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...
Mar 10, 2025•32 min
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 rel...
Mar 06, 2025•25 min
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...
Mar 05, 2025•27 min
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 p...
Mar 03, 2025•39 min
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. We’re ending the series with Robert F Kennedy Jr., the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has been tasked with making America healthy again - an appointment which came as a surprise to some, given that he’s been accused of supporting the anti-vaccination movement and spreading misinformation. Spurning a democratic dynasty and risking a f...
Mar 02, 2025•35 min
There were unprecedented scenes in the White House this afternoon when President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and President Zelensky clashed in an extraordinary shouting match in front of stunned reporters. Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko from Ukrainecast are joined by former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts to get immediate reaction, and what this all means for the future of Ukraine.
Feb 28, 2025•30 min
How successful was Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Thursday? Trump praised the Prime Minister as a “tough negotiator”, but did Sir Keir get the key concessions needed over the war in Ukraine and trade? Justin, Sarah and Marianna analyse what was said - and not said - between the two leaders, and how Sir Keir Starmer played the ultimate royal card with Donald Trump. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring,...
Feb 28, 2025•24 min
Donald Trump sparked a social media frenzy on Wednesday when he posted a video of Gaza generated by artificial intelligence on his site Truth Social. Marianna's been analysing Trump's social media strategy and how he attempts to influence what we see on our online feeds. Meanwhile, the fallout from Elon Musk's email to federal workers over the weekend continues. Musk asked all federal workers to list their accomplishments to him an email, and defended his actions at the first meeting of Trump's ...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min
French president Emmanuel Macron is in Washington DC for talks with Donald Trump as he - and later in the week Keir Starmer - attempt to stop a deal on the Ukraine war that favours Russia. How do you get through to the president? And, the price of eggs keeps rising in the US due to cases of bird flu. Will it cost the president politically? Justin, Anthony and Marianna joined Matt Chorley on 5 Live to answer your questions... HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, 5 Live Presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North Americ...
Feb 24, 2025•32 min
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. Stephen Miller is one of the most powerful people in government who many have never heard of. He’s the new White House deputy chief of staff for policy. Previously - and unusually - he also served as a senior advisor in President Trump’s first term. He is the architect behind many of the most controversial Trump policies, and is often seen next to the pr...
Feb 23, 2025•29 min
The past week has seen international diplomacy turned upside down as the US began talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The decision to exclude Ukraine - and Europe - from these talks led to an emergency summit in which European countries sought to establish some influence over the process. But with the US and Ukrainian presidents embroiled in a dispute that led to Trump calling Zelensky a “dictator”, is their relationship beyond repair? And will Ukraine have any say over the terms of a p...
Feb 21, 2025•34 min
As the Trump administration begins peace talks with Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine, President Trump himself seems to be blaming Ukraine for it beginning at all. We ask, whose side is he on? Justin, Marianna and Anthony also look at what Zelensky means when he says Trump is “living in a disinformation space”. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent GET IN TOUCH: • Join our onli...
Feb 19, 2025•33 min
American and Russian leaders will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to begin negotiations about a peace deal for Ukraine. Trump said on Sunday he could be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon". Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Zelensky has said he has not been involved in the talks yet, and European leaders have also been left out. After Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Ukraine should not join NATO, should other member states be worried? Marianna and Sarah join Matt Chorley to talk ...
Feb 17, 2025•35 min
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. Over the next few weeks, new profiles will drop every Sunday. Pete Hegseth is the new Secretary of Defence, overseeing America’s military and defence strategy. A former national guardsman and Fox News host, Hegseth’s confirmation has been controversial. Dogged with allegations of womanizing, binge-drinking and sexual assault (which he denies), several se...
Feb 16, 2025•28 min
In the first weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump has wasted no time in using Executive Orders to suspend all new asylum claims, freeze government hiring and spending, strip back agencies established by Congress, and offer a buyout deal for thousands of federal workers. So far, the courts have been the only substantive roadblocks to Trump’s agenda, but is the President ready to defy the courts? The White House has accused the media of "fear mongering the American people". As Trump pu...
Feb 14, 2025•40 min
Americast makes its predictions for 2025 as Donald Trump continues to create headlines with his first 100 days as president. Justin, Sarah, Anthony and Marianna make an audio time capsule of predictions, with plenty of suggestions from Americasters. It’s something we promised to do after the election, but with a packed news schedule, we’re belatedly bringing it to you now! How many stars will be on the US flag by the end of the year? Who will be the winner of the tech world? How will the Trump p...
Feb 14, 2025•36 min
Elon Musk is already in uncharted territory with his role in Donald Trump's administration, but in a surprise appearance inside the Oval Office yesterday, he brought his son along to an impromptu press conference alongside the president. The tech billionaire denied he was launching a hostile takeover of the federal government and said he was simply delivering the reform that Americans voted for. HOSTS: • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna ...
Feb 12, 2025•22 min
On his first day in the role, Lord Mandelson talks to Americast about how the UK will handle Donald Trump. In his conversation with Sarah, Britain’s new U.S. Ambassador explains why the UK needs to respect Trump’s “strong and clear mandate for change”. Given President Trump’s fast moving and radical agenda, what kind of approach should the UK be taking, and will the ‘special relationship’ continue? HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor GUEST: Lord Peter Mandelson, British Ambassador to ...
Feb 11, 2025•10 min
One day on from a big US Super Bowl weekend, what happened with Taylor Swift, and what was her reaction? We also hear Donald Trump defending Elon Musk in his traditional pre-game interview, telling Americans to expect further cuts to the federal government, particularly in education. Marianna, Anthony and Sarah join Matt Chorley to talk about the potential fallout from those cuts, plus allegations of political censorship at TikTok, tariffs on aluminium, and who is really behind Trump’s policies....
Feb 10, 2025•27 min
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. Over the next few weeks, new profiles will drop every Sunday. Elon Musk is one of the most influential people inside Trump's White House, as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is making huge and sweeping cuts to federal government. He's also the richest person in the world, and controls key companies in the United...
Feb 09, 2025•29 min
In the three weeks since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Elon Musk has taken a wrecking ball to the federal government in what he has called "a revolution of the people". That revolution has included offers to buyout millions of federal employees, accessing sensitive data of millions of Americans and sweeping efforts to shut down federal agencies like USAID. What, if anything, can get in Musk's way? And has there ever been so much power wielded in America by an unelected individual? HO...
Feb 07, 2025•33 min
In an extraordinary press conference alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump suggested the US could “own” the Gaza Strip and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East". His comments have sparked condemnation from countries across the Middle East and the Palestinian Authority says its people will not be resettled. The Americast team give their analysis and ask whether Trump’s words should be taken at face value. HOSTS: * Sarah Smith, North America Editor * Marianna Sp...
Feb 05, 2025•29 min
After announcing he would place tariffs on Canada and Mexico during his campaign, the president nearly followed through. After sending the world economy into a frenzy, Trump then postponed the trade war with his North American neighbours on hold after securing concessions from both of them over border security. But he still has China and the EU in his sights. Is the UK next on the list for the trade war? And how do tariffs work anyway? Sarah and Justin join Matt Chorley to try and make sense of ...
Feb 03, 2025•27 min
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. Over the next few weeks, new profiles will drop every Sunday. We start with Marco Rubio, the one-time presidential hopeful in 2016 who famously fell out with Trump when vying for the Republican nomination. The pair have since patched things up, but how did the man once coined as the Republican Party's equivalent to Barack Obama end up as America's top di...
Feb 02, 2025•30 min
With daily announcements, executive orders and press conferences from Trump’s presidency in its first fortnight, how should we be navigating the daily torrent of news? Americast examines the deliberate strategy by the White House (also used in Trump’s first presidency) to “flood the zone” with news. Justin, Anthony and Marianna discuss whether Democrats and the media should be properly scrutinising each news story, what to ignore, and whether the strategy is successfully working for President Tr...
Jan 31, 2025•33 min
An air collision involving a commercial jet and a military helicopter is believed to have killed 67 people in Washington DC. The recovery operation continues with the cause of the disaster still unknown. Anthony speaks to Sarah, who's been on the banks of the Potomac River where the rescue operation is taking place. HOSTS: * Sarah Smith, North America Editor * Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent GET IN TOUCH: * Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB * Send us a message...
Jan 30, 2025•20 min
Donald Trump's plans to reshape the federal government have gathered pace after almost all federal employees received an email on Tuesday offering the option to resign and receive pay for eight months. How many workers will take up the offer and what happens to those that don't? And, Karoline Leavitt has made history as the youngest White House press secretary at the age of 27. Sarah was at her first briefing in which she announced changes to how the briefing room will operate and sparred with r...
Jan 29, 2025•25 min
It’s been a week since President Trump took the oath of office for the second time, and his administration have wasted no time in issuing executive orders and setting the tone for the next four years. Sarah, Justin and Marianna join Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live once again to answer your questions on coins, Greenland, Columbia, and what the Democrats have been up to. And, our own Anthony Zurcher asked Trump a question over the weekend about his thoughts on Keir Starmer. HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, ...
Jan 27, 2025•33 min
After he declared that "America's sovereignty is under attack” in an executive order, reports suggest that Donald Trump could send thousands of troops to install barriers at the US border with Mexico. Are barriers the answer to stop illegal crossings? President Trump has given his first broadcast interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. In the interview he described the attacks on January 6 as “very minor incidents” and suggested Joe Biden should have pardoned himself before leaving office. But ...
Jan 23, 2025•31 min
On the first full day of his presidency, Donald Trump defended his decision to release high-profile prisoners jailed over the Capitol riots and to pardon nearly 1,600 people in connection with Jan 6th. Marianna, Sarah and Anthony are together in DC as they discuss who has been released, what the reaction has been, and how Trump is changing the narrative over who was responsible for the riots. Also, Trump’s former advisor Bryan Lanza joins the pod with an inside view on why the immigration raids ...
Jan 22, 2025•37 min
