Americast cover art
Podcast · 206 episodes

Americast

by BBC News · English

Insight and analysis on what's happening inside Donald Trump's White House. 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 social media investigation 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 BBC Radio 4 and every Saturday on the BBC World Service. Oh, and 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 our friends, including BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley. 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.

Latest episodes

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Americanswers! Why don't the Democrats have a new leader yet?America Answers episode focused on US midterm politics and affordability, plus foreign policy and the “Epstein files.” It discusses Trump’s consideration of restricting diesel exports amid record US…28 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
Has Trump’s ban against the media backfired?Trump’s ban on certain media outlets from White House access—CNN, MSNBC (MS Now), and Politico—whether it backfired, and what the court ruling means for press freedom and future White House media…25 Sep 2026 · 34 min · 17 chapters
Did Trump's UN speech convince voters on Iran?Analysis of Donald Trump’s UN General Assembly speech and whether it persuaded voters on Iran, amid ongoing US-Iran diplomacy, regional fallout (Houthis, Gulf states), and energy-price impacts; also…23 Sep 2026 · 21 min · 9 chapters
Americanswers… Why has Denmark made a deal with Trump over Greenland?AmeriCast episode covers four main stories. First, Trump’s reported ban of CNN, MSNBC (MS Now), and Politico from White House access/pool coverage, with Trump claiming they spread “fake news”; guests…21 Sep 2026 · 35 min · 13 chapters
US v China: The AI raceThe US political and geopolitical “AI race” with China, sparked by warnings from AI labs and executives about rapid capability growth, misalignment/alignment risks, and loss of control; debate over…18 Sep 2026 · 38 min · 17 chapters
The Supreme Court stops Donald Trump changing voting rules... for nowThe US Supreme Court blocked, for now, a Trump administration effort to tighten how mail ballots are handled ahead of the November midterms, arguing it was too close to the election.16 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Donald Trump the only regulation AI needs?The episode discusses Donald Trump’s stance on AI regulation versus public fears, and how politics may be shifting toward “guardrails.” Key claims: Trump says the U.S.14 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 12 chapters
Will Trump’s $5,000 offer convince US voters?BBC AmeriCast reports from Donald Trump’s unusual “Republican Party convention” in Dallas, focused on whether Trump’s $5,000 promise to voters can persuade Americans in the midterms, and whether…11 Sep 2026 · 35 min · 15 chapters
Is 9/11 still shaping America?Whether the 9/11 attacks still shape America 25 years later, including U.S. security changes, remembrance culture, and current political disputes over New York’s 9/11 ceremonies.9 Sep 2026 · 39 min · 21 chapters
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why is Lindsay Clancy’s mistrial dividing America?The episode covers (1) Donald Trump’s Supreme Court push to limit mail-in voting and the implications for in-person voting access, (2) why the Lindsay Clancy child-murder trial ended in a mistrial…7 Sep 2026 · 23 min · 8 chapters
An insider's account of Trump's White HouseAn insider account of how Donald Trump’s second-term White House operates, based on Jonathan Swan’s book Regime Change, and how that structure shaped major decisions, especially the decision to go to…4 Sep 2026 · 36 min · 14 chapters
Has Pete Hegseth lost control of the Pentagon?Turmoil at the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including clashes with Army leadership, mass removals from promotion lists, alleged blocking of minority/women officers, and how this is…2 Sep 2026 · 30 min · 14 chapters
Americanswers! Could Zohran Mamdani serve in a Democrat White House?A BBC “AmeriCast/America Answers” special fielding listener questions about (1) whether New York City mayoral figure Zohran Mamdani could serve in a Democratic cabinet, (2) parallels between Lyndon B.31 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 13 chapters
Are polls misleading Americans?Whether election polls mislead Americans, especially for upcoming midterms; why polls can miss and how to judge reliability.28 Aug 2026 · 31 min · 16 chapters
Canada tests the limits of Trump’s powerA BBC AmeriCast episode analyzing the escalating U.S.–Canada trade war under Donald Trump, framed as a test of American power and Canadian PM Mark Carney’s resolve.26 Aug 2026 · 36 min · 20 chapters
Americanswers! Are the US and Canada in an all-out trade war?Whether Trump’s 50% Canada tariffs are legal after a prior Supreme Court ruling, plus related US debt/bond-market questions, climate-change skepticism, and word-origin explainers.24 Aug 2026 · 31 min · 15 chapters
How will Trump’s former personal lawyer run the US justice department?The episode examines how Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer and nominee for US Attorney General, would run the Justice Department—especially whether it will operate independently of the…21 Aug 2026 · 29 min · 10 chapters
Who is Trump aide Natalie Harp… and why are Democrats targeting her?The episode (AmeriCast, BBC News) argues that Donald Trump is flailing over the Iran conflict and trying to shift attention by pivoting toward North Korea and other issues.19 Aug 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
Americanswers! Is Iran really trying to kill Trump, and why is he threatening to bomb Oman?America Answers episode covering (1) Caroline Leavitt’s resignation as White House press secretary and what it signals about Trump’s inner circle, (2) the Air Force One “plane swap” after a reported…17 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 9 chapters
Is AOC ready to run for president?The episode asks whether Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is positioning herself to run for president and whether she can unify Democrats after the party’s “woke era” and internal left-right fights.14 Aug 2026 · 36 min · 16 chapters
Has Trump lost ‘Make America Healthy Again’ voters?The episode examines whether Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (Maha) voter base is being courted by a new White House move on childhood vaccines, and how vaccine skepticism is being…12 Aug 2026 · 29 min · 11 chapters
Americanswers... on 5 Live! Will Trump's new challenge to birthright citizenship work?The episode discusses whether Donald Trump’s new attempt to end birthright citizenship will work, and what legal and political obstacles it faces.10 Aug 2026 · 41 min · 17 chapters
Why the Democrats may never be the same againThe Democratic Party’s progressive victories in key primaries—especially Michigan—may reshape its post-Trump direction, but could also create vulnerabilities in the general election.7 Aug 2026 · 35 min · 14 chapters
What the Reflecting Pool tells us about Trump’s presidencyThe episode uses the failed renovation of Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to argue that Trump’s presidency is marked by scapegoating, resistance to documentary evidence, and…5 Aug 2026 · 25 min · 10 chapters