Will the US Supreme Court stand up to Trump?
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 February 2026
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Will Donald Trump be legally allowed to proceed with key elements of his second term agenda - such as imposing global trade tariffs, ending birthright citizenship and the right to sack heads of independent agencies? As the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of major policies from the Trump administration, we look at whether the court will stand up to Donald Trump, or further expand the power of the US presidency?
Justin and Anthony are joined by Kate Shaw, former Supreme Court clerk, and Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School. We look at how SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) has dealt with former presidents, and discuss criticism that the current makeup of SCOTUS justices are making Trump the most powerful president in US history.
HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GUEST: Kate Shaw, former Supreme Court clerk, Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast
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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Grace Reeve and Kris Jalowiecki. 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. |
| 0:07.0 | On Newscast, we are not in the business of telling you how to think. |
| 0:11.5 | We get the brightest minds from across the BBC to chat through the biggest stories. |
| 0:16.1 | You should leave feeling smarter about all the bonkers things in the news. |
| 0:19.7 | Listen to newscast every day on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:23.7 | Is America's Supreme Court? A, a body of disinterested jurists doing their job as best they can. |
| 0:30.2 | B, a bunch of lackeys doing the work of President Trump, or C, somewhere in between. |
| 0:35.8 | The court is about to announce a huge range of decisions |
| 0:40.3 | that will affect the ability of Donald Trump's White House |
| 0:44.1 | to do what it wants to do in his second term. |
| 0:47.3 | At the moment, it is fair to say that most of the decisions there have been |
| 0:51.5 | have been very much in favor of him. |
| 0:53.8 | That the Supreme Court handed the Trump Trump administration two victories today in cases involving |
| 0:58.0 | Doge, including giving an access to social security systems containing personal data on millions |
| 1:04.1 | of Americans. |
| 1:04.7 | And the Supreme Court's allowing the Trump administration to slash hundreds of millions |
| 1:08.2 | of dollars in research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, |
| 1:12.1 | equity, and inclusion efforts. |
| 1:13.3 | Six to three Supreme Court rules the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops from the U.S. |
| 1:19.2 | military can take effect. |
| 1:21.7 | Now, let's start with this USAID ruling, as you heard from my colleague Melan Rivera. |
| 1:26.7 | It's a pretty big win for the Trump |
... |
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