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

Americast

BBC

Politics, Government, News

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As Trump heads to the UK this week in an unprecedented second state visit, the Americast team discuss whether the historic ‘special relationship’ between the UK and USA is better than ever - and what to look out for ahead of the president’s trip to Scotland.

The team also unpack why the Epstein files are continuing to divide Trump from his MAGA base, and whether or not Elon Musk’s much-anticipated America Party really could change the face of American politics.

And as England and Wales move to lower the voting age to 16, the team predict the political outcomes of more Gen Z voters taking to the American ballot box.

Matt Chorley is joined by the full roster of Americast experts on 5 Live this week, to answer your questions on the week’s biggest stories.

HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, 5 Live presenter • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent

GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Tim Walklate and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now 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.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm Radical: BBC Sounds - Radical with Amol Rajan - Available Episodes

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, AmeriCasters. I've got a question for you. What do you really think about AmeriCast?
0:04.5	The team at the worldwide headquarters are doing some research to find out what you like and indeed what you don't like.
0:11.7	So if you want to help shape the future of the podcast, you can answer some questions.
0:16.0	The link is in the description.
0:18.3	And if you want to type it into your browser you can do that as well.
0:21.6	It's b.it.l. That is bit.l. And then forward slash Americast Feedback, all one word.
0:29.5	Bit.ly. forward slash Americast Feedback or one word. But now though, time for another episode.
0:36.7	BBC Sounds. Music, radio, podcasts.
0:40.2	Hello, this was a bit of a treat for us, because all four of the Ameriast team, for the first time at ages, were reunited with Matt Charlie for our live edition of American Answers that went out on Five Live on Monday afternoon.
0:53.4	We talked about all the big stories that are
0:55.9	going on this week, the Epstein saga that's causing Donald Trump so many political problems
1:01.8	with his own MAGA base. Whether or not UK-US relations are actually warmer and more friendly
1:08.9	now that Donald Trump is in the White House than when
1:11.4	Joe Biden was there. And we surmise what might happen in American elections if 16 and 17-year-olds
1:18.1	were allowed to vote here the way they're going to be in the UK. So that's all coming up and more
1:23.2	on this episode of AmeriCansors.
1:28.0	AmeriCast. AmeriCast.
1:28.8	AmeriCast from BBC News.
1:31.1	You're gambling with the lives of millions of people.
1:33.9	You're gambling with World War III.
1:36.2	President Trump's message is very simple.
1:38.2	We are done being taken advantage of.
	...

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