Americast

Trump's new plan for America's top universities

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a new deal on the table for universities in America. After months of fighting with the Trump administration over funding cuts, free speech an...

Can Trump turn a Gaza ceasefire into a lasting peace deal?

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There was an extraordinary moment at the White House on Wednesday when, in front of reporters, secretary of state Marco Rubio handed Donald Trump a no...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Chicago really a ‘war zone’?

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump’s mission to target Democrat-led cities has expanded to Illinois after the Texan National Guard arrived on Tuesday at an army base near...

Why is Trump blowing up Venezuelan "drug boats"?

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we look at some of the stories “under the radar”, away from the main news headlines in the United States. Why is the Tr...

Will the Democrats’ shutdown gamble pay off?

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US federal government has shut down for the first time since 2018, and with it the suspension of all non-essential services and the threat of mass...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! What next after US government shutdown?

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In another extraordinary week in U.S politics, the US government has shut down for the first time in almost seven years after members of Congress fail...

Trump vs Comey (and the city of Portland)

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It started with a Truth Social post from the president, calling for a handful of his critics to be prosecuted, one of those targeted was the former FB...

Is America's health secretary RFK Jr a danger to public health?

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Monday’s White House announcement made headlines worldwide when Donald Trump - flanked by his health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior - said takin...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Can we trust what Donald Trump says about Ukraine?

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump’s appearance at the United Nations was a clear - and at times stark - outline of his global vision, often involving sharp attacks again...

MAGA’s “righteous fury” at Charlie Kirk’s memorial

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justin and Anthony unpack the memorial service held yesterday in Glendale, Arizona for the conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earl...

Has Trump cancelled Jimmy Kimmel over Charlie Kirk?

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has finished his state visit to the UK and it ended with a joint press conference with the British PM Keir Starmer. What did the two lea...

What does Donald Trump want from his UK state visit?

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As King Charles welcomes Donald Trump to Windsor, England for the US president’s second state visit to the UK, what should we be expecting from the ...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Who is Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer?

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do we know, and not know, about Tyler Robinson - the 22 year old man who has become the main suspect in the shooting of the conservative activist...

Charlie Kirk's killing: A dangerous moment for America?

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Kirk, the right-wing influencer and trusted ally of Donald Trump has been shot dead while speaking with students at a university in Utah.Kirk ...

How could a young Ukrainian's killing change the U.S?

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday Decarlos Brown Jr was arrested and charged with first-degree murder over the unprovoked attack on Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, N...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! “Chipocalypse Now”… has Trump declared war on Chicago?

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"I love the smell of deportations in the morning..." It was those words, posted alongside a mock-up of Donald Trump dressed as Lieutenant Kilgore from...

Will Epstein's victims force Trump to release more files?

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in over six years, victims of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came together in DC this week, claiming the US government has not pu...

Why is Trump targeting America's most powerful bank?

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For some time Donald Trump has been taking shots at the Federal Reserve. It's America's central bank and the institution that decides on interest rate...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Why did the internet think Trump was dead?

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend rumours were swirling on social media that the president was dead. Marianna and Sumi join Matt Chorley on 5 Live to look at how the u...

Will the Democrats go "dark woke" to take on Trump?

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sharing AI-generated images of himself riding a horse, waving a giant flag, inserting his face on Mount Rushmore...sound familiar?If you're California...

Americanswers! Is Donald Trump behaving like a 'dictator'?

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to cause problems for the Trump administration, and in today’s listener Q&A, the team delve into whether n...

Is Donald Trump losing his Latino base?

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest stories of last year’s presidential election was Donald Trump’s success with Latino voters which led him to win crucial swing s...

Americanswers! Has Donald Trump really stopped six (or seven) wars?

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fresh off the back of Monday’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S could offer Ukraine some form of security gu...

What did Trump offer Zelensky after their Oval Office meeting?

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Straight off the back of the Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump hosted Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House as he pushes for an end to t...

What happened when Trump met Putin in Alaska?

16 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The first face to face meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin since the war in Ukraine started is over, with Donald Trump saying “we didn’...

Inside Trump’s meeting with Putin… Americast is in Alaska!

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, Donald Trump has said that “in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal ...

What's really behind Trump's crime crackdown?

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is really behind Donald Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Washington DC, and what could it mean for other states in America? As ...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Why is Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to Washington DC?

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Washington D.C. has been "taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals”. That was Donald Trump’s claim at this morning’s press confere...

Why are Texan Democrats on the run?

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Monday: “There are no rules anymore, apparently,” as he stood alongside the Democrat lawmakers who fled Texa...

Why has RFK Jr pulled $500m of mRNA vaccine funding?

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has cancelled 22 projects - worth $500m (£376m) in funding – for tackling infections such as Covid and flu....

BONUS EPISODE: Newscast and Americast live from the Edinburgh Fringe

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Newscast joined forces with Americast for an episode live from the Edinburgh fringe recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe in front of a live audienc...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why has Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad sparked a race debate?

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s Q&A, why is Donald Trump personally endorsing a jeans advert with Sydney Sweeney? The US president calls it a ‘fantastic’ ad ...

Trump v Murdoch: Who will win?

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch have had a tumultuous relationship over the decades, but increasingly tensions have threatened to boil over. Following...

Will Trump stand firm on his tariff deadlines?

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has said he’s holding firm strong on his deadline this Friday for tariffs to go into effect on nations that do not come to new trade...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Trump hosts Starmer at his Scottish golf resort

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It was a wide-ranging and lengthy press conference between Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump’s luxury golf resort in Turnberr...

Donald Trump vs The Wall Street Journal

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since returning to office Donald Trump has followed a familiar playbook when confronted with unfavourable stories in the press, often ending in a larg...

Donald Trump’s mid-year review

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve now witnessed six months of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In that time he's dominated the world's media and international h...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Trump a better friend to Britain than Biden?

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Trump heads to the UK this week in an unprecedented second state visit, the Americast team discuss whether the historic ‘special relationship’ ...

Is Trump taking advice from his wife Melania on Ukraine?

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a significant change in how Donald Trump has been speaking about Vladimir Putin and today on Americast, we look at what that could mean...

Why can’t Donald Trump shake off the Epstein Files?

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is trying to move on and dismiss the growing backlash within his own party over the refusal to release further information related to the...

Donald Trump's BBC interview in full and the story behind it

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Fleming from Newscast speaks to the BBC's Chief North America Correspondent Gary O'Donoghue about his exclusive interview with Donald Trump. It ...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why has Trump changed his mind on Ukraine?

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte have made a statement at the White House to [INSERT DETAILS HERE]. We answer your ques...

Trump’s NEW tariff threats.. should we take them seriously?

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There were big promises of deals being struck around the world after Donald Trump announced his “reciprocal” tariffs back in April. But those prom...

Jeffrey Epstein is causing a Trump-MAGA rift

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is under pressure from sections of his MAGA-supporting base after a Justice Department memo released on Monday said there was no 'client ...

Americanswers… did Trump’s funding cuts contribute to Texas floods deaths?

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justin, Anthony and Marianna answer your questions on the devastating flash floods in Texas, which have killed tens of people, including children at a...

Is Trump deporting record numbers of migrants?

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to target illegal immigrants that were the ‘worst of the worst’ with strict deportation enforcements....

Why has Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million over a CBS interview?

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the latest instalment of Donald Trump's battle with the U.S. media, Paramount - the parent company of CBS News - has agreed to pay $16 million to D...

Americanswers! Has the Supreme Court made Trump more powerful than ever?

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We answer your questions on Americanswers. Donald Trump suggested this week that the Supreme Court ruling on birth right citizenship is a victory fo...

Is Zohran Mamdani the Democrats' new secret weapon?

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why has a mayoral race in New York sparked conversations across America about the future of the Democratic party, and the state of politics in the Uni...

Has a Pentagon leak shattered Trump’s claims on Iran?

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has aimed his fury at the media after a Pentagon report was leaked to the press claiming that the US strikes on Iran only set back the co...

Americanswers… Has Trump triggered all out war in the Middle East?

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What has Donald Trump started in the Middle East after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend? He also seemingly changed his positi...

​​Newscast: The US Bombs Iranian Nuclear Sites

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

​​Today we look at the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. ​​ ​​Donald Trump told Tehran to "make peace" or face "far greater" attacks i...

Why Trump’s Iran decision is splitting the Republican party

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the world waits for Donald Trump’s decison on whether to join Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear sites, he is quickly losing support from his ow...

Is Donald Trump about to put the US at war with Iran?

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is considering how far the United States should go in joining Israel’s attacks on Iran. Sarah and Anthony - who were both at the G7 sum...

Americanswers… On 5 Live! Can Donald Trump stop the war between Israel and Iran?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop all wars.” Donald Trump’s campaign promise from 2024, which he has repeated many times. But...

Why has RFK Jr sacked an entire US vaccine safety committee?

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

By popular demand the Americast team turn their focus on stories that have flown under the radar during the blanket coverage of the disorder in LA thi...

Did Donald Trump deliberately provoke the LA protests?

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah and Anthony are joined by Miles Taylor to discuss events in LA and to ask whether the President is deliberately stoking protest for political en...

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Why has Donald Trump sent the National Guard to protests in LA?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has defended his decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles despite criticism from Democrats and California officials. The US ...

Elon Musk says Donald Trump is "in the Epstein files”

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did one of the most powerful alliances in American politics blow up? The falling out between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has been playing out very ...

Why has Trump imposed a new travel ban and who’s on the list?

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US president Donald Trump has imposed a full travel ban on 12 countries mainly in Africa and the Middle East, following through on a promise made ...

Elon Musk trashes Donald Trump's big tax bill

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is causing a rift with Elon Musk after the Tesla founder labelled it a "disgusting abomination". If passed, it ...

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Who controls Donald Trump's Truth Social account?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump founded Truth Social in 2022 after he was banned from major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But is the president the so...

Have Trump's tariff dreams been shattered?

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a chaotic day in the United States.This morning, we heard the news that a court in the US has blocked Donald Trump’s tariffs.Later this ...

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Is the Trump-Musk bromance now over?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk says he’s 'disappointed' by Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax bill, marking a break from the US president who he helped to win re-electi...

Why did Trump ambush the South African president?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa went to the White House in hope of a ‘reset’ with the USA on trade and asylum laws. What he got was a cho...

How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' change America?

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's ‘one big beautiful bill’ looks set to be his defining piece of legislation for his second term, if he can get it through Congress. ...

Americanswers! Why is Biden’s cancer diagnosis prompting new questions?

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anthony, Marianna and Justin discuss Joe Biden’s announcement that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They also talk about the political ...

We speak to CNN's Jake Tapper on the “cover-up” behind Joe Biden’s decline

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The fallout from Joe Biden’s failed presidential campaign continues with a new book that accuses senior White House figures of covering up the forme...

What is RFK doing for the health of Americans?

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Testifying in front of Congress is often a bruising process for lawmakers, and Wednesday’s hearing was no exception for Health Secretary Robert F. K...

Is Trump's free plane a gift too far for Republicans?

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Donald Trump’s first major trip in his second term as president and he’s chosen to visit the Gulf in a four-day whirlwind tour. He began in...

Introducing... Diddy On Trial

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the first day of Diddy’s trial, jurors have watched a video showing him assaulting his former long-time partner, the singer Cassie.The prosecutio...

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Has China won its trade war with Trump?

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump says the US has achieved a “total reset” in relations with China after both countries agreed to reduce tariffs on each other's goods ...

We Speak To Prof Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel Laureate) On The UK/US Trade Deal…

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As more details of the trade deal between the UK and United States emerge, we get a view from the Novel prize winning economist and author, Professor ...

Who’s the real winner from the UK’s trade deal with the US?

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At a press conference inside the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump - with the British PM Keir Starmer on the phone - announced changes to tariffs ...

Joe Biden's BBC Interview

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In his first interview since leaving the White House, Joe Biden accused the Trump administration of "modern-day appeasement" in pressuring Ukraine to ...

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Are the US and Canada friends again?

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, made a high-stakes visit to the White House on Tuesday in his first meeting with Donald Trump since winnin...

Is Donald Trump losing public support?

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Donald Trump surpasses 100 days in office for the second time, new polls suggest he might not be quite as popular as he claims. Justin, Sarah, and ...

100 Days of Trump (Part 5)… Has He Redefined What It Means To Be President?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United...

100 Days of Trump (Part 4)… Has Elon Musk Changed Government Forever?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United...

100 Days of Trump (Part 3)… Who Is Welcome in America, Now?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United ...

100 Days of Trump (Part 2)… What Has He Done to the US Economy?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United...

100 Days of Trump (Part 1)… Is Trump winning his war on woke?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special Americast mini series, looking at five ways Donald Trump has changed America in his first 100 days back, as President of the United...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is the Trump/Zelensky relationship back on track?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the two leaders were reunited at Pope Francis’s funeral over the weekend, the Americast inbox has been filled with correspondence on whether T...

Signal chats, leaks, and sackings... What's going on in the Pentagon?

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s trouble in the Pentagon - again! Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump have dismissed new reports that the defence secretary sent details of confide...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Is Elon Musk being forced out of the White House?

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk says he’s stepping back from his role at DOGE and refocusing on Tesla after the electric car firm reported a huge drop in profit and sales...

How the ‘world’s coolest dictator’ is helping Trump

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justin and Sumi take a closer look into the deepening relationship between Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, as the row over th...

Can Harvard afford to fight Trump?

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has given Harvard University a long list of demands, but the university has refused to give in to them.The president has frozen $2.2bn...

Americanswers! Does Trump want to bring back the man his administration mistakenly deported?

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘If I had all the money in the world, I’d spend it all just to buy one thing: a phone call to hear Kilmar’s voice again.’ Those were the pleas...

Trump's Tariffs... Chaos or a cunning plan?

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everything has changed…again! Or has it? The team assemble after President Trump scrapped his tariff plans (for 90 days at least) and reverted for a...

Trump’s Tariffs...

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's latest wave of tariffs came into force on Wednesday only for him to announce a 90-day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries e...

Americanswers! Which news stories are being overshadowed by Trump's tariffs?

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The first US measles death in a decade, mass protests against Trump and El Salvador’s mega-jail…In today’s Q&A Anthony, Justin and Mariana s...

Is Elon Musk leaving the White House?

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There was a bright spot for Democrats this week after a liberal judge beat her conservative rival in the most expensive judicial election in US histor...

Will Trump’s tariffs start a global trade war?

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has announced sweeping new universal tariffs tonight on all imports into the United States. Justin, Sarah and Anthony unpack the U.S. pr...

Americanswers…on 5 Live! Could Trump run for a third term?

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘A lot of people want me to do it’ was Donald Trump’s answer when asked in an NBC interview on Saturday if he wanted to serve a third term as US...

Will US-Canada relations ever be the same again?

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump announced this week 25% tariffs on US car imports, a move that will impact neighbours Mexico and Canada. Canadian prime minister Mark Car...

We speak to the journalist behind Signalgate

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The journalist who was inadvertently included in a group chat among Trump’s senior cabinet leaders and national security officials tells Sarah Smith...

Can Donald Trump shrug off the Signal chat leak?

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What constitutes a ‘war plan’ and when is information ‘classified’? After the revelation that the editor of The Atlantic was included in a sen...

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why does Trump want to shut down the Education Department?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Americanswers! Sarah, Anthony and Marianna join Matt Chorley from 5 Live to answer your questions. Today, can Donald Trump dismantle the Depa...

The Trump Comeback... Michael Wolff’s Inside Story

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did Donald Trump get close to Elon Musk? What is the story behind his relationship with Melania, and how did Trump get re-elected against all the ...

Is Donald Trump ready to defy the courts?

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. President is setting up a major showdown with America’s judicial system. Sarah and Justin pick apart claims that Donald Trump defied a cou...