American Friction

Donald Trump’s gang is breaking apart after a disastrous set of midterms for the president and his party. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpick how huge the results are and what comes next.   Back us on Patreon!  Follow us on social media:   Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/americanfric   TikTok...

The midterm races have been a horrorshow across the board and Kansas has been no exception. Clay Wirestone of the Kansas Reflector joins Chris and Jarv to discuss the weird politics of the state and how things might go there.  Buy Clay’s book Opinionated Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters—Then and Now through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction...

Trump won’t stop talking about butts despite the GOP’s struggles in the run up to the midterms. Has he doomed his party to a wipeout? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss.  Back us on Patreon! Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/americanfric  TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@americanfric  W...

American voters are mad, there’s no denying the anger being directed towards this Trump administration. But’s angering them the most? Molly Jong-Fast has her finger on the pulse ahead of the midterms and joins Chris Jones in our latest episode to explain it all. Listen to Molly’s podcast, Fast Politics, here: https://fastpoliticspod.com/  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFr...

Donald Trump’s getting more unpopular by the day. How is that impacting the GOP’s chances in the midterms? Plus, Nikki and Chris discuss Vivek Ramaswamy’s shocking attack ad against his opponent for the governorship in Ohio. Support American Friction on Patreon and get early, ad-free episodes, extra editions, merchandise and more. Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile...

Millions of US citizens abroad could vote in the midterm elections, yet turnout among this group is consistently low. Why, and why is Donald Trump trying to make it harder for them in the first place? Elizabeth Kelly is the co-chair of the Get Out The Vote campaign from Democrats Abroad. She joins Chris to discuss in an extra, unscheduled episode. Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/Americ...

James Talarico is in strong form in Texas and it’s all to play for in his Senate race versus Ken Paxton. Just how disastrous would defeat across the Lone Star state be for the GOP? Chris and Jarv ask Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram...

The MAGA brainrot community has a new conspiracy theory… Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpick why when times get desperate, this is all the Trump faithful really have. Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/americanfric  TikTok : https://www.ti...

Content warning: This episode contains discussions related to executions some might find upsetting. Also, this was recorded before Pete Hegseth said Nidal Hasan’s execution will be live streamed. The death penalty is in sharp focus in America right now. Christa Pike’s botched execution has horrified the world, and at the same time Trump is ordering people be killed by firing squad. What the hell i...

Donald Trump is talking about US cities being blown up as if it’s not that big a deal. Well, why not? According to him he can do anything he wants… Nikki, Chris and Jarv breakdown the latest breakdown from the president.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : h...

Trump has cranked his media attacks up to eleven as he accuses journalists of committing treason for saying mean things about him. How worrying is this? And does he even know what he’s saying? Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters, joins Jarv to discuss.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Wa...

Trump and his cronies know they’re facing trouble in the midterms. Their plan? Replay the 2018 tactics and hope for the best… Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILL...

Donald Trump does not know what’s going on with artificial intelligence but he does know it might make him money. Jeff Jarvis, author of Hot Type and mega media expert, joins Jarv to discuss the White House’s wild approach to A.I. and what it means for the rest of us.  Buy Hot Type through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every...

Trump used to bang on about free speech but clearly he doesn’t give a sh*t about it. Just how draconian has the president become? Jarv and Nikki discuss.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/americanfric  TikTok : https://www.ti...

Canada’s Mark Carney is sticking it to Trump, what can we learn from him? Chris and Jarv ask Drew Fagan, professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones. Audio/ video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor...

Trump has been told no he can’t attack mail-in voting how he wants and he is predictably angry. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis, Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio/ video editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Execut...

Trump’s power didn’t come automatically, a lot of people had to roll over to let him have the control of America he has. Jacob Weisberg joins Jarv and Chris to discuss the pushovers who enabled the president, as outlined in his new book Profiles in Cowardice:   Buy Profiles in Cowardice through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Fricti...

Donald Trump’s threatening everyone’s sovereignty by changing every map ever. Dr Casey Burgat joins Chris to discuss Trump’s strategy here (spoiler, there isn’t one) and loads more. Plus, Nikki joins Chris from the Republican National Convention where she’s still recovering from the revelation that Trump plans to bribe the electorate in the midterm elections. ​ Listen to The Bunker’s mini-series,...

Hate crimes carried out by Neo-Nazi Americans are on the rise. Why? And do white supremacist groups feel like they now have an ally in the White House? Eric Lichtblau is aPulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of the book American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate. He joins Chris and Jarv to discuss his extensive research on Neo-Nazi America.  Buy Eric L...

Trump and his cronies are trying to target their opponents in the best way they know how – racism! Nikki and Jarv discuss the fallout around Abdul El-Sayed and how weird the right are being.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ameri...

America’s Supreme Court has been taken over by conservatives, and Samuel Alito is one of the most powerful of all. As a member of The Federalist Society, how did he rise to this position and how did this group seize such a vice grip of America’s legal system? Peter Canellos, author of Revenge for the Sixties Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement, joins Jarv to discuss. ...

Trump is running out of mates everywhere as he goes on tariff tirades and has his offers of help in the midterms rejected. Nikki joins Jarv and Chris to discuss how his power is fading.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/americanfr...

Trump is working out new and inventive ways to grift, charging traders huge amounts of cash to get his Truth Social posts milliseconds early. What’s the point? How is it legal? Where will the cash get made? David Uberti from the Wall Street Journal joins Jarv and Chris to discuss.   Read David Uberti’s work here: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/david-uberti  Back us on Patreon! https://w...

Trump’s aide Natalie Harp has been thrust into the spotlight and he’s really mad even though absolutely nothing weird is going on… Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the latest predictable Trump scandal and try to work out what is going on.  Back us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/AmericanFriction Follow us on social media:  Bluesky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis, N...

The US feels increasingly controlled by oligarchs. But who controls them? Casey Michel joins Chris and Jarv to discuss his new book United States of Oligarchy: How America's Wealthiest Ally with Dictators, Weaken the U.S., and Destroy Democracy,  Buy United States of Oligarchy How America's Wealthiest Ally with Dictators, Weaken the U.S., and Destroy Democracy [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277...