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Americast

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…

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How will Trump’s former personal lawyer run the US justice department?

Attorney General Todd Blanche won’t pledge to act “independently” from the White House during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. Trump’s former personal attorney said no attorney general should ever “pledge” to act independently from the White House, but assured the public that the president would never ask to do “something illegal”. Blanche’s comments have sparked a debate over the extent to…

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Who is Trump aide Natalie Harp… and why are Democrats targeting her?

Will Donald Trump be forever dogged by his war with Iran and could it come to define his legacy? And, who is Donald Trump’s executive assistant Natalie Harp, and why are Democrats suddenly talking about her? A speech by Georgia senator John Ossoff has caught attention after he accused the president of not wanting “to do the job” and instead “travel with Natalie” on Air Force One. It’s thrust…

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Americanswers! Is Iran really trying to kill Trump, and why is he threatening to bomb Oman?

Why was Donald Trump smuggled off Air Force One following a NATO summit in Turkey at the end of last week, and how credible is the president’s claim that he is Iran’s “number one target”? On this week’s Americanswers, Justin, Sarah and Marianna look at the ruse which led White House reporters to believe that Donald Trump was aboard Air Force One before discovering that he had been secretly hidden…

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Is AOC ready to run for president?

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laying the groundwork for a run for president in 2028? And would the Democrats really pick her as a nominee? This week AOC has been back making headlines with comments over freezing her eggs, distancing herself from the so-called “woke 1” era of Democratic politics and hinting at a future run for the White House. Speculation of a future presidential run has raised a…

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Has Trump lost ‘Make America Healthy Again’ voters?

Why does Donald Trump want to limit childhood vaccines, and does it risk alienating voters in key districts ahead of the midterm elections? On Monday, Donald Trump signed a new executive order from the Oval Office that calls for fewer childhood vaccines and also recommends splitting the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) shots. He criticized vaccines for children that were “the size of a soda…

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Americanswers... on 5 Live! Will Trump's new challenge to birthright citizenship work?

Donald Trump isn’t giving up on his plans to limit birthright citizenship in the US, despite the Supreme Court striking down his previous attempt. He says his administration is making ‘adjustments’, and has issues two new executive orders to combat so-called ‘birth tourism’ and limit the criteria for becoming an American citizen. But what exactly is his new strategy? And a federal appeals court…

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Why the Democrats may never be the same again

Could Abdul El-Sayed’s left-wing victory in Michigan cause the Democrat party to split? Democrats are contemplating whether its left-wing candidates are capable of beating Trump-backed Republicans in the midterms and beyond. El-Sayed was not backed by many senior figures in the Democratic party, and has already been labelled a communist and the most radical candidate ever by Republicans. What does…

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What the Reflecting Pool tells us about Trump’s presidency

Why has one of Washington DC’s most famous landmarks become symbolic of the Trump presidency? The renovation and subsequent damage to the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC gives an insight into Donald Trump’s second term as president and the team that surrounds him. For months the president has claimed that vandalism was responsible for damage to the monument he wanted…

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Americanswers… on 5 Live! Can Trump save FIFA boss Gianni Infantino?

Will the US president intervene to help Gianni Infantino who is facing calls to step down as head of FIFA, football’s world governing body? In this episode, Marianna, Anthony and Justin join Matt Chorley on 5 Live to answer your questions. We also discuss why Republicans are targeting Trump’s former Chief Medical Adviser, Anthony Fauci, who was the public face of the US fight against Covid, and…

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Introducing Top Comment... The vigilante streamers destroying reputations

From chasing pickpockets to unmasking predators, vigilantism has become one of the biggest trends on social media. On this episode Matt and Marianna discuss how the age of streaming has added a new layer of risk to content like this, with the potential for devastating consequences including reputational damage and even legal repercussions. Also this week, as national media fangirls over Andy…

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The Democrats need to win Michigan… so why is it splitting the party?

The Democrats almost certainly need to win the Senate race in Michigan if they are to take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections but picking a candidate is exposing a stark choice for the party. Next week party members in the state will decide between a left wing candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a centrist candidate backed by establishment…

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Could a conspiracy theorist change the MAGA view on Ukraine?

One of Donald Trump’s favourite right wing influencers, Laura Loomer, had been a vocal critic of US support for Ukraine, but after a complete U-turn, we ask whether MAGA is softening on support for the country. We also discuss whether this is Loomer auditioning for a job in the president's team. She did the Zelensky interview soon after the death of Republican senator and Ukraine supporter Lindsey…

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