Americanswers... on 5 Live! Donald Trump vs Pope Leo on Iran
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 April 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
President Trump has become entangled in a very public row with Pope Leo XIV, who has been critical of the US war with Iran. The US president has slammed the pope for being “weak” on crime and “terrible” at foreign policy, whilst also posting a picture of himself as Jesus (this post has been taken down from social media since we recorded the episode). Sarah, Anthony and Marianna join Matt Chorley to discuss the Pope’s response, and where this leaves the US president and those who voted for him. Also, how will Trump’s criticism of the pontiff affect his standing with the wider American public? We also answer your questions on Melania Trip’s surprise statement about the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, why the Trump administration will be disappointed by the ousting of Viktor Orban in Hungary’s elections, the legality of a US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump’s huge rant against some of America’s biggest MAGA influencers.
HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent • Matt Chorley, 5 Live Presenter
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This episode was made by Alix Pickles and Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts |
| 0:04.5 | Newscast is on the face of it, a podcast about the news. |
| 0:11.2 | But it's also perhaps the world's most athletic podcast, |
| 0:14.0 | we have BBC correspondents dashing in and out, |
| 0:16.3 | ready to give us a deeper understanding of the biggest stories of the day. |
| 0:19.9 | Thankfully, we let them catch their breath before we actually start recording the podcast. |
| 0:24.2 | Listen to newscast every day on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:27.8 | As we answer your questions, as we usually do on a Monday, we have got a lot to get through |
| 0:32.4 | and a lot to catch up on. We've got President Trump in a very public route with the Pope, whom he's been insulting |
| 0:38.9 | and the Pope has responded, saying that he's going to carry on speaking out against the war in Iran. |
| 0:45.0 | We've got questions about why on earth Melania Trump chose to make a statement about her and her |
| 0:50.9 | relationship with Jeffrey Epstein that just propelled that story right to the top of |
| 0:54.9 | the headlines when frankly nobody had really been talking about it before she spoke out. |
| 1:00.0 | We'll ask how far Donald Trump might go with his threat to blockade the strait of Hormuz |
| 1:05.0 | and why Victor Orban's defeat in the Hungary elections really does actually matter to Donald Trump and to his MAGA movement. |
| 1:13.1 | Today you've got Anthony, Mariana and me, Sarah, talking to Matt Charlie on Five Live. |
| 1:17.5 | Welcome to Ameriast. |
| 1:21.2 | Ameriast. |
| 1:21.9 | Ameriast from BBC News. |
| 1:24.3 | You hear that sound? |
| 1:25.4 | Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money. |
| 1:29.1 | We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. |
... |
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