Americanswers! Why is Biden’s cancer diagnosis prompting new questions?
Americast
BBC
4.2 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2025
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Anthony, Marianna and Justin discuss Joe Biden’s announcement that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They also talk about the political reaction, including US Vice President JD Vance who says Biden and his staff should have been more transparent about the former president’s health whilst in office. They also analyse some MAGA rumours over whether Joe Biden hid his cancer diagnosis, and what this means for the Democratic hopefuls of the future.
Plus, the team unpack the backlash to the former FBI Director James Comey’s picture of seashells on a beach - a post that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said called “for the assassination of President Trump".
And Anthony enters a new word in his A-Z of Zurcherisms…
HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent
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This episode was made by Rufus Gray 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 | We're recording this on Monday afternoon UK time. Donald Trump's having a phone call with Vladimir Putin at around the time that we're recording it. So, cleverly, we're not going to talk about that. We're going to wait until we actually know something about it in order to talk about it. So that will be later in the week. We don't have Matt Chorley this week, but we're going to answer your questions as usual. |
| 0:25.6 | So questions about, for instance, Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis, Donald Trump's plea to stop |
| 0:31.4 | talking and get it done on his package of spending cuts and tax breaks. Actually, something we |
| 0:36.8 | probably should have covered a bit more in recent weeks. |
| 0:39.3 | But there has been so much, hasn't there? |
| 0:41.4 | Plus, the conspiracy theories around the former FBI director, James Comey's picture of seashells on a beach. |
| 0:48.9 | Mariana will have plenty to say about that. |
| 0:51.1 | Welcome to America Answers. |
| 0:55.4 | AmeriCast. AmeriCast from BBC News. |
| 0:58.5 | God spared my life for a reason. |
| 1:01.9 | Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. |
| 1:06.2 | A star is born, Elon. |
| 1:08.1 | I'm not just MAGA. I'm dark Gothic MAGA. |
| 1:11.6 | This is what happens when the machine comes after you. |
| 1:14.6 | I'm terrified for this country and I'm so hurt that America let this happen. |
| 1:18.6 | I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America. |
| 1:38.3 | Hello is Justin at home in South London in rather chaotic circumstances because I'm in a room with my puppy as well, of whom we may hear more later or hopefully we don't. |
| 1:42.9 | I feel like everyone should describe themselves as being in rather chaotic circumstances. |
| 1:47.0 | No doubt. |
| 1:48.0 | It's Mariana, aka Misinformation, in the worldwide headquarters of AmeriCast in London. |
| 1:53.0 | And it's Anthony. I'm back home in Arlington, Virginia, after my travels to the mid-east last week. |
| 1:58.0 | You were in chaotic circumstances. |
... |
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