Shows / American Friction
American Friction
Does what’s going on in American politics scare and bemuse you? Want to know what Trump is up to, without pulling your hair out? Then you need American Friction, the UK podcast about US politics – from the makers of Oh God, What Now? and The Bunker. Every Friday and Monday, we unpack the big issues, speak to leading experts and talk with blockbuster commentators from the United States to explain the latest news and the big issues with hosts Jacob Jarvis (ex-Newsweek), Chris Jones (Podmasters)…
Episodes
American FrictionHas Trump finally gone too far for everyone?!
Donald Trump can’t decide if he’s Jesus or a doctor - oh wait, he’s not Jesus, but Jesus is his friend, we think, it’s all a bit confusing. What on Earth is…
American FrictionHow Fox News became Trump’s state media channel
Fox News has never exactly been objective or accurate but it at least used to pretend. So why has it morphed into Trump TV? Juliet Jeske from Decoding Fox News…
American FrictionTrump vs. Himself – Is anyone more confused than the president right now?
Trump’s flip flopping, fake victories and consistent lies have left us all baffled. But is he even more confused than the rest of us? Nikki, Chris and Jarv…
American FrictionIs Tucker Carlson the next president?
Tucker Carlson is still going, gaining traction in unexpected places with his controversial opinions while appealing to the left with his stance on Israel…
American FrictionWill Donald Trump get impeached again?!
Yeah, we don’t know what to tell you – the news keeps on getting weirder. We discuss Trump’s war crime threats, the chance of him being impeached and what it…
American FrictionHow Trump and the Epstein Files broke conspiracy world
Trumpworld and the conspiracy cranks within it are splintering. What does it mean for MAGA? Conspiracy theory expert Mike Rothschild joins us to discuss. Join…
American FrictionTrump vs. Pete Hegseth – Battle of the Warmongers!
Trump has been trying to pass the buck for his disastrous war but his poll ratings are still tanking no matter what he does. Jarv and Nikki discuss the latest…
American FrictionHas Trump changed what 'America' means?
Trump loves talking about being American and saying other people or things aren’t. What does he even mean? And what should America mean, if we can be positive…
American FrictionWhy it's all going wrong for Donald Trump!
Trump is trying to backtrack on Iran as he realises he’s created a level of chaos he can’t handle or control. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss this and more in…
American FrictionFrom Ken Paxton to 'The AK Guy' – The wild state of Texas explained
Texas has been Republican for a long time. But with the emergence of a shiny new Democratic Party candidate in James Talarico and the GOP undecided on who…
American FrictionDonald Trump and the dumbest war ever!
Trump is wrecking the world in the stupidest way possible. Nikki, Jarv and Chris unpack his posturing and his Iran flip-flopping. Plus they discuss UFC…
American FrictionA Democratic Tea Party? – James Talarico and the anti-establishment future
The Democratic Party has a new breed of candidates coming through who could be a new counter force in the party similar to the Republican’s Tea Party movement…
American FrictionThe end of MAGA as we know it?!
The MAGA alliance is splitting apart – could it be the end of Trump’s gang? Plus, Kristi Noem aka Dog Killer in Chief has been fired! What happens now? Nikki…
American FrictionTrump’s warped war logic – If you start more, you can end more!
Trump loves ending wars so much that he just keeps starting more that he can then eventually end. Or something like that… The latest began with strikes on Iran…
American FrictionQAnon’s Epstein conundrum, Looksmaxxing and Mogging explained!
The weird world of right-wing conspiracy theories and subcultures is stranger than ever. Jarv is joined by Annie Kelly, host of Truly, Tradly Deeply and the UK…
American FrictionTrump's violent, weird and lie-filled State of the Union
Trump’s State of the Union was not normal. It was longer than ever, more weird and more hate-filled than any before it, and most reports aren’t nailing that…
American FrictionThe Mafia and America – How made men made the United States
The Mafia’s place in American culture can be seen as a cultural phenomenon. But how did the real mob, who inspired The Sopranos and The Godfather, come to be?…
American FrictionDonald Trump destroys American elections forever
Trump is meddling where he can and pushing to make it harder for people to vote. Will Trump ever allow free votes in America under his watch? Nikki, Jarv and…
American FrictionWhy US athletes are turning on Trump – "We're in a pick a side moment"
Trump’s despicable shenanigans have seen more and more US athletes speak out against him. The Winter Olympics have thrown this into sharp focus, and Chris is…
American FrictionDonald Trump vs. The Culture War
Trump and his MAGA goons are trying to pretend Kid Rock is good. Why are they so set on embarrassing themselves and denying themselves from enjoying proper…
American FrictionIs Joe Rogan kind of left wing? – The confusing world of podcast bros
Joe Rogan and the world of bro podcasts was a big deal in the run up to the election. Do they still matter? We unpack the impact and politics of the dude…
American FrictionTrump, Epstein and the Clintons: So weird, so confusing
Trump says the Epstein files are actually fine for him but we should all ignore them anyway. Oh, and we should leave Bill Clinton alone! What is going on?…
American FrictionTrump’s destruction of America – Why Congress isn’t holding him back
Congress technically should be a check on the presidency, and holding back Trump’s worst ages. It isn’t though. Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief at The…
American FrictionTrump, ICE and murder – Will this ever end?
Trump’s tyrannous ICE crackdown continues unabated despite token changes in personnel. Is anything going to change? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss a dark moment…
American FrictionTrump and dirty money – Make America Grift Again!
Donald Trump loves to bend the law and make money. So we’re looking at how he’s been doing both with legal scholar Jennifer Taub, author of Big Dirty Money…
American FrictionTrump's wild week – The end of America as we know it?
Well, it’s hard to know how to react to that. What a week, and one it feels like we might never come back from. Nikki and Jarv unpack Trump’s latest wild and…
American FrictionTrump’s nonsense foreign policy – The dumb bro doctrine
Donald Trump’s foreign policy has been described as the ‘Donroe doctrine’ – but it’s a stretch to say it’s that cohesive. To discuss how damaging he is to the…
American FrictionDonald Trump's hunt for revenge!
Trump is obsessed with revenge. Against anyone who’s ever crossed him and anyone who simply didn’t vote for him. Nikki, Chris and Jarv talk you through the…
American FrictionAmerica vs. China and the key A.I. battles to watch with guest Jeff Jarvis
Trump is desperate to make money from AI and the US economy is dependent on the industry, so what are the things we need to pay attention to? Friend of the…
American FrictionProject 2026: Will Trump make this year even worse?
It’s been a long year already, hasn’t it? We discuss Trump’s new conflicts, ICE killing people and how this is all just the start. Plus we look ahead at key…
American FrictionTrump and Venezuela: He doesn't have a clue!
Trump’s actions around Venezuela have been dramatic. He wants to act like he’s got it under control, but does he have a plan? Nikki and Jarv discuss the…
American FrictionDonald Trump’s nightmare before Christmas
Vanity Fair’s profiling of the Trump administration has caused a real headache for the President. Amongst the drama, electoral mastermind Susie Wiles really…
American FrictionWatergate: The real truth behind America's biggest ever scandal!
The Watergate scandal might be one of the biggest political scandals of all time - but do we really know the full truth of it? Garrett M. Graff is a Pulitzer…
American FrictionTrump's war with Venezuela – The background
Donald Trump has ramped up the pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro. Not only did he issue him an ultimatum to leave the country, but on…
American FrictionAmerican History Special! – What if the Cuban Missile Crisis happened today?
The Cuban Missile Crisis is the closest we’ve been to nuclear war. What are the lessons we should learn from it being averted? Who were the key characters? And…
American FrictionDonald Trump: The world’s sleepiest war criminal!
Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth appear to have at least allowed a war crime to happen on their watch – will they face any punishment? Plus, Trump is ranting in a…
American FrictionAmerican History Special! – Why Trump 2.0 is just like the Wild West
The Wild West continues to fascinate people to this day – and still shapes America’s society. The video game Red Dead Redemption depicts the frontier era, and…
American FrictionTrump, MAGA and Moscow – What's going on with the President and Russia?
Trump and his admin are once again showing their weird love for Russia. Why are they all so keen on Moscow? We discuss this, Trump’s latest outbursts, his…
American FrictionAmerican History Special! – Has the United States always been crazy?!
The United States of America is strange. It’s easy to blame it on Trump, but has it ever been normal? Author and journalist Kurt Andersen wrote How America…
American FrictionHow Epstein is driving Trump mad and breaking MAGA
Trump has been forced into letting the Epstein files be released and of course he’s totally chill about it. We’re due to get them in less than 30 days, though…
American FrictionDo the Democrats just hate winning?
The Democratic Party is totally rudderless and once again handed Trump whatever he wants to end the shutdown. What the hell are they doing? Jarv and Chris ask…
American FrictionEpstein and Trump – What did they know?
Trump’s links to Jeffrey Epstein are back in the spotlight. What did Epstein know about Trump? What did Trump know about Epstein? And how much does Russia…
American FrictionEverything Trump has broken in his second term!
It’s a year since Trump won the election so we thought we’d recap a big old list of things he’s screwed up. There’s more than what we discussed, but we tried!…
American FrictionMamdani vs. Trump – How New York sent MAGA more insane
Zohran Mamdani’s election victory has got the left wing excited but made MAGA really scared about the made up rise of communism. To discuss his victory and the…
American FrictionTrump and the cartels —Is he at war or is he just bombing fishermen?
Trump has been blowing up boats in the Pacific, killing all of those on board and insisting it’s because they’re cartel members – even though they could be…
American FrictionWill Trump run in 2028? – Don't trust whatever he says!
Trump is doing the hokey cokey when it comes to running in 2028. Is he in, is he out, does it matter what he says? We discuss the latest madness and round up…
American FrictionTrump vs. the Manosphere
The manosphere is a term used to describe a wide range of male-focussed influencers obsessed with money, status or physique. A lot of them are unfortunately…
American FrictionTrump vs. the White House – with special guest Molly Jong-Fast
Trump is imagining himself pouring faeces on Americans and he’s literally ripping down part of the White House. Why is he so obsessed with destruction? Chris…
American FrictionTrump and Guantanamo Bay – His source of inspiration?
The notorious Guantanamo Bay has long been a source of controversy for the United States. Yet, it remains open. How does this facility set up in the war of…
American FrictionTrump vs. 'America First' – Is he changing his mind?
Trump has been posturing on the world stage after securing a deal between Israel and Hamas. But, does he really care? And should he get any credit? Or is this…
American FrictionDonald Trump: America’s last president?
Trump is dragging America’s democracy towards oblivion – could this be it for the US as we know it? Chris and Jarv discuss with Thom Hartmann, author of The…
American FrictionTrump's troops, the Insurrection Act explained and more!
Trump is pushing forwards with deploying troops to America’s streets – despite opposition from politicians, the public and the courts. How far will he push…
American FrictionTrump, the Supreme Court and the war on American democracy
Trump has been enabled by a Supreme Court that seems completely under his spell – and it feels like nothing legal is going to block him. Christian Farias, who…
American FrictionTrump and Hegseth vs. Bellies and beards – The latest US showdown!
Hegseth and Trump decided to body shame their military top brass in a bizarre performance that baffled the world. Chris, Jarv and Nikki unpack how…
American FrictionHow Trump made America go crazy over 'dudes'
‘Authentic’ is a regular political buzzword at the moment – and unfortunately, it might just be newspaper speak for ‘manly’. Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR…
American FrictionDonald Trump's latest meltdown: That escalator could've killed him!
Trump has been busy embarrassing America on the world stage this week with weird rants and conspiracy theories. Chris, Jarv and Nikki get into it all. Plus…
American FrictionTrump vs. Jimmy Kimmel – Everything that's wrong with America's media!
American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been taken off air due to Trump through an authoritarian tantrum. Plus, the president wants to sue the New York Times…
American FrictionAmerica goes insane again – Charlie Kirk fallout, Trump crackdowns and more!
Well, what a week. Trump is mad at everyone and suing or censoring whoever he can get his hands on in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Bluntly…
American FrictionInside the Stop Trump Protest! — Bonus edition
Anti-Trump protesters gathered in London on Wednesday to showcase their disdain for the US president. Chris and Jarv headed over to ask them what message they…
American FrictionTrump’s new war obsession – And how it makes America weaker
Trump has changed the Department of Defense to the Department of War, well kind of. It’s gonna cost a lot of money and it’s not totally official. But still…