Americast cover art
Podcast · 206 episodes

Americast, page 2

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.

All episodes, page 2

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Can Trump save FIFA boss Gianni Infantino?The episode of AmeriCansers on 5 Live covers: (1) Iran after a deadly US-Israel war strike on an Iranian school that killed 120 children; experts say American forces hit it, but the US has not…3 Aug 2026 · 36 min · 16 chapters
Introducing Top Comment... The vigilante streamers destroying reputationsTop Comment (BBC) analyzes (1) “social media vigilantism,” especially pedophile-hunting streams, and (2) UK PM Andy Burnham’s TikTok/Instagram strategy and why it’s working.2 Aug 2026 · 31 min · 14 chapters
The Democrats need to win Michigan… so why is it splitting the party?Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary (open seat after Sen. Gary Peters retires) and how it reflects a wider ideological split over the party’s direction—centrist vs progressive/populist—and the…31 Jul 2026 · 34 min · 14 chapters
Could a conspiracy theorist change the MAGA view on Ukraine?Whether conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer could shift MAGA views on Ukraine after Lindsey Graham’s death, and what that pivot signals for Trump-era foreign policy.29 Jul 2026 · 28 min · 9 chapters
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Donald Trump serious about running for a third term?The episode discusses Donald Trump’s combative remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (including a claim about running again), the Trump administration’s dispute with the Smithsonian over…27 Jul 2026 · 33 min · 14 chapters
The anti DEI MAGA activist Christopher RufoChris Rufo, a prominent MAGA “anti-woke” activist, argues for “de-wokeification” by dismantling DEI and gender/racialist ideology in US institutions, and predicts how the right should manage…24 Jul 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Are the Republicans ready to win back Arizona?Arizona’s Republican primary results and whether Donald Trump’s endorsements will help Republicans win in November, plus knock-on effects for election administration and broader Democratic politics…22 Jul 2026 · 23 min · 8 chapters
Americanswers! Was the 2026 World Cup a success for Donald Trump?The episode of America Answers weighs whether Donald Trump’s actions helped or hurt the US and global events, focusing on the Iran conflict and the 2026 World Cup.20 Jul 2026 · 26 min · 9 chapters
Will Trump's primetime speech help him challenge the midterm elections?BBC AmeriCast discusses Donald Trump’s primetime White House speech warning that U.S.17 Jul 2026 · 34 min · 13 chapters
ICE fatally shoot two men in Maine and TexasTwo fatal ICE shootings in Maine and Texas, amid claims of mistaken identity, lack of body-camera footage, and political fallout ahead of the midterms.15 Jul 2026 · 34 min · 17 chapters
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Mitch McConnell breaks his silence, will it stop the conspiracy theories?The episode discusses the political fallout from the sudden death of US Senator Lindsey Graham, the “proof of life” and health speculation around Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, and wider…13 Jul 2026 · 31 min · 15 chapters
How will Democrats fight Trump after dumping their candidate Graham Platner in Maine?The episode focuses on whether Democrats can still win Maine’s Senate seat in November after their nominee, Graham Plattner, faces rape and sexual-assault allegations.8 Jul 2026 · 30 min · 17 chapters
Trump explains why he called FIFA to reverse US player’s red card banDebate over whether Donald Trump improperly influenced FIFA to overturn a red card for US striker Folarin Balogun, plus discussion of Trump’s wealth/conflicts of interest, Supreme Court partisanship,…6 Jul 2026 · 37 min · 14 chapters
After 250 years, do US citizens still believe in the American Dream?On the US 250th anniversary (1776), the episode asks whether the American Dream still holds and whether the “American experiment” has succeeded or failed.3 Jul 2026 · 24 min · 9 chapters
Have Republicans been given a major midterms boost by the Supreme Court?The episode analyzes recent US Supreme Court rulings and their political impact, especially whether a campaign-finance decision gives Republicans a midterms boost, plus two other major rulings…1 Jul 2026 · 35 min · 16 chapters
Has the Supreme Court just made Trump the most powerful president in history?The episode analyzes Supreme Court rulings on presidential power and election-related issues, asking whether the Court has made Trump the “most powerful president in history,” plus reactions to…29 Jun 2026 · 28 min · 10 chapters
How can Democrats persuade more voters to like them? (with Ben Rhodes, Obama’s former senior advisor)How Democrats can win more voters and govern after Trump—by building progressive media ecosystems, communicating authentically (especially via podcasts), and persuading rather than lecturing; also…26 Jun 2026 · 42 min · 19 chapters
Can Trump convince Republicans he’s won the war on Iran?How Donald Trump is trying to sell a U.S.-Iran “victory” ahead of midterms, despite controversy over a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (an extended ceasefire, not a peace deal) and early…24 Jun 2026 · 32 min · 20 chapters
Americanswers… Why has JD Vance changed his mind about Trump's intelligence?The episode of BBC’s AmeriCast “America Answers” tackles three listener questions: (1) why Washington’s reflecting pool/reflection pond turned green and whether it was “vandalized,” (2) why J.D.22 Jun 2026 · 31 min · 12 chapters
Elon Musk the trillionaire... does the global economy need him to succeed?Why Elon Musk became a “trillionaire” on paper after SpaceX’s IPO, and whether the US/global economy needs his space-and-AI bets to succeed.19 Jun 2026 · 24 min · 11 chapters
Jill Biden reveals how she really felt about Joe Biden’s health whilst he was presidentAmeriCast (BBC News) discusses three threads: (1) viral World Cup fan clips showing “real America” as welcoming, using examples like Team Algeria’s base in Lawrence, Kansas—locals embrace the team,…17 Jun 2026 · 30 min · 16 chapters
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Trump still fit for the job on his 80th birthday?Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebration at the White House (UFC cage fight, “gauche” commercial promotions, viral clips, partisan backlash); the status and implications of a new US-Iran “memorandum…15 Jun 2026 · 35 min · 14 chapters
The battle in rural America against AI data centresThe episode examines rural and small-town backlash in the US to hyperscale AI data centres, asking whether the “American dream” can coexist with the AI infrastructure boom.12 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 15 chapters
The Democrats fight back Trump-style in Maine… but have they messed up?Democrats’ high-stakes Senate gamble in Maine: whether nominating Graham Plattner (an oyster fisherman with no political experience) will let them beat long-serving Republican Sen.11 Jun 2026 · 40 min · 19 chapters