Politics Weekly America
Episodes
The 2024 senate race in California kicks off: Politics Weekly America podcast
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two weeks ago, the congresswoman Katie Porter announced she was running to be one of California’s two senators, despite the fact that the incumbent,...
Confidential files found with Biden’s Corvette – Politics Weekly America podcast
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, appointed a special counsel to investigate how several batches of classified documents were repor...
Can George Santos outrun his lies? Politics Weekly America
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the much-talked-about George Santos, of Long Island, New York, was sworn into office. The Democrats and even some Republicans think he shou...
Kevin McCarthy faces mutiny over speakership: Politics Weekly America podcast
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knew that this week was going to be tough for Kevin McCarthy, but not even Democrats could have hoped for such a humiliating few days for the...
Revisited … Jennifer Senior on Steve Bannon: Politics Weekly America podcast
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly America is taking a break. So this week, Jonathan Freedland revisits the conversation he had in July, with writer for The Atlantic, Je...
Revisited – Jon Ronson on Alex Jones: Politics Weekly America podcast
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly America is taking a break. So this week, Jonathan Freedland revisits the conversation he had in April with the journalist and film-mak...
Trump should face criminal charges, January 6 panel concludes: Politics Weekly America
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, the House January 6 select committee held its final meeting, voting to formally adopt the report it had been working on for the last 18 mon...
Can Republicans come back from the extreme in 2023? Politics Weekly America podcast
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As 2022 draws to a close, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Simon Rosenberg and Sarah Longwell about their predictions for how US politics will shake out i...
Why 51 is better than 50 in the Senate: Politics Weekly America podcast
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Raphael Warnock was re-elected to represent Georgia in the US Senate for the next six years. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Molly Reynolds of the Brooki...
10 years since Sandy Hook – what’s changed? Politics Weekly America special
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On 14 December it will be 10 years since the Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting, when a 20-year-old killed 20 children aged six and seven, as ...
Who’s really in charge of the House of Representatives? Politics Weekly America
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There was no red wave, but come January next year, the Republicans will officially be in control of the House of Representatives. What will they do? W...
Trump re-enters the battleground for the presidency: Politics Weekly America
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has announced his third run for president, and not all Republicans are happy about it. Not only have there been a string of midterm losse...
Trump quiet as Democrats pull off surprise boost: Politics Weekly America midterms special
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans will be wondering how polling got it so wrong. As John Fetterman wins that all-important Pennsylvania seat and Democrats keeps more seats ...
No sign of the red wave – yet: Politics Weekly America midterms special
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the votes continue to be counted, Jonathan Freedland is joined by Joan E Greve, columnist Richard Wolffe, and Chris Scott of Democracy for America,...
Pennsylvania proves the final battleground: Politics Weekly America midterms special
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a tale of two cities for Jonathan Freedland, as he attends a Donald Trump rally in Pittsburgh, where he speaks to voters who want the former pr...
The fight for blue collar voters in Ohio: Politics Weekly America midterms special
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the second episode of our special series, Jonathan Freedland travels to Youngstown, Ohio, to see who voters are more excited by in the state’s cr...
Georgia fights for democracy – Politics Weekly America Midterms Special
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Freedland travels around the state of Georgia, a state that gave Democrats the Senate at the start of 2021. He follows Stacey Abrams and Hers...
Is a red wave about to touch down on US shores? Politics Weekly America
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With less than two weeks to go before the November midterm elections, analysts are working overtime to try to predict the outcome. Will Republicans ma...
Social media giants struggle to tackle misinformation: Politics Weekly America
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jonathan Freedland and Anya van Wagtendonk look at how misinformation could affect the outcome of the midterm elections in November and how...
Why Nevada will prove crucial in November: Politics Weekly America
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is a source of worry for the Democrats coming from the west of the country – Nevada. A state previously considered pretty blue is showing some...
The man who thinks Democrats could win big in November: Politics Weekly America
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With just over a month to go until the midterm elections, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg about why he has been con...
Republicans playing the migration card: Politics Weekly America
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ana Ceballos, a political reporter for the Miami Herald, tells Jonathan Freedland about the Republican party’s attempts to dramatise the question of...
A new generation of voters empowered by Roe: Politics Weekly America
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Poppy Noor has been looking into how the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade back in June might influence midterm elections this Nove...
Why Biden blames Trump’s MAGA as a threat to democracy: Politics Weekly America
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Joe Biden delivered a landmark speech a couple of weeks ago warning that the extremism of Donald Trump’s Republican supporters now threatened ...
The Queen’s relationship with US presidents: Politics Weekly America special
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Freedland speaks to the former senior adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, Sidney Blumenthal, about some of Queen Elizabeth II’s most ...
From Today in Focus: the life and death of Queen Elizabeth II
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Queen has died aged 96 at her Scottish home of Balmoral. The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland introduces this special episode of Today in Focus, wi...
Leon Panetta on the Afghanistan withdrawal, a year on: Politics Weekly America podcast
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A year ago, American troops withdrew from Afghanistan after a 20-year war. The Taliban quickly returned to power and the country has since experienced...
Is Trump back in Murdoch’s good books? Politics Weekly America
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of July, it was reported that Fox News and other publications owned by Rupert Murdoch were starting to abandon their extensive coverage of ...
What does the future hold for Liz Cheney? Politics Weekly America
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Joan E Greve speaks to the former chair of Republican National Committee Michael Steele about the defeat of Liz Cheney in the Wyoming prima...
Democrats celebrate ‘historic’ climate bill: Politics Weekly America
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the Inflation Reduction Act heads to the House floor, many Democrats are hoping the landmark legislation to tackle the climate crisis, which passed...
A huge week for US foreign policy: Politics Weekly America
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the former US assistant secretary of state Philip Crowley about what events in Taiwan and Kabul tell us about ...
Why does an ageing Congress spell trouble for the Democrats? Politics Weekly America
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Frustration is mounting about the Democrats’ elderly incumbents, as well as a growing sense that the party is so close to losing control of at least...
Is Bannon on course to destroy democracy? Politics Weekly America
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the former White House chief strategist appears in court charged with contempt of Congress, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Jennifer Senior, of the At...
Why Republicans are backing a controversial former NFL star
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, we learned that Herschel Walker, who’s the Republican nominee for a Senate seat in Georgia, lied to his own campaign team about how many ...
Migrant deaths show Biden needs to change immigration policy: Politics Weekly America
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of June, authorities in San Antonio, Texas, opened the back of an abandoned truck to find the bodies of more than 50 migrants inside – pe...
Americans lose faith in the US supreme court: Politics Weekly America
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The US supreme court has struck down the constitutional right to an abortion, one of several landmark decisions that will affect the lives of millions...
What the January 6 hearings have told us: Politics Weekly America
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We learned this week that the public hearings held by the January 6 select committee would be extended into July. The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell tells J...
What does ‘Watergate’ teach us 50 years on?: Politics Weekly America
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
50 years ago, police in Washington DC arrested five men for breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. What followed was the...
A celebrity heart surgeon wins in Pennsylvania, what next? Politics Weekly America
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mehmet Öz is the Republican nominee for the Pennsylvania Senate race, which will take place in November. Up against him is another interesting cha...
Biden’s dilemma over supporting Ukraine: Politics Weekly America
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Joe Biden confirmed he will send more advanced rocket systems to Kyiv. As Russian troops continue their assault on the Donbas region in the...
Texas school shooting overshadows primaries: Politics Weekly America
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The killing of at least 19 schoolchildren and two teachers in the town of Uvalde on Tuesday has reignited the gun control debate in the US. Jonathan F...
Will Republicans drop the Great Replacement Theory? Politics Weekly America
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a week when a teenager shot dead 10 Black people in Buffalo New York, apparently motivated by the ‘great replacement’ theory, Jonathan Freedlan...
How senior GOP figures tried to oust Trump: Politics Weekly America podcast
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week Jonathan Freedland speaks to Jonathan Martin of the New York Times after the publication of his new book This Will Not Pass and what he and ...
Is Biden willing to go against the supreme court to save Roe v Wade? Politics Weekly America
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to a draft majority opinion published by Politico this week, the US supreme court has voted to overturn Roe v Wade in the clearest sign yet ...
Jon Ronson on the fall of Alex Jones: Politics Weekly America
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A couple of weeks ago, the far-right website InfoWars filed for bankruptcy. Its founder, Alex Jones, is facing multiple compensation claims brought by...
What caused the rise of anti-Asian hate crime in the US? Politics Weekly America
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, President Biden signed the anti-Asian hate crimes bill into law. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Prof Claire Kim of UCI about what’s behind ...
Can theatre predict 2024’s US election? Politics Weekly America
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Playwright Mike Bartlett prophesies a Donald Trump v Kamala Harris showdown against a backdrop of rolling violence
Does the White House have a communication problem? Politics Weekly America podcast
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recent reports suggest the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is leaving her role to become a political commentator. This comes after the press t...
Why are Republican Senators flirting with QAnon conspiracies? Politics Weekly America podcast
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
During the Senate confirmation hearings for Joe Biden’s nomination for Supreme Court justice, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was repeatedly asked about...
Can Ron DeSantis out-Trump Donald Trump? Politics Weekly podcast
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Florida’s governor seems to relish addressing whatever culture war is raging. He might have learned a thing or two from his former backer, Donald Tr...
Why are House Democrats leaving Congress in a midterm year? Politics Weekly America
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed Congress, thanking them for their support so far, but imploring them to do more. He spoke to Joe Biden direct...
Is Putin proving the need for Western power? Politics Weekly America
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Dr Shadi Hamid about why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spark thought for anti-imperialists who question...
Ukraine exposes fault lines in Washington: Politics Weekly America
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Retired Lt Col Alexander Vindman testified in front of Congress that he heard Donald Trump ask President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens...
Biden and the west respond to Putin’s invasion: Politics Weekly America
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a historic week for Ukraine, Europe and the world, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ivo Daalder, the former US ambassador to Nato, about how Biden is r...
Coming 25 February: Politics Weekly America
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for Politics Weekly America. Every Friday, Guardian columnist and former Washington correspondent Jonathan Freedland invites experts to help...