Americast

Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off in their first presidential debate The testy showdown was marked by personal attacks and a stumbling Biden performance. The Americast Team reacts to the policies debated as well as each candidate’s performance. Sarah and Anthony join us from the Spin Room after the debate, where they talk about the Democrats’ mood and how the Trump team is reacting. GUESTS: Mile...

More questions, more answers: Anthony and Miles disect how Democrats in the deep south lost the working class vote. The team tackle who Trump’s current VP pick might be, and respond to the most asked question in the Americast inbox: whether if it’s too late for Trump or Biden to drop out of the race. We also find out how politics is breaking up American families, and whether Western allies fear th...

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off next week in the first presidential debate of the 2024 U.S. election season. Questions are swirling about how prepared both candidates are before they meet each other at the podium once again. Sarah and Justin sit down with Mike Murphy, a veteran Republican strategist who has prepared many Republican candidates for debate, to break down what we can expect f...

Justin gets grilled by the Americasters on why he didn’t correct an interviewee who referred to Donald Trump as “President”... And why he refers to the world wide HQ of Americast as being in “London, England”. He and Sarah also tackle precinct issues like how Trump and Keir Starmer would interact if elected this year, and whether he could run for a third term, and how a President builds his cabine...

Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three charges in his federal gun trial, becoming the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be criminally convicted. Prosecutors said Biden lied about his drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018. Sarah Smith - who has just returned from Delaware where the trial took place - and Justin Webb unpack the evidence and the consequences for President Joe Bi...

Sarah Smith is reunited with the Zurch! She’s back from her holiday, and returns to a very full inbox of Ameriquestions to answer. They include queries on whether the U.S. would ever elect a President who isn’t a Christian, and why politicians “approve this message” at their end of their campaign adverts? And we speak to Americaster Joanna, who wants to know whether Americans harbour desires for t...

Donald Trump has been speaking out after being convicted last week on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. His team say they will continue to appeal, but on what grounds, and how likely are they to overturn the verdicts? Justin and Anthony hear directly from the Trump campaign, and also put forward questions from Americast listeners. Sentencing takes place on July 11th. Also, what happene...

Black Americans could be the deciding vote this election year. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are making their case to court black voters, but are their messages breaking through? Justin sits down with Charlamagne Tha God, one of the most influential radio broadcasters in the US whose show has become a campaign stop for presidential candidates. As the author of the new title ‘Get Honest or Die Ly...

Former President Donald Trump is now the first former US president to be criminally convicted. The historic verdict has drawn Americasters from all over the world to send in their burning questions: Could the fallout trigger civil unrest? Is Trump’s status causing Republicans to think twice about supporting him? Marianna and Anthony tackle all these questions and more in this special edition of Am...

The Libertarian Party is known for being unconventional in US politics. But could it have an outsized influence in who wins the Oval Office this election year? Americast sits down with Chase Oliver, the man who beat both Trump and RFK Jr for his party’s 2024 nomination. But what does he and his party believe in? Could he make it all the way to the top? And will he give the BBC his first interview...

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his historic criminal trial in New York. He called the verdict a “disgrace” and maintained his innocence - the sentencing happens on 11 July. HOST: * Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent GUESTS: * Kayla Epstein, BBC reporter covering the trial in New York * Madeline Halpert, BBC reporter covering the trial i...

Arguments are taking place inside (and outside) the courtroom. Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its sixth week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. After hearing closing arguments from the prosecutors and defence, jurors in Donald Trump's historic criminal trial will begin their deliberations. The 12 New Yorkers must re...

Last week, Donald and Melania Trump attended Barron Trump's high school graduation ceremony in West Palm Beach, Florida. Melania has been largely absent so far from the campaign trail. Is that likely to change in the coming months? Americasters have also been in touch about candidates who could run in the 2028 presidential election. Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likely to be one of them? Plus, we an...

Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its sixth week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels. This week, there was a moment of chaos when Justice Merchan ordered the jury out of the courtroom to admonish de...

With both candidates gearing up for the first presidential debate and national party conventions, the Americast team takes a step back to look at where the race stands now. Justin Webb and Sarah Smith give their analysis on recent polling and ask whether the Biden camp should be worried, and how polls could influence the next six months. Also, the Trump campaign reposted a video this week which re...

The team regroup to make more predictions about possible candidates for the Democrats and Republicans in 2028. We also take stock of foreign influence operations ahead of the upcoming US election. What has the US learnt since the last election? Plus, Ivanka Trump played an influential role in her father’s first administration, but she’s since disappeared from the public eye. Could she reappear in...

Donald Trump’s former lawyer takes the stand. Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its fourth week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels. This week, the man at the centre of those allegations - Michael C...

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have made plans for two televised election debates. But who benefits? And, crucially, who has more to lose? Justin Webb, Anthony Zurcher and Marianna Spring look into the drama behind the announcement, and the strategy of holding the first debate in just six weeks’ time. Also, should independent candidate RFK Jr - Robert F Kennedy - also be allowed to take part? And, spe...

Americanswers is back and this week we take a look at presidential term limits. Joe Biden once said he wanted to be viewed as a “bridge” to the next generation in 2020. But did he ever commit to one term in office? Meanwhile, Donald Trump once praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for getting rid of their two-term limits. The team assesses whether Trump would have the ability to follow suit. And, s...

The former U.S. President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its third week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels. Sarah and Anthony are joined by the BBC’s US reporter, Kayla Epstein - who’s been in court every day - to...

JFK’s nephew is taking on Biden and Trump as an independent. He’s a big outsider but his high polling numbers are worrying the main parties, who fear that his bi-partisan policies could steal votes. Sarah, Anthony and Marianna talk about who RFK Jr is, why he’s running, and if he lives up to his reputation as one of America’s most famous conspiracy theorists. And they get to the bottom of how he c...

Americanswers is back and we take a deep dive into Joe Biden’s TikTok account and the type of content his campaign is prioritising to win over young voters. A vice presidential hopeful has revealed she killed her dog due to behavioural issues. Will the admission end her chances of being Donald Trump’s running mate? And, Kamala Harris has been given a new nickname by a daytime television host. Who...

Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its second week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels. Americast is launching a new mini series to break down what’s happening in the courtroom over the six-week crim...

Response to student protests across the US have escalated to violence this week, with students clashing, and arrests now exceeding 1,000. We hear from students and BBC colleagues from across the States. And the Americast team speaks to Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, about how universities are responding to protests. HOSTS: • Justin Webb,...

Following the start of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, we answer your questions on how Joe Biden could handle his main challenger’s legal woes. And, Democrats are worried about the threat posed by Robert F Kennedy's Jr's run for office. But could Kennedy's campaign also be a threat to Donald Trump? We assess his chances and take look at another less conventional third-party candidate. H...