Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Chicago really a ‘war zone’?
Americast
BBC
4.2 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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 Chicago. Troops were sent with the blessing of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, prompting a furious response from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who called for an end to the president’s “authoritarian march”. Sarah, Anthony and Marianna unpack what’s really going on in and around Chicago, how the US president is justifying the deployment, and whether he’s breaking the law.
The federal government also remains partially shutdown, with Republicans and Democrats unable to reach a deal on spending plans. Donald Trump has threatened to withhold backdated pay for some government workers currently on furlough, while Democrats are holding out for a deal on healthcare spending. With Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, we take a look at why the Republican Party need to cut a deal for the government to re-open.
And, Donald Trump is selling ‘Trump 2028’ hats online for $50. Is the president really planning to run for a third term in office, and if he isn’t, what’s he hoping to achieve with his latest string of merchandise?
HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent
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This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. 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. |
| 0:07.2 | If you're the person always being asked, what's happening in the news? |
| 0:10.9 | You could do with a podcast wingman. |
| 0:13.3 | Newscast is just that, a little voice in your ear, |
| 0:16.5 | giving you a deeper understanding of what's going on in the world. |
| 0:19.5 | We won't even mind if you try and take the credit yourself. |
| 0:22.4 | Listen to Newscast every day on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:26.1 | Hello, it's Sarah here. Anthony, Mariana and I have just come off air with Matt Charlie, |
| 0:30.7 | where we were answering your questions as we do every week on Five Live. |
| 0:34.1 | And it is a high stakes week in America. |
| 0:36.9 | The shutdown of the federal government is still |
| 0:38.9 | not over. And we'll be answering your question on why Republican majorities in both houses of |
| 0:43.9 | Congress can't get the spending bill over the line that would allow the government to open up again. |
| 0:49.4 | National Guard troops have actually arrived in Illinois as Donald Trump is expanding his |
| 0:53.9 | targeting of democratic-led |
| 0:55.6 | cities, which he says are defying federal law and have descended into lawless war zones. And there are |
| 1:02.1 | Trump 2028 baseball caps on sale. What can we glean from this? Is it a sign that the president is |
| 1:09.8 | really planning to run for office again |
| 1:12.4 | in another three years time? Welcome to American Answers. |
| 1:18.3 | AmeriCast. AmeriCast from BBC News. When Donald Trump calls, they say yes, sir, right away, sir. |
| 1:24.7 | Happy to lick your boot, sir. We are the sickest country in the world. |
| 1:29.0 | Oh dear, are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry? |
... |
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