American Friction

Trump is dragging America’s democracy towards oblivion – could this be it for the US as we know it? Chris and Jarv discuss with Thom Hartmann, author of The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink. Buy The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by...

Trump is pushing forwards with deploying troops to America’s streets – despite opposition from politicians, the public and the courts. How far will he push this? Nikki and Jarv talk through the insurrection act, Governors vs. Governors and more.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now o...

Trump has been enabled by a Supreme Court that seems completely under his spell – and it feels like nothing legal is going to block him. Christian Farias, who writes about law and the courts for Vanity Fair, New York magazine and the New Yorker, joins Jarv and Chris to discuss Trump’s legal recklessness and what it means for America.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad fr...

Hegseth and Trump decided to body shame their military top brass in a bizarre performance that baffled the world. Chris, Jarv and Nikki unpack how counterproductive this was, plus we talk about the shutdown and more.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtub...

‘Authentic’ is a regular political buzzword at the moment – and unfortunately, it might just be newspaper speak for ‘manly’. Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR recently wrote a piece called When "authenticity" means "dudes" for her Substack, and joins Jarv to talk about manliness in American politics.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: http...

Trump has been busy embarrassing America on the world stage this week with weird rants and conspiracy theories. Chris, Jarv and Nikki get into it all. Plus, friend of the podcast Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief for The Independent joins us to discuss the harm caused by RFK Jr. and Trump’s autism misinformation.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra...

American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been taken off air due to Trump through an authoritarian tantrum. Plus, the president wants to sue the New York Times. Oh, and he’s cracking down on anyone else he can. The US media seems… screwed? Friend of the pod Jeff Jarvis, the brain behind the BuzzMachine blog, media analyst and author, joins us to talk through the issues facing American news provider...

Well, what a week. Trump is mad at everyone and suing or censoring whoever he can get his hands on in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Bluntly, America once again feels more insane than ever. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the latest.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now on Yo...

Anti-Trump protesters gathered in London on Wednesday to showcase their disdain for the US president. Chris and Jarv headed over to ask them what message they wanted to get across to him — they filmed the whole thing so head to Spotify to watch the video too! Back us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch...

Trump has changed the Department of Defense to the Department of War, well kind of. It’s gonna cost a lot of money and it’s not totally official. But still, not great! So, what does this mean for America’s foreign policy and place in the world? Dr. Walter Ladwig, senior lecturer in International Relations in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and an associate fellow at RUSI, jo...

Trump is once again denying sending Epstein the creepiest card ever which is even more creepy than we first thought. Will the weird denials ever end? Will there ever be consequences? Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss this and more.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch. We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follo...

The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves across the globe. Discussion of it has been confused and in many cases problematic. Chris and Jarv sit down to discuss what we know, what we don’t and what sort of direction the conversation should perhaps move in.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/ameri...

Trump is taking America on a course that nobody is happy with, even members of his own party and movement. Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair correspondent, host of Fast Politics and author of How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir, joins Jarv for a big old chat about Trump’s enemies, real and mythical, how America feels and the age of the man baby.  Buy How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoi...

Trump is alive, or at least that’s what he wants you to think. He’s been on one since rising from the fake dead, we unpack what’s going on with best friend of the pod Casey Burgat, host of Mastering the Room and author of We Hold These Truths: How to Spot the Myths That Are Holding America Back. Buy We Hold These Truths: How to Spot the Myths That Are Holding America Back through our affiliate boo...

Donald Trump’s relationship with America’s far right is no secret. So has his second coming only served to embolden the neo-Nazi movement further – or are the cracks starting to show in their support for the president? National security journalist, Ben Makuch, has met many of these neo-Nazi’s face-to-face. He joins Chris to discuss what they want and how they’re rebuilding their ranks under this a...

Donald Trump’s recent cabinet meeting was everything we’ve come to expect - a circus. All of his secretaries were competing with one another to see who could come up with the biggliest compliment. Was this just a PR stunt made for clips, and what does it say about the state of this administration?  ​Plus, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador, has been detained again and th...

Ooh they’re thirsty! Trump and Newsom have been battling it out for the headlines, with the California Governor trying to take the fight to the president. Will it work? Should we be impressed? Is 2028 going to be Newsom’s time to shine? Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief for The Independent, joins Jarv and Chris to discuss.    Back us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction – we ne...

Trump went all weak at the knees when he got to meet his idol Vladimir Putin this week. How embarrassing for America was their get together? Plus, Chris unveils a bizarre political crush to Nikki and Jarv. All that and more!    Back us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/ame...

There’s weird political meddling happening in Texas and it all revolves around “gerrymandering”. What’s that all about, then? David Daley, author of Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections and Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count joins us to discuss.  Buy Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American...

Trump has sent in troops in a bid to take over Washington, D.C. in a draconian move seemingly sparked by a bloke called Big Balls being attacked. Nope, us neither. We try to make it make sense, friends, we really try. All that plus more like a story about Laura Loomer, Marjorie Taylor Greene and a sandwich. Again, sorry.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes,...

Trump’s economic plans of tariffs for the sake of tariffs ain’t working well. We speak to Mark Zandi, from Moody’s Analytics, to find out why it’s all going so wrong.   Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follow us on social m...

Trump has waged war on statistics as he looks to take charge of the truth in America. Meanwhile, people are losing it over Sydney Sweeney and her jeans/genes – why are the right wing so weird? Nikki, Jarv and Chris dive into all this and more.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now on...

Trump “broke” with Netanyahu recently by accepting the reality that people, including many children, are starving in Gaza. But despite this slight change in tone, will this lead to any real change in action from the US president? Chris and Jarv speak to Professor Yossi Mekelberg, senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, to discuss Trump and Netanya...

Trump has been getting weirder and somehow MAGA and the GOP are ignoring it. Plus, he’s talking himself in knots over Epstein — does he understand how big a problem this is? Nikki and Jarv discuss all that and more in our 100th episode!  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction  We’re now on Youtube...

Donald Trump continues to bully news outlets in the US, suing Murdoch and seemingly getting Stephen Colbert fired. Why can’t the media stand up to him? Is it even trying anymore? Or is it time to declare the mainstream media dead? Jeff Jarvis, media critic and author of the BuzzMachine blog joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss all that and more.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Ge...