Politics Weekly America

The Guardian

Every Friday, Guardian columnist and former Washington correspondent, Jonathan Freedland, invites experts to help analyse the latest in American politics. From politicians to journalists covering the White House and beyond, Jonathan and his guests give listeners behind the scenes access to how the American political machine works. With a global network of over 900 journalists and five dedicated editions covering news in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and beyond, the Guardian offers comprehensive reporting across every continent.

  • 27 minutes 19 seconds
    Is the tide starting to turn against Trump?
    This week, Donald Trump continued to dominate the world stage, welcoming a procession of global leaders to Washington, including Keir Starmer. But while the ‘special relationship’ is front and centre in the UK, attention in the US is very much elsewhere. As the president goes full steam ahead with his domestic agenda, there are warning signs for Trump in the polls. So, could he be in trouble at home? And how could the Democrats take advantage? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Stanley Greenberg, the bestselling author, Democratic pollster and political strategist who played a crucial role in the elections of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair
    27 February 2025, 11:21 pm
  • 30 minutes 6 seconds
    Trump brings Russia in from the cold, but at what cost to Ukraine?
    In a matter of days, Donald Trump completed the most radical shift in US foreign policy in decades, bringing Putin back into the fold while sidelining Europe. He claims to have brought the end of the war in Ukraine in sight, but with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the rest of Europe excluded from the US-Russia talks, are we really any closer to peace? And, at what price?Jonathan Freedland speaks to veteran US diplomat Kurt Volker, who served as Trump’s special representative for Ukraine during his first term, and the Guardian’s US live news editor Chris Michael Send your questions and feedback to [email protected] Help support the Guardian by going to theguardian.com/politcspodus
    20 February 2025, 7:11 pm
  • 29 minutes 46 seconds
    Oh, Canada! Can Trump just take it?
    On the first day of his second term in office, Donald Trump suggested he wanted the US to ‘expand’ its territory. Few thought he could actually mean taking Canada and making it the 51st state. But could he actually do that? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the reporter Leyland Cecco in Toronto about the possibility of the two North American allies merging, what Canadians think about it, and why this existential threat has had an impact on Canadian national politics Send your questions and feedback to [email protected] Help support the Guardian by going to theguardian.com/politcspodus
    14 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 27 minutes 3 seconds
    Trump and Musk’s plan for world domination
    Between Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US could take control of the Gaza Strip, forcibly removing Palestinians from their homes, and Elon Musk’s continued efforts to dismantle the US federal government, the critics are lining up. The Democrat senator Andy Kim is one of them. But what can he, his party, or anybody else do to stop the president and his non-elected billionaire pal? He speaks to Jonathan Freedland
    7 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 24 minutes 19 seconds
    The fight to protect LGBTQ+ rights from Trump
    Less than two weeks into his second term as president, Donald Trump has signed several executive orders restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. But, as happened during his first term, organisations representing the community are fighting back. This week, Joan E Greve explores how this marginalised minority are planning to push back against such strong political will. How far could this conservative administration go?
    31 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 29 minutes 34 seconds
    Can anyone hold back Donald Trump?
    In the first few days of his presidency, people tried to challenge and reason with Donald Trump – suing his administration, questioning his decisions to reporters and pleading to him for mercy. But does Trump care what his critics think? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about what we can expect from a leader who goes it alone
    24 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 24 minutes 48 seconds
    Executive orders, Gulf of America and flags on Mars: Trump’s first day in office
    The cold forced the speeches indoors but it didn’t stop Donald Trump from announcing a flurry of executive orders dismantling much of the work of his predecessor. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the US commentator Molly Jong-Fast about what a virtual declaration of war against an American ally, a promise to “expand America’s territory” and a couple of declarations of emergency say about what we can expect from the next four years
    20 January 2025, 11:48 pm
  • 31 minutes 10 seconds
    The Middle East, inflation and Trump’s return – what will Biden’s legacy be?
    After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he’d had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the author Franklin Foer about Biden’s legacy
    17 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 30 minutes 47 seconds
    Silicon Valley leaders bend the knee to Trump
    This week we learned that Meta is dropping third-party fact-checking, the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, spiked a cartoon that made fun of him and other tech leaders kneeling before a statue of Donald Trump, and just about all the big Silicon Valley companies are donating $1m to Trump’s inauguration fund. Jonathan Freedland and Blake Montgomery look at who will hold the power between big tech and the White House over the next four years
    10 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 53 seconds
    What happens if Trump pardons the January 6 rioters?
    Four years after the 6 January attack on the Capitol, Donald Trump has promised he will pardon hundreds of his supporters who were convicted over their roles in it. This comes after Joe Biden gave an unconditional pardon to his own son, Hunter, for federal crimes of which he had been convicted. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Kimberly Wehle, a constitutional law expert, about whether the presidential pardon has become nothing more than a perk of the job to be used for a president’s personal convenience
    3 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 24 minutes 55 seconds
    Jimmy Carter’s legacy: Politics Weekly America
    Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, has died. He was 100 years old. Today, Jonathan Freedland talks to Jimmy Carter’s biographer, Jonathan Alter, about why history should look favourably on the peanut farmer turned politician
    30 December 2024, 8:30 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App