For centuries, Native Americans, Alaskans, and Hawaiians have faced hardship at the hands of the US federal government. Because of that, participation within the federal system is extremely low, with only 0.07 of elected officials being from indigenous heritage. Will that ever change? And what’s it like being Native in America today? Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz spent seven years in the Obama administration as a policy advisor focusing on homelessness and Native policy. She’s also an enrolled member...
Mar 10, 2025•37 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast Trump’s first major speech as president was about as gross as you’d expect. What substance was there – and how much was just dishing out punishment to Democrats? Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack everything you need to know and answer listener questions. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social We’re now on Youtube: https://www.yout...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Trump and Zelenskyy’s fallout in the Oval Office, egged on by Vice President JD Vance, shocked onlookers and has left the world reeling. So, what comes next? Jarv and Nikki are joined by Matt Duss, executive director of the center for international policy and co-host of the The Un-Diplomatic Podcast, to discuss the fallout and what it means. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Blue...
Mar 03, 2025•37 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk seems to be p*ssing off everyone – including members of the Trump cabinet. But, the president is still backing him and he’s still ploughing on with his DOGE plans. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the latest mishaps and discuss how long Musk will last. Plus, we round up other news and answer listener questions! Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americ...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Former Democratic Alabama senator Doug Jones joins us to discuss the latest chaos and how Democrats should push against it. What would he advise legally? How should they communicate? And what makes him hopeful? Back us on Patreon, we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us o...
Feb 24, 2025•37 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Well, what a month it’s been. Trump was sworn in a month ago and we figured we’d rate his time in office so far. Plus, we discuss the latest Elon Musk weirdness after his and president’s love-in on Fox News. All that and more in a bumper panel episode – and we’ll be back with our interview episode on Monday! Back us on Patreon, we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/amer...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast Trump’s allies, including JD Vance and Elon Musk, think he should just ignore the courts that try to stop his actions. Can he? What would happen if he did? Plus, while the MAGA movement destroys everything, it’s hard to stay hopeful. Reverend Professor Keith Magee joins us to discuss how to bridge political divisions and stay, somewhat, positive in the new Trump era. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits, merch and access our chat community: patre...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk is taking over and shutting down chunks of government with help from his merry band of young mega nerds. What’s going on? And why is nobody stopping him? And Trump is talking about yet more expansion for the United States, now turning his focus to Gaza. Why’s he pushing for a new frontier? Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction This week Chris and Jarv are joined once again by Casey Burgat, author o...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast Not satisfied with picking on Canada, Greenland, and Panama already - Trump continues his bullying spree. This time it’s Colombia that’s the target – Why? And for how much longer can he get away with being so brutish? Plus, over half of Americans see China as the biggest threat to the US. How will Trump manage the relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and could Elon Musk act as a middleman between the two nations? Isaac Stone Fish is the founder and CEO of Strategy Risks and the...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast Trump has been on a pardoning spree and an executive order bender in his first days as president. How crazy has this been, what will actually happen — and how bad is it for America? Nikki, Chris and Jarv review the first week and rope in support from Tim Dickinson, senior politics writer at Rolling Stone. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky....
Jan 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump officially became president on Monday – delivering a speech which was predictably full of lies, exaggerations and right-wing nonsense. Nikki and Jarv unpack the madness, and add the context that Trump certainly didn’t. Oh and they talk about Elon Musk doing a hand gesture which looked pretty suspect… Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americanfr...
Jan 21, 2025•37 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is about to officially become president and he’s been bragging about everything he’ll do right away. But, what can he really get done on day one? Our friend Casey Burgat, host of the Mastering the Room podcast and author of the upcoming book We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back, joins us to discuss. And, just what is America’s place in the world? Alan Friedman, author of The End of America? A Guide to the New World Disorder, talks us through th...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast Trump is refusing to deny that he could invade Greenland and elsewhere, while he’s also set on renaming a few places to make ‘em more American. What the hell is he on about? And, Mark Zuckerberg has been zuck-ing up to Trump lately – is he just as bad as Musk? Plus, independent investigative journalist Jacqueline Sweet was banned from X for digging into a conspiracy theory about the Twitter owner and buddy-in-chief. She talks to us about her busy week. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to k...
Jan 10, 2025•57 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is backing Elon Musk in a major clash with MAGA loyalists. So why is the president-to-be siding with the Tesla boss? Plus – we all know what happened on January 6th 2021. Should we be worried about any chaos this time out? Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionP...
Jan 03, 2025•55 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast American politics has been a real treat this year, hasn’t it? Lol. Well, it’s been interesting at least so the gang unpacks the key moments and lessons from a year that saw Trump elected President again. Follow us on social media: Twitter Instagram TikTok Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/americanfriction Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: ...
Dec 27, 2024•58 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump might yet get punished over his hush money shenanigans — what’s going on with this never-ending legal saga? Plus — drones, stars and planes have made America’s right-wing angry and confused. Why have they dived into conspiracies and what’s the truth? As far as we know it anyway… Follow us on social media: Twitter Instagram TikTok Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/americanfriction Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Edit...
Dec 20, 2024•50 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast • Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Donald Trump’s first TV interview since winning the election didn’t disappoint, or did, depending on your point of view. Joining Kristen Welker on NBC News’s Meet the Press, he outlined his plan for the economy, immigration, and his “concepts of a plan” for healthcare. Did any of it make sense and is he already trying to spread the blame for impossible policy ideas? Plus, he claims the Democrats wa...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast •Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Everyone’s in a flap about Joe Biden pardoning his son, Hunter. Is it as huge a deal as it’s made out to be? Will it really matter all that much politically? Plus, we look at Trump’s pardon records and the dodgy people set to be in his cabinet – like the Fox News host whose mum is now involved in the drama. And, WNYC radio legend Brian Lehrer joins us for a chat about New York politics. Back us on P...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Donald Trump has swerved legal trouble once again — we unpack the latest as cases against him are dropped or postponed. Plus, Kat Abughazaleh from Mother Jones joins us to discuss the power of Fox News and the right-wing infosphere. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction Follow us on Bluesky – https://bsky.app/pro...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Well, Matt Gaetz has decided to bow out of trying to become attorney general after it became clear everybody hates him. We wonder why? We discuss the cabinet latest and ask how much Musk is annoying Trump – does anyone fancy a sweepstake on how long until he’s booted? Plus, Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, joins us to discuss Congress – what’s going on, what do we need to know, and what powers do ...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Well, Trump has truly surpassed himself making his cabinet even more MAGA than we expected. From Matt Gaetz to Musk to Kristi Noem, we discuss the key picks – and how Trump might get them through with no scrutiny. (we recorded before RFK Jr. was confirmed, so we’ve got plenty to discuss next show) And Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing California’s 17th district, becomes our first real sitting politician guest! We discuss the future for Democrats as they look to turn the page from a ...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast The Trump victory and the collapse of the Democratic Party vote completely shocked political onlookers. But how did it take the Dems so badly by surprise? And are they ready to reckon with their loss properly — and address the broader issues the party faces? Andrew Perez, senior politics editor at Rolling Stone, joins Nikki, Chris and Jarv to discuss. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction We’re now on Youtub...
Nov 08, 2024•58 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Trump is president elect. F*ck’s sake, Chris and Jarv were right and Nikki’s fears were realised. There’s no beating around the bush, this looks like a terrible night for Democrats and democracy at large. In an early hours record, we pick over what we know so far as Trump declares victory and TV stations call it. The Senate has gone GOP too, who knows how the House will go. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfrict...
Nov 06, 2024•41 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast The election is nearly here. So, who’s going to win? We look at the state of play with a few days to go, and Jarv forces Chris and Nikki to talk about their gut feelings. And friend of the podcast Molly Jong-Fast, of Fast Politics, joins to describe what she’s going to be focusing on on election night and discuss the latest issues. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtu...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast • Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction While we’re all focussed on the horse race, the question people are focussing on less is what will the aftermath to November’s vote be like? We discuss how the fallout will look, and just how ugly it might get. Plus, Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University and author of Anatomy of a purple state: A North Carolina politics primer, joins ...
Oct 25, 2024•1 hr•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Try the new science and psychology podcast Why? – from the makers of American Friction. Why? is the podcast for curious minds. Every Thursday, presenter Emma Kennedy talks to experts and theorists to discover the science and psychology of why we are the way we are. In the first episode: Why do people join cults? And how do they get out? Emma Kennedy talks to world-leading cult deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross and NXIVM cult survivor Sarah Edmondson to discover the strange allure of the cult mindset. ...
Oct 24, 2024•12 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Trump is cancelling interviews, refusing to answer questions and acting like a cursed wedding DJ at the moment. Has his campaign lost all direction? Plus, we discuss what it means to call him a fascist with Dorian Lynskey, co-author of Fascism: The Story of an Idea. And in a guest double whammy, journalist and author Justin Glawe joins to discuss Georgia and how events there will impact the election result and beyond. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, ex...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Harris went on a media frenzy this week – how did it go? What did we learn and what’s missing? And why has it made Trump lose it? Plus, we speak to Ashley Spillane, from social impact firm Impactual, about the power of celeb endorsements. And, we announce we’re on Patreon! We want to keep going, but we need your support. Visit www.patreon.com/americanfriction to sign up for ad free episodes, extra bits, bonus editions and merch. Follow us on social media: Twitter Instagram TikTok Written and pre...
Oct 11, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast The Trump campaign has been a little bit “sane washed” after JD Vance’s polished debate performance. Sorry to tell you, Trump is still saying and doing crazy sh*t – and there’s more evidence from Jan 6 to unpack too. Plus, we look at issues for Harris with natural disasters at home and conflict abroad. And, Jessie Opoien from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel joins us to discuss how key Wisconsin will be to the result in November. We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod F...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast JD Vance and Tim Walz went head-to-head in what looks likely to be the final debate between candidates ahead of the presidential election. And they were surprisingly… nice to each other? What’s that all about? Recorded in the small hours of Wednesday, Nikki and Jacob discuss the VP debate and what it means for the race. We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: Twitter Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramí...
Oct 02, 2024•39 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast 
