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 FrictionHow to fight the Trump-Musk power grab – with former Alabama senator Doug Jones
Former Democratic Alabama senator Doug Jones joins us to discuss the latest chaos and how Democrats should push against it. What would he advise legally? How…
American FrictionDonald Trump’s first month review!
Well, what a month it’s been. Trump was sworn in a month ago and we figured we’d rate his time in office so far. Plus, we discuss the latest Elon Musk…
American FrictionCan Trump really ignore the courts? – plus, Your guide to being hopeful as MAGA ruins everything
Trump’s allies, including JD Vance and Elon Musk, think he should just ignore the courts that try to stop his actions. Can he? What would happen if he did?…
American FrictionWhy is Trump letting Musk stage a coup? – Plus, the history of the new American empire
Elon Musk is taking over and shutting down chunks of government with help from his merry band of young mega nerds. What’s going on? And why is nobody stopping…
American FrictionDonald Trump takes on the world — plus, are China and America heading for war?
Not satisfied with picking on Canada, Greenland, and Panama already - Trump continues his bullying spree. This time it’s Colombia that’s the target – Why? And…
American FrictionTrump’s first week review — Great for fascists, terrible for America
Trump has been on a pardoning spree and an executive order bender in his first days as president. How crazy has this been, what will actually happen — and how…
American FrictionTrump’s inauguration explained – Lies, executive orders and a Nazi salute
Donald Trump officially became president on Monday – delivering a speech which was predictably full of lies, exaggerations and right-wing nonsense. Nikki and…
American FrictionWhat can Trump do straight away?
Donald Trump is about to officially become president and he’s been bragging about everything he’ll do right away. But, what can he really get done on day one?…
American FrictionWhy is Trump so obsessed with Greenland? – Plus: Why Zuckerberg is as bad as Musk
Trump is refusing to deny that he could invade Greenland and elsewhere, while he’s also set on renaming a few places to make ‘em more American. What the hell…
American FrictionWhy is Donald Trump supporting Musk over MAGA?
Donald Trump is backing Elon Musk in a major clash with MAGA loyalists. So why is the president-to-be siding with the Tesla boss? Plus – we all know what…
American FrictionUS Politics in 2024 recap: Weird bits, worst bits and what we learned
American politics has been a real treat this year, hasn’t it? Lol. Well, it’s been interesting at least so the gang unpacks the key moments and lessons from a…
American FrictionTrump's hush money fight fails – plus, why is everyone obsessed with drones?
Donald Trump might yet get punished over his hush money shenanigans — what’s going on with this never-ending legal saga? Plus — drones, stars and planes have…
American FrictionTrump’s plan for America: “Don’t blame me!” – Plus, the Electoral College, an unsolvable problem? – with Latif Nasser
• Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Donald Trump’s first TV interview since winning the election…
American FrictionWhy did Joe Biden pardon Hunter? – plus a New York deep dive with Brian Lehrer
•Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Everyone’s in a flap about Joe Biden pardoning his son…
American FrictionTrump’s legal cases: What you need to know — plus, how powerful is Fox News?
Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support in our Black Friday sale. Why not ask for it for Christmas? Donald Trump has swerved legal trouble once again — we unpack…
American FrictionWhy did Matt Gaetz drop out – and how long will Musk last?
Well, Matt Gaetz has decided to bow out of trying to become attorney general after it became clear everybody hates him. We wonder why? We discuss the cabinet…
American FrictionWho's in the Trump horror cabinet? – plus, Ro Khanna on the Democrats’ future
Well, Trump has truly surpassed himself making his cabinet even more MAGA than we expected. From Matt Gaetz to Musk to Kristi Noem, we discuss the key picks –…
American FrictionAre the Democrats ready to face reality? – The Trump-Harris aftermath
The Trump victory and the collapse of the Democratic Party vote completely shocked political onlookers. But how did it take the Dems so badly by surprise? And…
American FrictionTrump won. What now? – Election result special episode
Trump is president elect. F*ck’s sake, Chris and Jarv were right and Nikki’s fears were realised. There’s no beating around the bush, this looks like a…
American FrictionTrump or Harris: Who's going to win then?! - With guest Molly Jong-Fast
The election is nearly here. So, who’s going to win? We look at the state of play with a few days to go, and Jarv forces Chris and Nikki to talk about their…
American FrictionTrump-Harris: How ugly is the election aftermath going to get?
• Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction While we’re all focussed on…
American FrictionTaster – ‘Why do people join cults?’ – from the new series of Why? with Emma Kennedy
Try the new science and psychology podcast Why? – from the makers of American Friction. Why? is the podcast for curious minds. Every Thursday, presenter Emma…
American FrictionIs Trump's campaign falling apart?
Trump is cancelling interviews, refusing to answer questions and acting like a cursed wedding DJ at the moment. Has his campaign lost all direction? Plus, we…
American FrictionHarris's interview frenzy sparks new Trump meltdown – plus, do celeb endorsements matter?
Harris went on a media frenzy this week – how did it go? What did we learn and what’s missing? And why has it made Trump lose it? Plus, we speak to Ashley…
American FrictionThe violent world of Trump: New Jan 6 revelations and more
The Trump campaign has been a little bit “sane washed” after JD Vance’s polished debate performance. Sorry to tell you, Trump is still saying and doing crazy…
American FrictionWhat did we learn from the Vance and Walz debate?
JD Vance and Tim Walz went head-to-head in what looks likely to be the final debate between candidates ahead of the presidential election. And they were…
American FrictionWhat the latest scandals mean for Trump and Harris
The amount of scandals in US politics right now is hard to keep up with. But, fear not – we’re here to catch you up. And, we discuss what the latest Trump…
American FrictionHarris-Trump countdown: Everything you need to know with 50 days to go
It’s less than 50 days until the US presidential election and polls are on a knife edge. As Harris and Trump race to the finish — what could change things?…
American FrictionTrump assassination attempt: Will this change the election race?
In our latest US presidential election deep dive, we discuss the recent Trump assassination attempt. What do we know so far and how it will impact the…
American FrictionTrump's revenge fantasies: Why they matter
In this week's US presidential election deep dive, we analyse Donald’s Trump pledge of revenge against election workers – and discuss why we should take it…
American FrictionUS election debate: How Donald Trump took Kamala Harris's bait
Join us for an in-depth analysis of the latest US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In this bonus episode, we dissect the highlights…
American FrictionIs Trump losing his mind?
In this week's deep dive into the US presidential election, we examine why Donald Trump’s cognitive abilities and decline are receiving less scrutiny than Joe…
American FrictionTrump's QAnon posting spree explained – plus, Harris’s first interview: What we learned
This week: Trump went on a tirade on Truth Social sharing misogynistic posts and QAnon conspiracy theories after the latest indictment against him. We discuss…
American FrictionDNC highlights: Harris, Walz and Obama mania – plus, is Trump ok?
This week: The DNC has been a lot. We give our instant reaction to Kamala Harris’ speech, then discuss wider themes and keynotes from Tim Walz, to Barack and…
American FrictionDoes Trump really think Musk can save his campaign?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump is desperate for relevance so he’s tried chatting to Musk and pushing AI…
American FrictionTim Walz: Is Harris's VP pick really so perfect? — plus, Project 2025 madness explained
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate – and…
American FrictionWhy calling Trump and JD Vance “weird” works – plus, where the election will be won
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump and JD Vance have been really angry at being called weird – which is a totally…
American FrictionKamala Harris, Brat Summer, JD Vance's couch and more – with guest Molly Jong-Fast
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Kamala Harris is all set to replace Biden in 2024 – how’re things going so far? We…
- American Friction
Joe Biden quits the race… what now?
No Campaign For Old Men: Joe Biden rocks the 2024 Presidential race by pulling out and endorsing Kamala Harris. Is he bowing to the inevitable, taking one for…
American FrictionTrump and JD Vance take over the GOP — plus, how did American politics get so volatile?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump returns to the limelight at the RNC. Is the GOP totally his now? And who the…
American FrictionTrump shooting: What comes next?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has left America shaken, more fractured than it…
American FrictionClooney Tunes: The Presidential race gets weirder – Plus, can the Supreme Court ever be fixed?
George Clooney (aka the worst Batman) wants President Biden out. This week: The pressure for Biden to step down from running for office intensifies within his…
American FrictionTrump’s Supreme Court victory - Plus, why do so many Christian voters support a convicted felon?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: The US Supreme Court has voted to give the president partial immunity from criminal…
American FrictionBiden's election debate horror show – plus the global events voters care about most
Did you see that ludicrous display last night? This week: President Biden came out bruised after a brutal debate with Trump. How badly will his performance…
American FrictionThe Trump vs. Biden brain battle – plus, what the hell is a ‘cheap fake’?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump is taking aim at Biden’s cognitive abilities – while showing his own…
American FrictionDoes Hunter's conviction hurt Joe Biden's campaign? – plus, why the American media is f*cked
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Joe Biden’s son Hunter has been found guilty on felony charges – how will the GOP…
American FrictionGuilty verdict sends Trump world loco – plus, right-wingers fight themselves
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump’s guilty verdict sends his supporters totally off the deep end as they call for…
American FrictionTrump trial verdict: Don found guilty on 34 charges — plus, is abortion 2024’s key election issue?
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election – and explaining the nightmare to a British audience. This time: Trump becomes a convicted felon –…
American FrictionHow to p*ss off Trump, with The Lincoln Project — plus, Nikki Haley loves Don, Biden gets nasty and more court drama
The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election – and explaining the nightmare to a British audience. This time: There’s more court drama, with…
American FrictionThe Trump vs Biden TV debates are GO – Plus “Satire IS the opposition,” says boss of The Onion
The US Presidential Election explained for Brits. This time: The Biden-Trump TV debates are on at last. Will America’s most hotly-anticipated showdown deliver…
American FrictionTrump gets a Stormy ‘spanking’ — and how QAnon continues to warp minds in 2024
A new series counting down to the US Presidential Election – and explaining the nightmare to British audience. This time: How is Trump doing in court? We speak…
American FrictionAlarm before the storm! – The Biden vs. Trump countdown, with guest Molly Jong-Fast
A brand new series counting down to the US Presidential Election – and explaining the whole nightmare for the British audience. This time: With six months to…
American FrictionTrailer
American Friction - the brand new podcast that helps you understand what's really going on in 2024 US Election. Out every Friday, wherever you get your…