Episodes
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 diplomat, and how has his background as the son of Cuban immigrants shaped his politics today?...
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 Trump?HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America Correspondent...
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 CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:
* Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
* Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
* Or use #AmericastThis ...
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 reporters on a number of issues.HOSTS:
* Sarah Smith, North America Editor
* Marianna Spring, Socia...
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, North America Editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigatio...
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 why has Trump issued a pardon to the founder of an illegal online drug marketplace?And, Elon Musk...
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 are more about PR than deportation. HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Justin Webb, ...
Donald Trump is back in the White House.The 45th and now 47th president of the United States is wasting no time putting his plans into action. We look at his speech, and what those actions are.Justin, Sarah, Marianna and Anthony are together in Washington as all the news breaks.This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. 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 Sounds by hitting the sub...
At a raucous rally in Washington DC, Donald Trump has promised "historic speed and strength" as he prepares for his inauguration on Monday.Thousands of his supporters are brazing freezing temperatures to watch him be sworn in to office as he told his supporters to expect a blitz of executive orders on day one of his presidency.The Americast team are in Washington DC to assess what is meant by an executive order and how much he might be able to achieve at the beginning of his second term as president.HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Co...
Joe Biden has given his final address setting out the list of achievements that he would like to define his four years in the White House. Sarah and Anthony unpack at the 46th president’s domestic successes and failures. They’re joined by his former senior advisor, and friend, Anita Dunn. She tells us what the president is really like behind closed doors, how he’ll be remembered, and whether he was just too old for the job.This episode was made by George Dabby, with Rufus Gray, Claire Betzer and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pa...
President Biden’s final week in the Oval Office coincided with an historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Both he and President-Elect Donald Trump were quick to claim credit for the deal, with Biden beginning his farewell address by highlighting his administration’s part in the negotiations. What does the deal say about Joe Biden’s role in the war between Israel and Hamas, did he make America stronger globally, and how did his presidency influence the war in Ukraine? Sarah and Anthony are joined by former spokesperson to Barack Obama and co-host of Pod Save the World, Tommy V...
TikTok’s future in the US lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, as the justices consider whether the app should be banned over alleged national security concerns. Despite support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the looming ban is unpopular among many everyday Americans - and incoming president Donald Trump. Sarah, Marianna and Anthony unpick the politics behind the ban and the players who may step in to prevent TikTok shutting its US operation. HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North A...
Three wildfires are still burning in the Los Angeles area and the death toll has risen to 24 as the LA mayor says 'urgent preparations' being made for strong winds. With nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders and thousands of properties damaged or destroyed, does the US need to rethink the way it builds its homes?And, President Donald Trump was sentenced on Friday to an "unconditional discharge" in his hush-money criminal trial, meaning he will face no prison time, probation or fine. He will enter the White House next week as the first convicted felon in office, but does his lack of ...
Social media giant Meta says it will abandon independent fact-checking practices on Facebook and Instagram. Is the new policy an attempt to improve relations with Donald Trump before he takes office later this month? And what does the switch-up mean for the spread of misinformation on Meta’s platforms? Meanwhile, Los Angeles is grappling with the most destructive fires in the city’s history - and the response has already transformed into a political lightning rod. Also, Justin and Sarah are joined by Anthony, fresh from Jimmy Carter’s funeral, who tells us all about what it was like inside ...
It was a press conference intended to showcase investment from a Dubai-based firm in new US data centres, but its focus quickly switched to what the incoming president might do when it comes to America’s closest neighbours. Fielding questions from reporters, Donald Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal. While he appeared to rule out the possibility when it came to Canada, Trump did say he would use “economic force” to annex Canada and described their shared border as “an artificially drawn line”.How seriously should the world take Trum...
On Monday the Senate certified the results of the 2024 election, the first time it has done so since the January 6 riots in Washington DC four years ago. President Biden vowed there would be no repeat of the violence on that day, so what is security looking like on Capitol Hill?And, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party. His popularity has plummeted among voters, with polls suggesting his party are on course for a general election defeat this year. But was Trump part of the reason for Trudeau’s exit, and what d...
New Orleans is mourning the loss of at least 14 people after a pick-up truck drove into a crowd of people in the city’s French Quarter in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Justin, Anthony and Marianna explain what we know so far and how both Joe Biden and the incoming president, Donald Trump, have responded to the attack.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note v...
On a fateful Thursday evening in November 2023 - to mark a year to go until the election - Justin, Sarah, Marianna and Anthony made predictions for our very own Americast time capsule. Not to be opened until after Americans had gone to the polls in 2024. Who accurately predicted which presidential candidate would drop out of the race, and who said one of the candidates would undergo a health scare? Which issues did we think would dominate the election and why?In this episode we open the time capsule and find out which of our prognoses came true, which of them turned out to be a nothingbur...
Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. The 39th U.S. President and Nobel prize winner lived longer than any president in history. He celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2024.How did a peanut farmer from the Deep South and Georgia Governor become president? Justin speaks to Jonathan Alter, author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life. From brokering peace in the Middle East, to famously promising the American people he would never lie, Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981. It was period beset by economic and diplomatic crises. The Carter Center, which advoc...
Over the course of 2024, X has changed from what Elon Musk once described as a “digital town square,” to a platform that seems to reward users with more extreme political views.
Marianna focuses on individual X users who have shot to prominence, and are emblematic of the changes and their consequences. What makes some X users particularly successful, why does it matter, and what are the implications for other platforms?
We also look at Elon Musk’s role, and what his game plan could be in 2025 with X. HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social M...
The team go through your questions for the last time this year.How bid would the Watergate scandal be if it happened now? Should Supreme Court justices be elected? And are the British presenters developing American accents…We’ll get into all this and more on a very festive episode of Americast. HOSTS:
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
* Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent
* Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:
* Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
* Email...
The US could face a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday, and Elon Musk is pushing for it.President-elect Donald Trump followed his calls to reject a bill that would have kept the government funded through March.Without it, some public services could be put of hold…So what’s it all about and how serious would it be? Justin, Anthony and Marianna explain.
Plus, Walker Watch returns!HOSTS:- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
- Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent
- Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:- Join our online community: https://discord...
Donald Trump has achieved a legal victory after ABC News announced that it was paying Trump $15 million and legal fees to settle a defamation lawsuit related to remarks made in March by morning news presenter George Stephanopoulos.Following the settlement Trump said he intends to pursue further lawsuits against “dishonest” media, including the Des Moines Register newspaper for "brazen election interference" over a poll published days before the 2024 presidential election.Could ABC’s decision to settle with Trump set a dangerous precedent for media freedoms in the US, and will there be a chi...
It’s been over a month since Democrats lost the election, and questions linger over the future of the party. One prominent member who has stayed quiet in recent weeks is vice president Kamala Harris. Is she plotting to run again in 2028? Or does she have her eyes on the California governor’s mansion? And, mystery continues to swirl after nearly a month of drone sightings over New Jersey and other states. Officials have not provided any definitive answers to what they are, only saying that they are unlikely to pose a risk to residents. So what do we know about them, and why are people so wor...
Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday after a days-long, multi-state manhunt following the suspected murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, Brian Thompson.It’s led to a debate about the health system in America and also prompted anonymous donors to chip in thousands of dollars towards Mangione's defence through online fundraisers.Sarah, Anthony and Marianna assess the reaction to the case, and why the case is dividing the public. This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Catherine Fusillo, Rufus Gray and Claire Betzer. The technical producers were Michael Regaard and Hannah Mo...
As Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria fell over the weekend, president-elect Donald Trump posted on Truth Social “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” But how will American interests in the Middle East develop under a second Trump term? And will it get in the way of the ‘America First’ agenda that helped take him to the White House?The team assess how Trump might respond when he takes office in January, after Justin spoke with John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN and former National Security Advisor under Trump, about what recent events mean for the region and whether or not Trump will want to sta...
Donald Trump has sat down with NBC's Meet the Press in his first broadcast network interview since winning November's election. The president-elect revealed a number of policy positions that the world can expect when he returns to office. Will one of them be an end to automatic citizenship for people born in the US?And, it’s now five days since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in a seemingly targeted attack in New York City. The brazen nature of his killing has shocked the US but also exposed deep resentments at inequities in US healthcare. Is it too far to suggest that s...
Key figures in Donald Trump’s transition team have suggested changing which journalists have access to the White House press briefing room, and who is allowed to put questions to Trump’s new administration. The influence of ‘new media’ platforms - streamers and podcasters - helped win the election for Trump, so could content-creators such as Joe Rogan be included? Also, how will Trump deal with the media in his second term? And how will the media deal with him this time? Sarah and Marianna are joined by Peter Hamby, Host of ‘Good Luck America’ on Snapchat, to discuss the future of the news...
It’s been one month since Kamala Harris lost the US presidential election and soul-searching within the Democratic Party has already begun as the party prepares for opposition.It’s not yet clear how Democrats intend to approach the next four years with Trump in office. Will they work with or against him? And how do they shape a new pitch to American voters?The fallout continues from Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter. Gavin Newsom is the most senior Democrat to publicly criticise the president’s decision, and now Donald Trump is arguing the case against him should be thrown out ...
In one of his final acts before leaving the White House, Joe Biden has taken the decision to pardon his son, Hunter, who was set to face sentencing this month on federal felony gun and tax convictions.In doing so he becomes the first president to issue a pardon for his son, which forgives any convictions for federal crimes. The president argued that despite his belief in the justice system, politics had “infected” this process and led to his son being treated differently. Donald Trump has called the decision an "abuse and miscarriage of justice".Where does the decision leave America’s justi...