ...
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Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why does Trump want to shut down the Education Department?
Monday, 24 March 2025
It’s Americanswers! Sarah, Anthony and Marianna join Matt Chorley from 5 Live to answer your questions. Today, can Donald Trump dismantle the Department of Education without going through Congress, and what impact would it have on kids with special educational needs? Also, as Canada prepares for its snap general election, what role is the U.S. playing? And why has a portrait of Donald Trump got him angry? HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent GET IN TOUCH: • Join our ...
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The Trump Comeback... Michael Wolff’s Inside Story
Friday, 21 March 2025
How did Donald Trump get close to Elon Musk? What is the story behind his relationship with Melania, and how did Trump get re-elected against all the odds? Donald Trump is no stranger to the journalist Michael Wolff, whose latest book is his fourth on the current president. His book, All or Nothing, details the story of Trump’s comeback and and his relationships to the people who helped him do it. Trump himself has called Wolff “fake news” and described the book as “junk.”Justin spoke with the journalist and author about who is sources are, whether he spoke to Trump whilst writing this book...
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Is Donald Trump ready to defy the courts?
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
The U.S. President is setting up a major showdown with America’s judicial system. Sarah and Justin pick apart claims that Donald Trump defied a court order by deporting more than 200 migrants to El Salvador, despite a judge ordering to be turned planes carrying the migrants to be turned back if they were already in the air. Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers gives her view on whether Trump has broken the court ruling, and whether America is facing a constitutional crisis. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America EditorGUEST: • Jennife...
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Americanswers…on 5 Live! Is Trump standing up to Putin?
Monday, 17 March 2025
Donald Trump says he and Vladimir Putin will hold Ukraine peace talks on Tuesday.Sarah, Anthony, Justin and Marianna answer your questions on what they might say to each other.And they return to the subject of egg prices after claims from Trump that they’re dropping.And we find out why JD Vance has been wearing special socks.This episode was made by Chris Flynn and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC ...
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Where do the Democrats go from here?
Friday, 14 March 2025
The Democrats may be on the retreat politically but they're hoping to bounce back after an actual retreat this week in Leesburg, Virginia.One of the speakers at the retreat political strategist (and friend of the podcast) James Carville, who's suggested Democrats should "play dead" and do nothing against Trump. The Americast team unpack whether this approach could work, and Justin's been chatting to Democrat Congressman Seth Moulton, who thinks the party has lost touch with the country.HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North Ameri...
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Can Donald Trump afford a trade war with Canada?
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
The world is bracing itself as Donald Trump enacts his global tariffs. As the president begins to enforce them upon the rest of the world, the Americast team assemble to ask whether Trump’s bet on tariffs might be a bad deal for the US. How have the markets reacted, and does Trump actually care? Plus, why has Donald Trump bought a Tesla even though he isn’t allowed to drive it? HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter - Sarah Smith, North America Editor - Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH: * Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB * Send us a message o...
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Americanswers…on 5 Live! Is Trump worried about the US economy?
Monday, 10 March 2025
Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility of the US going into recession. Sarah, Anthony, Justin and Marianna answer your questions on how Trump’s trade war is impacting on stock markets and American voters. Plus, is the new Canadian PM, Mark Carney is escalating the war on tariffs?Also, how could the Democrats be more effective as an opposition voice, and why have we seen an influx of memes about the Vice President JD Vance?The Americast team joins Matt Chorley on 5 Live to answer all of your questions.This episode was made by Rufus Gray and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producers...
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How should Trump deal with Putin?
Thursday, 6 March 2025
What do we know about President Trump’s long term strategy when it comes to dealing with Russia, and where does that leave America’s relationship with Europe and Ukraine? Justin, Sarah and Anthony get an inside view from Celeste Wallander, one of Biden and Obama’s top security staffers who has been in meetings with Vladimir Putin.How does the Russian leader behave during negotiations, and what advice does she have for the Trump administration? We also look at what Trump’s reset of US/Russia relations means for Europe, and the war in Ukraine. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah...
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Trump’s GREAT BIG LONG Speech
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Sarah and Anthony pick apart Donald Trump’s biggest speech since returning to the White House.He delivered it 24 hours after announcing he was pausing aid to Ukraine, and on the same day tariffs came in on Mexico and Canada.He was addressing a joint session of the US Congress, declaring “the American dream is unstoppable”.It was the the longest presidential speech to Congress on record - lasting around an hour and 40 minutes and included details of a letter from President Zelensky, his desire to get Greenland “one way or another” and Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts.And, a Democrat is kicked out.HOSTS...
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Americanswers... on 5 Live! Did Trump ambush Zelensky?
Monday, 3 March 2025
Presidents Trump and Zelensky clashed on Friday night in a furious exchange at the White House, during which Trump accused the Ukrainian president of “gambling with World War III.”The future of the world now seems more uncertain, and people naturally have a lot of questions.The team try to provide them as they join Matt Chorley for a special edition of their weekly Q&A.Was the conflict manufactured by a Trump-friendly reporter? How has Congress reacted? Has the incident hurt Trump in the polls? All will be answered in today's edition of AmericanswersHOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Edito...
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The News Agents“Brutal and efficient” - should Starmer be a bit more Carney?
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Americast
100 Days of Trump (Part 5)… Has He Redefined What It Means To Be President?
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Americast
100 Days of Trump (Part 4)… Has Elon Musk Changed Government Forever?
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Americast
100 Days of Trump (Part 3)… Who Is Welcome in America, Now?