From Our US Correspondent
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 August 2023
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As Donald Trump prepares for a possible fourth indictment, Americast wonders if the word “unprecedented” has lost all meaning. To find out, we gather together four BBC Washington reporters past and present to talk about how US politics has changed since their tenures, swap stories of presidential interviews, and share American memories through the medium of show and tell.
HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
GUESTS: • Matt Frei, Channel 4 News presenter • Nick Bryant, ex-BBC New York 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast
Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.
This episode was made by Rufus Gray with Catherine Fusillo. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Daniel Wittenberg and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
BBC SOUNDS CHAPTERS: 2:35 – The Presidents & The Unprecedented 16:57 – Show & Tell 27:18 – The 2024 Election
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.7 | We're going to have an America's ban list |
| 0:06.4 | and there are going to be two words on it. |
| 0:07.8 | The first is unprecedented and the second is historic |
| 0:11.2 | and this is why. |
| 0:12.3 | Unprecedented. |
| 0:13.3 | Historic moment. |
| 0:14.1 | Unprecedented. |
| 0:15.1 | Unprecedented. |
| 0:15.9 | This is in modern history, perhaps all of history. |
| 0:18.4 | Unprecedented. |
| 0:19.3 | Historically unprecedented territory. |
| 0:21.5 | Uncharted territory. |
| 0:22.6 | Moment in history. |
| 0:23.6 | Truly unprecedented assault on our democracy. |
| 0:26.2 | Unprecedented in American politics. |
| 0:28.3 | Massive cliché, obviously, but the thing is, it's true |
| 0:31.8 | and it's all very well for you, Justin, |
| 0:33.3 | to say that you want a ban unprecedented in historic. |
| 0:35.4 | You come up with other words. |
| 0:36.6 | I have been through the façades. |
| 0:38.8 | There isn't anything better than unprecedented |
... |
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