Americast

Americast Podcast

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 social media investigation correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher. As well as political analysis, we also specialise in social media. Each week Marianna Spring brings listeners the latest updates from the BBC’s Undercover Voters, our award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. The team is also joined by special guests each week, like CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, Emmy Award-winning TV host, Rachel Maddow, and Succession actress, J Smith-Cameron. Podcasts are published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As well as being a podcast, we are also available every Friday on BBC Radio 4 and every Saturday on the BBC World Service. Oh, and you can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say ‘”Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. Every Monday we answer your questions on Americanswers, with some help from our friends, including BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with us on email at Americast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

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Episodes

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The Supreme Court stops Donald Trump changing voting rules... for now

16 Sep 2026
645-

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Donald Trump the only regulation AI needs?

This episode of AmeriCast explores Donald Trump's recent stance on AI regulation, where he opposes oversight to maintain American leadership against China, despite warnings from industry leaders and figures like Bernie Sanders. The discussion also covers Trump's unexpected comments on Irish unification and addresses conspiracy theories surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell's health. The conversation further examines the political implications of Trump's $5,000 election promise, the impact of AI data centers on rural communities, and the potential economic consequences for the U.S. stock market if AI development faces volatility or legislative slowdown.

14 Sep 2026
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Will Trump’s $5,000 offer convince US voters?

O episódio analisa a estratégia de Donald Trump para as eleições de meio de mandato, com foco em sua promessa de distribuir 5.000 dólares por cidadão caso os Republicanos mantenham o controle do Congresso e o impacto de sua presença em estados como Texas e Maine. A discussão aborda também as repercussões das políticas externas de Trump e a influência de figuras como John Fetterman no cenário eleitoral. Além disso, o programa explora as consequências das eleições para o futuro dos partidos Democrata e Republicano, tratando da sucessão política, do papel de J.D. Vance e do uso político do legado de Charlie Kirk nos discursos conservadores.

11 Sep 2026
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Is 9/11 still shaping America?

Este episódio explora as controvérsias em torno da participação do prefeito de Nova York, Zoran Mamdani, nas cerimónias de 25º aniversário do 11 de setembro, analisando o impacto das visões políticas na memória do evento. O debate aborda também o contraste entre a unidade nacional da era Bush e a desensibilização atual às imagens de violência. Através do relato de Peter Bergen sobre sua entrevista com Osama bin Laden, discutem-se as consequências das guerras no Afeganistão e Iraque, a retirada unilateral dos EUA e os desafios éticos e legais no combate ao terrorismo, refletindo sobre como o legado do 11 de setembro continua a moldar a segurança global.

09 Sep 2026
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Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why is Lindsay Clancy’s mistrial dividing America?

Este episódio do AmeriCast aborda as tentativas de Donald Trump de limitar o voto por correio nos EUA e discute as qualificações de Jared Kushner para a diplomacia internacional. O programa também explora o impacto das teorias da conspiração nas redes sociais no caso Lindsay Clancy, a polêmica em torno dos novos uniformes da Space Force e a expansão de redes de vigilância em Houston.

07 Sep 2026