Insight and analysis on what's happening inside Donald Trump's White House. Episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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.
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 watch us on YouTube and on iPlayer: https://bbc.in/4j3DjKy.
Also, you can 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.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Did Trump really say Iran could “take out” Los Angeles?
The president has started a war of words with California Governor Gavin Newsom after saying that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. Trump made the comments
Oct 7 25 min
Americanswers…Will Christa Pike still face the death penalty after surviving two lethal injection doses?
How has the botched execution of a woman convicted of murder in Tennessee 30 years ago prompted a debate about the death penalty in the US? Marianna, Sumi and Anthony ans
Oct 5 37 min
Can the Democratic Socialists of America win over voters?
Abolish ICE? Abolish borders, No prisons? The co-chair of the DSA speaks to us about what the party really stands for and whether they can persuade undecided Americans to
Oct 2 32 min
Do Republicans need to ditch Trump before the midterms?
Is Donald Trump now more of an electoral hindrance than a help, even in his home state of Florida, where one candidate has talked down his links with the US president. In
Sep 30 29 min
Americanswers! Why don't the Democrats have a new leader yet?
Ahead of November’s midterm elections, are we any closer to knowing who might lead the Democrats into the 2028 presidential election?
Americanswers is back answering you
Sep 28 28 min
Has Trump’s ban against the media backfired?
The US president has lost his court battle with CNN, Politico and MS NOW in the latest battle between Donald Trump and the media. What did the judge say and what happens
Sep 25 34 min
Did Trump's UN speech convince voters on Iran?
Americast is in New York as Donald Trump tells world leaders he could “annihilate” Iran, whilst also - behind the scenes - talking up the progress of peace talks between
Sep 23 21 min
Americanswers… Why has Denmark made a deal with Trump over Greenland?
What do we know about Denmark’s new deal with the US president over Greenland, and has Donald Trump actually got what he wants out of it? Sarah, Anthony and Marianna answ
Sep 21 34 min
US v China: The AI race
We speak to a US-China tech expert who served under presidents Biden and Trump about America’s race with China to develop Artificial Intelligence. Does he agree with pres
Sep 18 38 min
The Supreme Court stops Donald Trump changing voting rules... for now
The US president has lashed out at the US Supreme Court for blocking his plans to end the right for all Americans to vote by mail in elections. But will Donald Trump find
Sep 16 29 min
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Donald Trump the only regulation AI needs?
The president is pushing back against calls from tech bosses to slow down the development of artificial intelligence. After claiming “whoever wins AI, wins” can Trump con
Sep 14 31 min
Will Trump’s $5,000 offer convince US voters?
President Trump made the pledge at the Republicans' first ever midterm convention, promising every adult American a $5,000 payment if his party wins both chambers of Cong
Sep 11 34 min
Is 9/11 still shaping America?
The journalist Peter Bergen also talks to us about meeting Osama Bin Laden before 9/11, and what happened during that interview.
In this episode, Justin, Sumi and Maria
Sep 9 38 min
Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why is Lindsay Clancy’s mistrial dividing America?
And will Trump’s attempts to limit mail-in voting at the US Supreme Court succeed? The US president has made an urgent appeal, trying to change the rules over who can and
Sep 7 22 min
An insider's account of Trump's White House
The reporter Jonathan Swan gained unprecedented access to the inner workings of Donald Trump’s White House in the first year of his second administration. Who were the ma
Sep 4 35 min
Has Pete Hegseth lost control of the Pentagon?
Why is the US military losing its senior leaders? In the latest in a series of high-profile departures inside the Pentagon, America’s top civilian official Dan Driscoll h
Sep 2 30 min
Americanswers! Could Zohran Mamdani serve in a Democrat White House?
Americanswers is back for a bank holiday special and this week we're answering the questions you've always wanted to ask on American politics!
For example, Zohran Mamda
Aug 31 28 min
Are polls misleading Americans?
In several primary elections so far, polling has been wrong. So much so that a candidate in the Wisconsin Democratic primary dropped out because another candidate so high
Aug 28 31 min
Canada tests the limits of Trump’s power
The trade war between the US and Canada has escalated after Canadian prime minister Mark Carney walked away from negotiations to cut a new trade deal with the US and decl
Aug 26 35 min
Americanswers! Are the US and Canada in an all-out trade war?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says "we cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they've asked,” after trade negotiations with the US broke down
Aug 24 30 min
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Position in the Politics chart (US), last 90 days.
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all-time peak
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days in the top 100 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Americast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 8, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I fell into Americast because I’ve enjoyed Marianna Springs’ other podcasts, and I truth the BBC more than just about any news-source here in the US.
I’ll be honest, I’m a conservative, but one with a grave distrust of certain newer influences in the Republican Party. Suffice to say, I withdrew from GOP in 2016. Let the reader understand.
This is a nice, concise capping of events here in the US, by people who are largely not invested in this me side over the other. As a result, it’s very balanced and I feel like I’m being given information I can use to do my own research.
The Nameless Twin · Dec 2024
I so look forward to each episode of Americast. I love your perspective and humor. You help us Americans not to take ourselves so seriously while delivering accurate reporting. Please don't stop after the election!
gmaknu · Nov 2024
I appreciate America’s for it’s unbiased take on American elections. However Justin seems to be lagging behind current events sometimes. In the most recent episodes he made the claim that Kamala Harris hasn’t been doing interviews, which is not a fair criticism considering that she has been doing tons. She had an interview with Oprah, has one coming up 60 minutes, her interview on the All the Smoke Podcast was a massive hit, and she’s done scores of local news and radio interviews. All in all a good podcast, but Justin, please stop putting your foot in your mouth lol
The Raging ArchBishop of Nod · Oct 2024
Really enjoy listening to this podcast. The hosts are seasoned BBC journalists with a lot of knowledge of American politics. Each week they cover the top stories at the time. They often invite guests to discuss political events and tend to stay objective, pointing out the gaffes of either of the political parties. Overall, it’s just as entertaining to listen to them as it is informative.
Refd 3422 · Oct 2023
I’m an Englishman living in The USA and have enjoyed enough of the content in this podcast to give it a weekly listen. That was the case until recently when this and many other podcasters started to speed up their audio to a point where it’s nerve wracking. No, it’s not about the playback speed we can control in the podcast app because if I slow it down to .75 then it sounds too slow and laborious. Why have so many podcasters recently decided that their audiences want to listen to the audio at a million miles per hour? I don’t get it. The world’s bonkers enough. Podcasters, CALM DOWN!
Bertie Champers · Oct 2024
Too many journalists have fallen into the laziness of punditry, both in how they discuss politics and how they train the audience to think of themselves as pundits, calling balls and strikes, as if we’re all DC-insiders. This is not a normal election and one hopes you would feel ti was your duty to educate the public on the facts of an unprecedented indictment not merely look at it through the lens of a political horserace. Mr. Webb, in particular, shamefully seemed to be a voice for the Trump supporters when he criticized the rationale behind the indictment and called it divisive. Should the US not prosecute obvious crimes? Should lawlessness become the norm so that the political horserace can continue uninterrupted? Mr. Trump pressured multiple states to send fake electors to Congress, willfully destabilizing our very system of government. The story here is the rise of a lawless autocrat who’s a coin toss away from the presidency, and the potential destruction of American democracy. Your punditry is too cute by half and out of step with the gravity of this moment.
earthlingdave · Aug 2023
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Americast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
