Americast

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...

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...

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...

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 th...

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...

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, polit...

This week the last federal criminal case against Donald Trump was dropped. It's a dramatic end to a year in which began with Trump facing nearly 100 criminal charges connected to the two federal cases and others. It was unprecedented legal territory for a former president, becoming the first to face a criminal trial and later conviction, in a case tied to a payment made to adult-film actress Storm...

Donald Trump has given the world an insight into what the economic vision for his second term might be, and it can be summarised in what he calls the “most beautiful word": tariffs. The president-elect says he will introduce 25% tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency, and add an extra 10% on goods coming from China. Mexico and China have baulked at Trump's prop...

Social media platform Bluesky has passed the 20 million user mark and its growing popularity has some listeners wondering if it will lead people towards their existing beliefs and away from political debate. Could its rise further polarise an already divided electorate? And it's just under two months until Donald Trump is inaugurated as president for a second time. We answer your questions on whet...

RFK is seen as a controversial choice for Health Secretary, not least because he’s a vaccine sceptic who has also rallied against big pharmaceutical companies, but also because of his attitude to big pharma and medical research. Justin, Marianna and Sarah look in more detail at RFK’s record on public health, what his stance on vaccines means for Americans, and whether he’ll realistically be able t...

As Donald Trump’s list of appointments becomes longer and more controversial, there’s one area that seems set for drastic change: defence. The announcements come alongside Joe Biden’s decision to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles to fire into Russia, just months before Trump becomes commander in chief. We speak to Robert Wilkie, the man in charge of preparing Trump’s defence policy. He tells...

Over the weekend, President Biden authorised Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia. Is this his last-ditch effort to help before Trump takes over? Also, Trump’s cabinet picks continue to draw criticism. The Americast team discuss how the president-elect is making his decisions, and whether he’s actually interested in governing once his team is in place. And what do...

The involvement of Donald Trump’s close-knit family defined his first term in the White House. Eight years later, his circle of advisers appears to have expanded, welcoming a cadre of media personalities and influencers. Who’s in Trump’s orbit now? Which of his family members are raising their profiles, and who is taking a step out of the spotlight? Sarah and Marianna examine who has the president...

President-elect Donald Trump has spent the week since his election picking out his cabinet members and closest advisors who will help him through his second term. Sarah, Marianna and Anthony give you the latest on who’s been nominated so far. Among them is Elon Musk, who has been tipped to run the new Department of Government Efficiency. But what does that mean, exactly? And, this afternoon Trump...

BBC News - Join Justin, Sarah and Marianna as they answer your questions live with Matt Chorley from 5Live. In today’s episode, the Americast team discuss questions which include: at why the polling didn’t more accurately predict Trump’s win, whether the media got it wrong, whether everyone will accept the election result and, how might President Biden help Ukraine before he leaves office? HOSTS:...

We look back at how Trump ran the United States during his 2016 presidency. In an administration defined by “building the wall”, North Korea, COVID, and an attempted insurrection. Anthony is joined by two journalists who were in the room with Trump while he was changing American politics one decision at a time. This episode was first aired during the election campaign, as Americast profiled all th...

Americast looks back at how Donald Trump succeeded in business by creating a franchise out of his most valuable commodity: himself. Sarah hears from a former Apprentice producer, who gives us a behind the scenes insight into why Trump was picked for the TV series, and how it was integral in building his image as a successful businessman. This episode was first aired during the election campaign, a...

As Republicans celebrate Donald Trump’s historic sweep of the US election, Democrats are left reckoning with how Kamala Harris failed to mobilize support. Americast gets together for an election inquest to examine what went right and wrong. Is Joe Biden to blame for Harris’ loss? Or did something else cause the VP to underperform with the voters she needed to win? Was Trump’s straight-forward mess...

Joe Biden has promised a peaceful transition of power after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. He's also called on Americans to "turn down the temperature" after a fractious campaign that has divided voters. Will public figures who have been openly critical of Donald Trump feel safe when he takes office again? And, a listener challenges whether Americast and oth...

Donald Trump has become the 47th, as well as the 45th President. But the question is this: what will actually change when his new term begins? The team assemble to separate the fact from fiction - will he really declassify the JFK files and end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office? And Kamala Harris has conceded the election. Justin was on the ground and reports back on what the mood was...

Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election. He's already delivered a victory speech in Florida in front of his supporters where he hailed a "magnificent victory" as leaders from around the globe have begun sending their congratulations to Trump. On a stunning night for the Republican Party, they also took back control of the Senate and are leading in the House of R...

The US presidential election is not yet decided but the race is tilting towards Donald Trump. North Carolina and Georgia were two states that the Democrats were eyeing up in their bid to make Kamala Harris the first female president in US history. But with those states now out of play, the Harris campaign is pinning its hopes on winning the "blue wall" states and the crucial state of Pennsylvania,...

What is the current state of the race as voters in the United States go into election day? When can we expect a result? Which swing states will declare first, and what should we be reading into early results? Justin, Marianna, Sarah and Anthony are all in the U.S. with their insight and analysis, plus what they’ll each be looking out for on election night itself. Plus, election night snacks - what...

The 2024 presidential election is nearly here and as America gets ready to head to voting booths up and down the country, the team offer their advice on timings, key states to watch out for, and when you can head to bed. And Justin, Marianna and Sarah submit their choices for Americast's election day bingo card... This episode has been updated since it was originally uploaded. HOSTS: * Justin Webb...

The gang talk through two surprises in 24 hours in the election race. New polling suggests that Kamala Harris will win in Iowa - a state Trump won by nearly 10 points in the last two elections. But polling is only an indication… they discuss what we can conclude from the result. Plus, Harris appeared on popular late night comedy show Saturday Night Live. Could it help her in the battle for the und...