American Friction

Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and Audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Is the pressure getting to Trump and his minions?!

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:28:00 -0000

Trump has had a baffling week, with cabinet chaos and another backtrack on Iran. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the madness and do a latest deep dive on RFK Jr.’s wild behaviour…

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Inside the downfall of a president – From Biden to Trump

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:01:00 -0000

How will the history books look back on Joe Biden’s time as President? Will he be remembered for leading the US out of a global pandemic, or has that disastrous TV debate against Donald Trump destroyed much of his reputation? Prof. Julian E. Zelizer’s new book, The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden: A First Historical Assessment, delves into what lessons can be learned from the Biden era.

Buy The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden: A First Historical Assessment through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones. Audio/ video editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Has Trump finally gone too far for everyone?!

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:07:00 -0000

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 going on in the President's head, and has he now gone too far for even the strongest MAGA supporters? Nikk, Jarv and Chris try to work it all out!

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Chris Jones Audio/ video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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How Fox News became Trump’s state media channel

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0000

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 joins Jarv and Chris to explain.

See more of Juliet’s work: https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. Himself – Is anyone more confused than the president right now?

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:50:00 -0000

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 discuss.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Is Tucker Carlson the next president?

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0000

Tucker Carlson is still going, gaining traction in unexpected places with his controversial opinions while appealing to the left with his stance on Israel. What’s going on? What does he want? And who is he, really? Jason Zengerle, author of Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unravelling of the Conservative Mind, joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss.

Buy Hated by All the Right People through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Will Donald Trump get impeached again?!

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0000

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 means, and of course Nikki explains bimbofication in light of the Bryon Noem story… You know what you’re in for these days, gang. Casey Burgat joins us again this week and Nikki is away but she drops by for a section that she couldn’t resist… This was recorded prior to Pam Bondi being fired, we'll get into it next week.

Find out more about Casey here: https://www.caseyburgat.com/

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Written and presented by The Godfather hating Chris Jones and the good stuff enjoyer, Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: the long suffering Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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How Trump and the Epstein Files broke conspiracy world

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0000

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 Mike’s Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/MikeRothschild

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Trump vs. Pete Hegseth – Battle of the Warmongers!

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:47:00 -0000

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 fallout.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Has Trump changed what 'America' means?

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 about it? Nikki and Jarv are joined by Beth and Sarah from Pantsuit Politics to discuss.

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Why it's all going wrong for Donald Trump!

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:45:00 -0000

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 our latest episode and also answer the question of who is their “evil crush”.

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From Ken Paxton to 'The AK Guy' – The wild state of Texas explained

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 should face him, could things be about to change? Christopher Hooks is a real-life Texan and journalist whose work has appeared in publications like Texas Monthly and The New York Times, and joins Chris and Nikki to talk Texan politics.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramirez Audio/ video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump and the dumbest war ever!

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:30:00 -0000

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 fighters training the FBI, the new Marjorie Taylor Greene and problematic musical ideas…

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A Democratic Tea Party? – James Talarico and the anti-establishment future

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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. Will they take over from the establishment figureheads? Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief of The Independent, joins us to discuss.

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The end of MAGA as we know it?!

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:54:00 -0000

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, Chris and Jarv discuss.

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Trump’s warped war logic – If you start more, you can end more!

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:30:00 -0000

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 – why is he doing this? And why now? Politico's senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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QAnon’s Epstein conundrum, Looksmaxxing and Mogging explained!

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 correspondent for the QAA podcast to get into it all.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. ⁠⁠www.podmasters.co.uk⁠⁠

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Trump's violent, weird and lie-filled State of the Union

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:19:00 -0000

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. Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss.

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The Mafia and America – How made men made the United States

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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? And what influence have they had in shaping the United States? Ryan Gingeras, author of The Mafia: A Global History, joins Chris and Jarv to discuss.

Buy The Mafia: A Global History through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Donald Trump destroys American elections forever

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:55:00 -0000

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 Chris discuss in our latest episode.

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Why US athletes are turning on Trump – "We're in a pick a side moment"

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 joined by Jules Boykoff, author of What are the olympics for? and Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics to discuss this backlash and the history of protest at the games.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer plus video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump vs. The Culture War

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:52:00 -0000

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 culture? Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss the Bad Bunny Superbowl fallout and ask why Trump is losing the culture war.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Producer plus video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Is Joe Rogan kind of left wing? – The confusing world of podcast bros

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 podcast world with Melina Much, a postdoctoral fellow for NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics and a Siegel Research Fellow for the Siegel Family Endowment.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump, Epstein and the Clintons: So weird, so confusing

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:41:00 -0000

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? Nobody knows, but we’ll try get into it anyway.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor:Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s destruction of America – Why Congress isn’t holding him back

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0000

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 Independent, joins Jarv to discuss how Trump has wreaked havoc upon what should be an equal branch of government.

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Trump, ICE and murder – Will this ever end?

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:11:00 -0000

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 in America.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump and dirty money – Make America Grift Again!

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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, who’s a major expert in white collar crime (tracking it, not committing it that is…).

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump's wild week – The end of America as we know it?

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:13:00 -0000

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 weird and ultimately tyrannical actions.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s nonsense foreign policy – The dumb bro doctrine

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 world right now, as he puts American security and everyone else’s at risk, Nikki and Jarv are joined by Brian Finucane, senior adviser at International Crisis Group and editor at Just Security.

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Donald Trump's hunt for revenge!

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:45:00 -0000

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 latest victims of Trump’s bitterness and what it means for America.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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America vs. China and the key A.I. battles to watch with guest Jeff Jarvis

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 podcast Jeff Jarvis, media commentator, author and co-host of AI Inside, talks us through the key battles to watch, the characters to know and their weird, weird philosophies. Oh and he puts the boot in on the US media too which is always good to hear!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Project 2026: Will Trump make this year even worse?

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:10:00 -0000

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 issues and we name who we think will be the key characters in US politics this year.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Video and Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump and Venezuela: He doesn't have a clue!

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0000

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 aftermath of capturing Maduro, how this might roll on and what known unknowns there are to consider.

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Donald Trump’s nightmare before Christmas

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:02:00 -0000

Vanity Fair’s profiling of the Trump administration has caused a real headache for the President. Amongst the drama, electoral mastermind Susie Wiles really let loose, saying Trump had an “alcoholic’s personality” and Vance a “conspiracy theorist”. What has this look behind the curtain taught us? Chris and Nikki dive into all of that, plus the BBC lawsuit and more!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones with Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio/ Video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Watergate: The real truth behind America's biggest ever scandal!

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:58:00 -0000

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 Prize finalist and author of Watergate: A New History and joins Chris and Nikki to discuss exactly what led to the epic downfall of President Richard Nixon.

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Buy UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Trump's war with Venezuela – The background

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:50:00 -0000

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 Wednesday, US forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, raising oil prices and tension within the region. Could all-out war be on the horizon? Plus, Miami now has its first Democratic mayor in 30 years. Is a blue wave in the midterm election looking more realistic, or is that just a case of rose-tinted glasses syndrome? Listen to our latest episode with Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez and Chris Jones.

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American History Special! – What if the Cuban Missile Crisis happened today?

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 could Trump handle such a situation in the present day? Mark J. White, professor of history at QMUL and author of The Cuban Missile Crisis, joins Jarv to discuss.

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Donald Trump: The world’s sleepiest war criminal!

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:10:00 -0000

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 new, weirder way and he can’t keep his eyes open during high-profile meetings anymore. This is fine. Casey Burgat, author of We Hold These Truths, joins Jarv and Chris to discuss this and much more.

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American History Special! – Why Trump 2.0 is just like the Wild West

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 our guest today Tore Olsson has written extensively about the era in his book Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past. He joins Jarv and Chris to discuss the Wild West.

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Trump, MAGA and Moscow – What's going on with the President and Russia?

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:25:00 -0000

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 weird love for Mamdani and more!

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American History Special! – Has the United States always been crazy?!

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 Went Haywire: A 500-Year History to track how the nation became so weird.

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How Epstein is driving Trump mad and breaking MAGA

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:31:00 -0000

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 what we get is still unclear – and the fallout they’ll cause even less so. Chris, Nikki and Jarv discuss another very weird week.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez, Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Do the Democrats just hate winning?

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 Politico’s national politics reporter Elena Schneider.

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Epstein and Trump – What did they know?

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:12:00 -0000

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 know?! It’s all kinds of weird, worrying and gross… Nikki and Jarv discuss the latest.

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Everything Trump has broken in his second term!

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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! Casey Burgat, author of We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back and director of the Legislative Affairs program at the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University,

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Mamdani vs. Trump – How New York sent MAGA more insane

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:03:00 -0000

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 reaction to it, Chris and Jarv are joined by Brigid Bergin, senior politics reporter at WNYC.

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Trump and the cartels —Is he at war or is he just bombing fishermen?

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 fishermen. Why is he doing this? What real problems do cartels pose? Dr. Will Freeman a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins us Chris and Jarv to discuss.

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Will Trump run in 2028? – Don't trust whatever he says!

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:15:00 -0000

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 the other stories you might have missed.

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Trump vs. the Manosphere

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 right leaning and plenty supported Trump. So, what do they want, want impact do they have on politics – and where are they headed? Sam Eagan, who works for New Yorker Magazine, Vice and Wired joins Nikki and Jarv to discuss.

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Trump vs. the White House – with special guest Molly Jong-Fast

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:44:00 -0000

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 and Jarv are joined by Molly Jong-Fast of Fast Politics to talk through the latest chaos then they round up some other news you might have missed.

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Trump and Guantanamo Bay – His source of inspiration?

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0000

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 terror keep going? And how has it inspired the way Trump wants to treat prisoners today? Attorney Joshua Colangelo-Bryan has written about detainees he’s represented and his experience at Gitmo in his new book Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay, and joins Nikki and Chris to discuss.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. 'America First' – Is he changing his mind?

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:51:00 -0000

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 just all part of his attention seeking grift? Chris, Jarv and Nikki discuss.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis, Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump: America’s last president?

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0000

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 Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink.

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Trump's troops, the Insurrection Act explained and more!

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:25:00 -0000

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 this? Nikki and Jarv talk through the insurrection act, Governors vs. Governors and more.

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Trump, the Supreme Court and the war on American democracy

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0000

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 writes about law and the courts for Vanity Fair, New York magazine and the New Yorker, joins Jarv and Chris to discuss Trump’s legal recklessness and what it means for America.

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Trump and Hegseth vs. Bellies and beards – The latest US showdown!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:08:00 -0000

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 counterproductive this was, plus we talk about the shutdown and more.

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How Trump made America go crazy over 'dudes'

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0000

‘Authentic’ is a regular political buzzword at the moment – and unfortunately, it might just be newspaper speak for ‘manly’. Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR recently wrote a piece called When "authenticity" means "dudes" for her Substack, and joins Jarv to talk about manliness in American politics.

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Donald Trump's latest meltdown: That escalator could've killed him!

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:33:00 -0000

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, friend of the podcast Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief for The Independent joins us to discuss the harm caused by RFK Jr. and Trump’s autism misinformation.

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Trump vs. Jimmy Kimmel – Everything that's wrong with America's media!

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0000

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. Oh, and he’s cracking down on anyone else he can. The US media seems… screwed? Friend of the pod Jeff Jarvis, the brain behind the BuzzMachine blog, media analyst and author, joins us to talk through the issues facing American news providers.

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America goes insane again – Charlie Kirk fallout, Trump crackdowns and more!

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:52:00 -0000

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, America once again feels more insane than ever. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the latest.

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Inside the Stop Trump Protest! — Bonus edition

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:15:00 -0000

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 wanted to get across to him — they filmed the whole thing so head to Spotify to watch the video too!

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Trump’s new war obsession – And how it makes America weaker

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0000

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, not great! So, what does this mean for America’s foreign policy and place in the world? Dr. Walter Ladwig, senior lecturer in International Relations in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and an associate fellow at RUSI, joins us to discuss.

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Will Trump’s Epstein denials ever end?

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:11:00 -0000

Trump is once again denying sending Epstein the creepiest card ever which is even more creepy than we first thought. Will the weird denials ever end? Will there ever be consequences? Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss this and more.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio/ Video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Charlie Kirk and America’s political violence epidemic

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:35:00 -0000

The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves across the globe. Discussion of it has been confused and in many cases problematic. Chris and Jarv sit down to discuss what we know, what we don’t and what sort of direction the conversation should perhaps move in.

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'Everything Trump is doing is unpopular' – Molly Jong-Fast on America's MAGA reckoning

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump is taking America on a course that nobody is happy with, even members of his own party and movement. Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair correspondent, host of Fast Politics and author of How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir, joins Jarv for a big old chat about Trump’s enemies, real and mythical, how America feels and the age of the man baby.

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Trump takes on death, Epstein victims, China and Venezuela

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:14:00 -0000

Trump is alive, or at least that’s what he wants you to think. He’s been on one since rising from the fake dead, we unpack what’s going on with best friend of the pod Casey Burgat, host of Mastering the Room and author of We Hold These Truths: How to Spot the Myths That Are Holding America Back.

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Neo-Nazi America and Trump – A love-hate relationship

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s relationship with America’s far right is no secret. So has his second coming only served to embolden the neo-Nazi movement further – or are the cracks starting to show in their support for the president? National security journalist, Ben Makuch, has met many of these neo-Nazi’s face-to-face. He joins Chris to discuss what they want and how they’re rebuilding their ranks under this administration.

Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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White House clown - Trump’s circus show goes on

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:17:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s recent cabinet meeting was everything we’ve come to expect - a circus. All of his secretaries were competing with one another to see who could come up with the biggliest compliment. Was this just a PR stunt made for clips, and what does it say about the state of this administration?

Plus, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador, has been detained again and threatened with deportation to Uganda. And Trump’s firing top US officials who simply don’t agree with his nonsense. Chris and Nikki dive into it all!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. Newsom – Battle of the attention whores

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Ooh they’re thirsty! Trump and Newsom have been battling it out for the headlines, with the California Governor trying to take the fight to the president. Will it work? Should we be impressed? Is 2028 going to be Newsom’s time to shine? Eric Garcia, Washington bureau chief for The Independent, joins Jarv and Chris to discuss.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio/Video editors: Simon Williams and Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump goes gaga over Putin – America's latest embarrassment

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 13:59:00 -0000

Trump went all weak at the knees when he got to meet his idol Vladimir Putin this week. How embarrassing for America was their get together? Plus, Chris unveils a bizarre political crush to Nikki and Jarv. All that and more!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio / Video editor: Chris Jones and Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump, Texas and the death of democracy – Inside the gerrymandering war

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0000

There’s weird political meddling happening in Texas and it all revolves around “gerrymandering”. What’s that all about, then? David Daley, author of Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections and Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count joins us to discuss.

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Trump, Big Balls and Washington – Explained

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:48:00 -0000

Trump has sent in troops in a bid to take over Washington, D.C. in a draconian move seemingly sparked by a bloke called Big Balls being attacked. Nope, us neither. We try to make it make sense, friends, we really try. All that plus more like a story about Laura Loomer, Marjorie Taylor Greene and a sandwich. Again, sorry.

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Trump vs. the US economy – If it’s broke, don’t break it more!

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump’s economic plans of tariffs for the sake of tariffs ain’t working well. We speak to Mark Zandi, from Moody’s Analytics, to find out why it’s all going so wrong.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCanmn Ramirez, Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump: I hate numbers but I love Sydney Sweeney!

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:46:00 -0000

Trump has waged war on statistics as he looks to take charge of the truth in America. Meanwhile, people are losing it over Sydney Sweeney and her jeans/genes – why are the right wing so weird? Nikki, Jarv and Chris dive into all this and more.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCanmn Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Why hasn’t Trump stopped Netanyahu?

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump “broke” with Netanyahu recently by accepting the reality that people, including many children, are starving in Gaza. But despite this slight change in tone, will this lead to any real change in action from the US president? Chris and Jarv speak to Professor Yossi Mekelberg, senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, to discuss Trump and Netanyahu’s relationship, how Trump could end this if he wanted to and what other leaders should do to stop the atrocities.

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Trump's crazy week – Scotland rants, Epstein trouble, the Unabomber and more!

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:55:00 -0000

Trump has been getting weirder and somehow MAGA and the GOP are ignoring it. Plus, he’s talking himself in knots over Epstein — does he understand how big a problem this is? Nikki and Jarv discuss all that and more in our 100th episode!

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Written and presented by Nikki McCanm Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. the media – Has he killed it or is he keeping it alive?

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump continues to bully news outlets in the US, suing Murdoch and seemingly getting Stephen Colbert fired. Why can’t the media stand up to him? Is it even trying anymore? Or is it time to declare the mainstream media dead? Jeff Jarvis, media critic and author of the BuzzMachine blog joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss all that and more.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Video Editor/ producer: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s Epstein distraction plan – Remember Obama and Clinton?!?!

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:47:00 -0000

Trump’s really pulling out all the stops and playing all the old hits to try and distract from the Epstein list. Even though it doesn’t exist and he’s definitely not on it and even if he was that doesn’t mean anything anyway! Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss his skittishness and attempt to shift focus to Barack Obama instead.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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After Trump and Biden – Can young people reclaim politics?

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0000

American politicians are too old. So, how can more young people win? Jarv and Chris speak to Amanda Litman, who is the president of Run for Something, an organisation aimed at getting more young people into politics.

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What Trump's massive Epstein meltdown means

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:39:00 -0000

Oh Trump, you can’t get the QAnon supporters too upset! They like you! But with his Epstein list denials and combative stance on the whole subject, the president is actually annoying everyone – conspiracy theorist and conspiracy skeptic alike. How’s he got it so wrong – and should he have known it’d go this badly? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. the climate crisis – Denial, cuts and tragic consequences

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0000

The tragic situation in Texas is bringing into focus the horrific and fatal consequences of Trump’s cuts. As he continues to gut agencies focused on the weather and climate change, Chris and Jarv are joined by Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, behavioural scientist and North American CEO of We Don’t Have Time, to discuss how we got here and how much worse things could get.

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Why Elon Musk’s ‘America Party’ is doomed – plus, Grok goes full Nazi!

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:21:00 -0000

Elon Musk wants to start a new political party – and obviously that’s a terrible idea! We discuss why it would fail and why he needs to stop being such a weird egomaniac. Plus, Grok got really racist, Ted Cruz has a holiday while Texas floods, and more, more, more on American Friction with Nikki, Chris and Jarv.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. Iran – Foreign policy led by extortion?

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:38:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran has got us thinking – does he have any idea how foreign policy works at all? What is leading his administration’s strategy, and does it boil down to one thing: extortion? Chris and Nikki sat down with Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent, Nahal Toosi, to find some answers.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio/video editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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The ugly truth behind Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:01:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s trademark Big Beautiful Bill has passed – but not after a whole lot of scrutiny. What state is it in now, and what real-life impacts will it have on ordinary Americans? Plus, what the hell is Alligator Alcatraz? Nikki and Chris explain the GOP’s latest inhumane immigration tactic.

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Inside America's "lawless" Supreme Court – with Leah Litman

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0000

The US Supreme Court hasn’t been working well of late. To discuss why it’s so malfunctioning, Jarv speaks to Leah Litman, author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.

Buy Lawless through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Zohran Mamdani: What his win means for Democrats

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:35:00 -0000

Zohran Mamdani’s primary win has “baffled” establishment Democrats who can’t imagine why a young candidate with big new ideas might do well. We discuss what his win means and what it should force the Democratic party to do. Plus, Trump’s going off about Iran and bragging about stuff that isn’t real – so nothing new there. All that and more with your fave pals Nikki, Chris and Jarv (and Simon!) who are all back together once again.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Inside the Republican Party's long war on democracy

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump hates democracy – but that’s not exactly something new for a leading Republican. To understand the history of the GOP hating people they don’t like being able to vote, Jarv is joined by Thom Hartmann, progressive talk show host and the author of The Hartmann Report, who earlier this year wrote a piece called: The GOP’s 60-Year Conspiracy to Kill Our Democracy: None Dare Call It Treason—But I Will.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Evil and weird – Trump's ten year review!

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:32:00 -0000

How was the last decade for you? Well, I’m guessing Trump made it a little bit worse. Ten years after he descended that golden escalator, we look back on the ups and downs, mainly downs, of his time in politics. Plus, Nikki and Jarv round up other news you might have missed.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramiréz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump's lapdog – How Congress gave its power away

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0000

With Trump going feral you’d hope that Congress would do something to keep him in check. But that doesn’t appear to be the case whatsoever. And, it’s not a new thing – Congress has long been diminishing its own authority. Casey Burgat, host of the Mastering the Room podcast and director of the Legislative Affairs program at the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, joins Jarv and Chris to talk them through what’s going on.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Welcome to Trump’s police state

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:00:00 -0000

Trump finally appears to be getting what he wants – a draconian police state he can rule. Jarv, Chris and Nikki are joined by Asawin Suebsaeng, a senior political reporter at Rolling Stone to discuss this and more as they wrap up the increasingly terrifying news from the United States of America.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Inside the LA protests: “This is a fight for survival”

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:00:00 -0000

The news has focused heavily on sensational images from LA, but what is the real feeling among protestors – and how did this all escalate? Ben Camacho is a journalist covering the situation – who was shot by two rubber bullets himself doing so. He joins Jacob Jarvis to give an on the ground perspective of what’s happening.

See more of Ben’s reporting on LA at The Southlander: https://thesouthlander.com/

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Why Trump wants the Los Angeles protests to boil over

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:24:00 -0000

The scenes in Los Angeles are Trump’s fault – and it’s clear he wanted the situation to crank up, and he wants to make things worse. Nikki and Jarv discuss why the president is heightening tensions to give himself permission to act more and more like a dictator.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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MAGA vs. the CIA and the FBI – How US intelligence works and why it matters

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0000

America has the biggest intelligence operation in the world – but that wasn’t always the case. And under Trump – it might be completely trashed and pointless anyway. Mark M. Lowenthal, former assistant director at the CIA and author of Vigilance is not enough: A history of United States intelligence, joins Chris and Jarv to discuss the history of US intelligence and its uncertain future.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio and video edit by Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. Musk goes nuclear — The girls are fighting!

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:07:00 -0000

Musk and Trump’s messy breakup hit new nights this week. We recorded a whole episode, then it went nuts — so Nikki and Jarv jumped on for a late night call and unpacked the madness. Listen in then we have a big old chat for the main show, with Chris too! Yay!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio and video edit by Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Fox News: The Trump propaganda factory explained

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Fox News is weird and it’s absolutely huge. To talk about its ties to the Trump admin and how influential it is, Chris and Jarv spoke to Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters for America.

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Elon Musk, we hardly knew ye – with special guest Molly Jong-Fast

Fri, 30 May 2025 13:23:00 -0000

Elon Musk is packing his bags, he’s ready to go and he’d hate to wake you up to say good bye. But, is he really leaving politics, or is he still crawling like a little worm in Trump’s ear? (or brain, RFK Jr., let us know) We discuss the Tesla smart guy but maybe kinda dumb guy’s departure from frontline politics with Fast Politics host Molly Jong-Fast. Aaaand we wrap up stories you might have missed, from Trump targeting Harvard to the CIA using Star Wars websites to speak to spies. (Molly also has a new book out called How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir, and there’s a link to buy it below.)

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How Trump and RFK Jr. are risking a global health crisis

Tue, 27 May 2025 03:00:00 -0000

From cuts to Medicaid to trying to remove fluoride from water – Trump’s administration is making America's health worse off. Dr Celine Gounder is the Editor-at-Large for Public Health at KFF Health News and a leading voice on American healthcare – she joins Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones to get into how dangerous Trump's view on health is becoming and how it could be risking another global health crisis.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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The big Trump bill and the big Biden conspiracy theory!

Fri, 23 May 2025 12:34:00 -0000

Trump’s “big beautiful bill” made it through the House, so we discuss why this caused so many issues for the president and what it means for everyone else. Plus, Biden’s cancer diagnosis has got MAGA going crazy. Nikki, Chris and Jarv wade through the latest US news chaos.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis, and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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What does it take to fight back against Trump?

Mon, 19 May 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Protests are on the rise across the US against Trump and his policies. What impact will they have? What sorts are the most effective? And how do people get involved? Chris and Jarv discuss with Ami Fields-Meyer, senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and former senior policy advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump: The most corrupt president ever goes on tour!

Fri, 16 May 2025 13:17:00 -0000

Trump wants a new plane and why shouldn’t he be given one by a foreign state his family also does lots of business with? Oh yeah, there’s that thing called corruption. Chris, Jarv and Nikki unpack the latest dodgy dealings from Trump and the gang.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez, Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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How to handle Trump being a "blathering moron" – with Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times

Mon, 12 May 2025 03:00:00 -0000

It’s obvious to us all that Trump is terrible – but some people seem to struggle to say that. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times never pulls his punches, though. He joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss the latest Trump madness, the broader context, how he keeps tabs of it all and more. (Ps. We’ve wanted him on the show for ages – so hope you love it!)

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We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Inside Trump's latest plan to destroy America

Fri, 09 May 2025 16:55:00 -0000

Trump’s budget looks like a disaster, as he pledges to cut more spending on anything he doesn’t care about. This week he’s taking on greedy children with too many dolls, as he tells everyone else to spend less money so he can enjoy his gold-plated office in peace. Nikki, Chris and Jacob Dylan Jarvis aka Jarv pick apart the latest.

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RFK Jr. is totally wrong about autism. Here's why

Tue, 06 May 2025 03:00:00 -0000

RFK Jr. won’t stop talking about autism – and his comments are anti-science, wrong and generally offensive. So, we wanted to speak about just how bizarre and incorrect his stances are. Chris and Jarv are joined by Eric Garcia, The Independent’s DC bureau chief and author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.

Read Eric’s piece “RFK Jr calls autism an ‘epidemic’ and a tragedy. As an autistic journalist, I have some comments”

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Trump’s horrid 100 days – The worst bits you might have missed!

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:02:00 -0000

Trump’s first 100 days have been so awful that you’d be forgiven for forgetting some of the worst bits. Nikki, Chris and Jarv recap the horrible moments, and pick out their ‘highlights’, if you can call it that. Plus, it’s our first birthday – so we celebrate that and answer a load of your questions.

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Trump’s chaotic economy – An idiot’s guide!

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s economic chaos is hard to keep track of – even if you’re an expert. Well, we’re not experts – so we got one in to help us out. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, sits down with Chris and Jarv to talk through the madness and to try and make sense of it all.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump vs. America, JD Vance vs. the Pope and Hegseth vs. himself

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:13:00 -0000

It’s tough to do this show every week and make sense of what’s happening! And this week is one of the wildest yet so we figured we’d just let it rip… Nikki, Chris and Jarv get into everything from the Pope and JD Vance, Trump toppling the economy and his poll ratings, Hegseth calling things he’s admitted to the media hoaxes and RFK Jr. being the worst guy in the world! Oh, and Musk’s having a rubbish time too, poor bloke.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump vs. human rights

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:25:00 -0000

Donald Trump made it abundantly clear he doesn’t care about human rights this week, if it were ever in doubt. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack another horrifying week – and put into context just how unbelievably messed up what’s happening is.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump and Bukele – Inside the president's disturbing fascination with El Salvador

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump’s draconian move of deporting people to El Salvador with no due process disgusted onlookers – but unfortunately there could be worse to come. Nikki recently wrote a piece headlined The ‘Judicial Black Hole’ of El Salvador’s Prisons Is a Warning for American. Her and Jarv are joined by Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal, a human rights organization that has represented victims and the families of those displaced and disappeared in Central America for more than 20 years to discuss this warning.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s tariff u-turn — Why is he like this?!

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:13:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s U-turn on global tariffs was his genius strategy all along, according to his most loyal minions. But anyone conscious can see that blatantly isn’t true. So what caused Trump to place this 90-day pause on tariffs (apart from China)? And what has been the reaction to it? Chris and Nikki get into all of that and loads more!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump third term – Why we need to take his threats seriously

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Trump has said there are ways he could run for a third term. But, are there any which are legal and not insane? Jarv and Chris are joined by Casey Burgat, host of the Mastering the Room podcast to discuss the weird prospect of him sticking around for another few years beyond his current stay…

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Are Trump's tariffs breaking the world?

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:28:00 -0000

Trump’s tariffs speech was as weird and confusing as you’d imagine – and has ended up causing more frustration than liberation. What’s going on and is it good for anyone? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss all that and more from the weird world of US politics.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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"Democrats need to grow a f*cking spine!” – Kat Abughazaleh on her run for Congress

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Democrat incumbents are bracing for a raft of primary challengers in upcoming elections. Among those vying for a seat is Kat Abughazaleh, who’s appeared on the show in her role as an expert on right-wing disinfo. Now, she’s running for Congress and joined Jarv and Nikki to discuss what she’d want to do differently, what Democrats should be doing differently – and who among them should probably just step aside.

For more info on Kat’s campaign visit: https://www.katforillinois.com/

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We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Signal sh*tshow gives the Dems some ammunition!

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:51:00 -0000

The Pete Hegseth Signal chat disaster has finally put MAGA on the backfoot and given the Dems some ammunition. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss the fallout and ask where we go from here.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Who is Pete Hegseth? And could he destroy the US military?

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is at the centre of a scandal – so how bad things could things get under his watch? After a journalist was accidentally added to a group chat discussing war plans, all focus is on the former Fox News host we discuss if he’ll get fired – or if he’ll stick around making things worse. Ben Makuch is a freelance national security reporter who writes for the Guardian among other outlets and joins us for this bonus edition.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump and Musk vs. America’s safety net

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Trump and Musk are taking an axe to chunks of America’s social security infrastructure – so just how badly will this hurt ordinary citizens? Justin Glawe, independent journalist and founder of American Doom, joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss.

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Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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The Trump dictatorship begins

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:44:00 -0000

Donald Trump has been on a power grabbing spree – is he firmly behaving like a dictator? Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss the latest US political fallout and answer listener questions.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Everything Trump is getting wrong about immigration

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump takes being anti-immigration to a new extreme as president. On a human level, it’s clear for many to see why his policies are abhorrent. But, on a practical level, are they also just stupid? Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy expert and vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, joins Chris and Jarv to discuss just how damaging his policies could be for the United States.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump tanks the economy and becomes a Tesla salesman!

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:17:00 -0000

Donald Trump is tanking the US economy – what’s going to go wrong next? And how’s his job as a Tesla salesman going? We unpack all the latest American political mayhem.

Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Do Native Americans have a voice in the United States?

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

For centuries, Native Americans, Alaskans, and Hawaiians have faced hardship at the hands of the US federal government. Because of that, participation within the federal system is extremely low, with only 0.07 of elected officials being from indigenous heritage. Will that ever change? And what’s it like being Native in America today? Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz spent seven years in the Obama administration as a policy advisor focusing on homelessness and Native policy. She’s also an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and has authored the book: The Indian Card: Who gets to be native in America? She joins Chris to get into it all.

Buy The Indian card: Who gets to be native in America? - HERE

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio/ Video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Why did Trump say that?! – His first major speech unpacked

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:22:00 -0000

Trump’s first major speech as president was about as gross as you’d expect. What substance was there – and how much was just dishing out punishment to Democrats? Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack everything you need to know and answer listener questions.

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Trump and Zelenskyy’s Oval Office clash – what happens now?

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Trump and Zelenskyy’s fallout in the Oval Office, egged on by Vice President JD Vance, shocked onlookers and has left the world reeling. So, what comes next? Jarv and Nikki are joined by Matt Duss, executive director of the center for international policy and co-host of the The Un-Diplomatic Podcast, to discuss the fallout and what it means.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Is the tide turning on Elon Musk?

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:46:00 -0000

Elon Musk seems to be p*ssing off everyone – including members of the Trump cabinet. But, the president is still backing him and he’s still ploughing on with his DOGE plans. Nikki, Chris and Jarv unpack the latest mishaps and discuss how long Musk will last. Plus, we round up other news and answer listener questions!

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How to fight the Trump-Musk power grab – with former Alabama senator Doug Jones

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0000

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 should they communicate? And what makes him hopeful?

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramírez and Jacob Jarvis

. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump’s first month review!

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:18:00 -0000

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 weirdness after his and president’s love-in on Fox News. All that and more in a bumper panel episode – and we’ll be back with our interview episode on Monday!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramírez and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Can Trump really ignore the courts? – plus, Your guide to being hopeful as MAGA ruins everything

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:01:00 -0000

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? Plus, while the MAGA movement destroys everything, it’s hard to stay hopeful. Reverend Professor Keith Magee joins us to discuss how to bridge political divisions and stay, somewhat, positive in the new Trump era.

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Why is Trump letting Musk stage a coup? – Plus, the history of the new American empire

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:28:00 -0000

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 him? And Trump is talking about yet more expansion for the United States, now turning his focus to Gaza. Why’s he pushing for a new frontier?

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This week Chris and Jarv are joined once again by Casey Burgat, author of We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back – who is their very close second favourite American, Nikki’s still first.

Plus new guest Greg Grandin, Yale professor and author of the upcoming book America, America: A New History of the New World, joins to talk through the history of American imperialism and expansion.

Buy We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

Buy America, America: A New History of the New World through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Donald Trump takes on the world — plus, are China and America heading for war?

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 14:02:00 -0000

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 for how much longer can he get away with being so brutish? Plus, over half of Americans see China as the biggest threat to the US. How will Trump manage the relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and could Elon Musk act as a middleman between the two nations? Isaac Stone Fish is the founder and CEO of Strategy Risks and the author of America Second: how America’s elites are making China stronger. He joins the pod to go through it all!

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s first week review — Great for fascists, terrible for America

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 14:15:00 -0000

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 bad is it for America? Nikki, Chris and Jarv review the first week and rope in support from Tim Dickinson, senior politics writer at Rolling Stone.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Trump’s inauguration explained – Lies, executive orders and a Nazi salute

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Donald Trump officially became president on Monday – delivering a speech which was predictably full of lies, exaggerations and right-wing nonsense. Nikki and Jarv unpack the madness, and add the context that Trump certainly didn’t. Oh and they talk about Elon Musk doing a hand gesture which looked pretty suspect…

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What can Trump do straight away?

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 14:37:00 -0000

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? Our friend Casey Burgat, host of the Mastering the Room podcast and author of the upcoming book We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back, joins us to discuss. And, just what is America’s place in the world? Alan Friedman, author of The End of America? A Guide to the New World Disorder, talks us through the global positions of Trump, what the landscape he is coming into looks like – and what his presidency might mean for us.

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Why is Trump so obsessed with Greenland? – Plus: Why Zuckerberg is as bad as Musk

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:21:00 -0000

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 is he on about? And, Mark Zuckerberg has been zuck-ing up to Trump lately – is he just as bad as Musk? Plus, independent investigative journalist Jacqueline Sweet was banned from X for digging into a conspiracy theory about the Twitter owner and buddy-in-chief. She talks to us about her busy week.

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Why is Donald Trump supporting Musk over MAGA?

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 12:47:00 -0000

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 happened on January 6th 2021. Should we be worried about any chaos this time out?

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US Politics in 2024 recap: Weird bits, worst bits and what we learned

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0000

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 year that saw Trump elected President again.

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Trump's hush money fight fails – plus, why is everyone obsessed with drones?

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:11:00 -0000

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 made America’s right-wing angry and confused. Why have they dived into conspiracies and what’s the truth? As far as we know it anyway…

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Trump’s plan for America: “Don’t blame me!” – Plus, the Electoral College, an unsolvable problem? – with Latif Nasser

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:43:00 -0000

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Donald Trump’s first TV interview since winning the election didn’t disappoint, or did, depending on your point of view. Joining Kristen Welker on NBC News’s Meet the Press, he outlined his plan for the economy, immigration, and his “concepts of a plan” for healthcare. Did any of it make sense and is he already trying to spread the blame for impossible policy ideas? Plus, he claims the Democrats want all future elections to be decided exclusively by the Electoral College. Is that true? And is the voting system even fit for purpose? Writer, presenter, and host of WNYC Studio's Radiolab, Latif Nasser, joins the show to get into it all.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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Why did Joe Biden pardon Hunter? – plus a New York deep dive with Brian Lehrer

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:29:00 -0000

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Everyone’s in a flap about Joe Biden pardoning his son, Hunter. Is it as huge a deal as it’s made out to be? Will it really matter all that much politically? Plus, we look at Trump’s pardon records and the dodgy people set to be in his cabinet – like the Fox News host whose mum is now involved in the drama. And, WNYC radio legend Brian Lehrer joins us for a chat about New York politics.

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Trump’s legal cases: What you need to know — plus, how powerful is Fox News?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 12:22:00 -0000

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Donald Trump has swerved legal trouble once again — we unpack the latest as cases against him are dropped or postponed. Plus, Kat Abughazaleh from Mother Jones joins us to discuss the power of Fox News and the right-wing infosphere.

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Why did Matt Gaetz drop out – and how long will Musk last?

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:33:00 -0000

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 latest and ask how much Musk is annoying Trump – does anyone fancy a sweepstake on how long until he’s booted? Plus, Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, joins us to discuss Congress – what’s going on, what do we need to know, and what powers do its members hold over Trump?

Find out more about Casey’s upcoming book here.

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Who's in the Trump horror cabinet? – plus, Ro Khanna on the Democrats’ future

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:58:00 -0000

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 – and how Trump might get them through with no scrutiny. (we recorded before RFK Jr. was confirmed, so we’ve got plenty to discuss next show)

And Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing California’s 17th district, becomes our first real sitting politician guest! We discuss the future for Democrats as they look to turn the page from a tough election cycle.

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Are the Democrats ready to face reality? – The Trump-Harris aftermath

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0000

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 are they ready to reckon with their loss properly — and address the broader issues the party faces? Andrew Perez, senior politics editor at Rolling Stone, joins Nikki, Chris and Jarv to discuss.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production.

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Trump won. What now? – Election result special episode

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:23:00 -0000

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 terrible night for Democrats and democracy at large. In an early hours record, we pick over what we know so far as Trump declares victory and TV stations call it. The Senate has gone GOP too, who knows how the House will go.

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Trump or Harris: Who's going to win then?! - With guest Molly Jong-Fast

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:59:00 -0000

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 gut feelings.

And friend of the podcast Molly Jong-Fast, of Fast Politics, joins to describe what she’s going to be focusing on on election night and discuss the latest issues.

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Trump-Harris: How ugly is the election aftermath going to get?

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:08:00 -0000

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While we’re all focussed on the horse race, the question people are focussing on less is what will the aftermath to November’s vote be like? We discuss how the fallout will look, and just how ugly it might get. Plus, Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University and author of Anatomy of a purple state: A North Carolina politics primer, joins to talk about why North Carolina is key during this election.

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Taster – ‘Why do people join cults?’ – from the new series of Why? with Emma Kennedy

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0000

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 Kennedy talks to experts and theorists to discover the science and psychology of why we are the way we are.

In the first episode: Why do people join cults? And how do they get out? Emma Kennedy talks to world-leading cult deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross and NXIVM cult survivor Sarah Edmondson to discover the strange allure of the cult mindset.

Go here to hear the complete episode.

Follow on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode.

WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production and theme music by Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork by James Parrett. Additional music is from Artlist.io. WHY? is a Podmasters Production.

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Is Trump's campaign falling apart?

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 13:04:00 -0000

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 discuss what it means to call him a fascist with Dorian Lynskey, co-author of Fascism: The Story of an Idea. And in a guest double whammy, journalist and author Justin Glawe joins to discuss Georgia and how events there will impact the election result and beyond.

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Sign up to the ‘Electoral College’ tier and above to hear the full conversation with Dorian Lynskey.

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Harris's interview frenzy sparks new Trump meltdown – plus, do celeb endorsements matter?

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:38:00 -0000

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 Spillane, from social impact firm Impactual, about the power of celeb endorsements.

And, we announce we’re on Patreon! We want to keep going, but we need your support. Visit www.patreon.com/americanfriction to sign up for ad free episodes, extra bits, bonus editions and merch.

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The violent world of Trump: New Jan 6 revelations and more

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:12:00 -0000

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 sh*t – and there’s more evidence from Jan 6 to unpack too. Plus, we look at issues for Harris with natural disasters at home and conflict abroad. And, Jessie Opoien from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel joins us to discuss how key Wisconsin will be to the result in November.

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What did we learn from the Vance and Walz debate?

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 08:21:00 -0000

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 surprisingly… nice to each other? What’s that all about? Recorded in the small hours of Wednesday, Nikki and Jacob discuss the VP debate and what it means for the race.

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What the latest scandals mean for Trump and Harris

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:29:00 -0000

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, Robinson, Adams and RFK Jr. stories mean for the election.

Plus, Peter Baker, chief White House Correspondent for the New York Times, joins Nikki and Jacob to discuss the feeling around the White House, how Biden fits into the race, and give his views on how things are going on the campaign trail.

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Harris-Trump countdown: Everything you need to know with 50 days to go

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:08:00 -0000

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? Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the numbers, key issues and how the candidates are trying to gain the upper hand. Plus, Jon Ralston, editor of The Nevada Independent joins us to talk about why Nevada is going to be crucial in the election, in another swing state deep dive.

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Trump assassination attempt: Will this change the election race?

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:52:00 -0000

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 election? As the Republicans look to pin the incident on Harris and Biden, we ask whether that will work – and just how cynical a ploy it is. Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the fallout in this latest bonus edition.

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Trump's revenge fantasies: Why they matter

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:01:00 -0000

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 seriously. Plus, Brandon Tensley of Capital B joins to discuss the issues that matter to Black voters in this election. Aaand, of course, we talk about Taylor Swift – and the right-wing creeps making themselves look really weird talking about her.

Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the biggest issues in American politics.

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US election debate: How Donald Trump took Kamala Harris's bait

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 14:16:00 -0000

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 and lowlights of the TV showdown, including Trump’s bizarre and false comments about migrants eating pets. Nikki, Chris and Jacob give their hot takes and analyse the reaction. Who won the debate? Does any of it matter? All that and more in a special extra episode – don’t worry, we’re back on Friday with the main US election deep dive too!

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Is Trump losing his mind?

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:04:00 -0000

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 Biden’s did – and whether people are finally recognizing the former president’s deteriorating communication skills.

Join us as Erin Griffith from The New York Times sheds light on Elon Musk's influence on politics and the increasing involvement of Silicon Valley billionaires in political affairs. We also cover the latest polling updates and explore serious allegations of Russian interference through the alleged funding of right-wing commentators.

Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the most pressing issues in American politics, and dabble in a minor cognitive test of their own – and even recite some Trump speeches…

We're also on Youtube – watch here.

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Trump's QAnon posting spree explained – plus, Harris’s first interview: What we learned

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:36:00 -0000

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 why he’s descending into the conspiracy wormhole. Plus, Harris gave her first interview as a presidential candidate – what did we learn and how did she do? And, Ronald J. Hansen of the Arizona Republic joins us to discuss why Arizona is such a key state in the election.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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DNC highlights: Harris, Walz and Obama mania – plus, is Trump ok?

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 14:00:00 -0000

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 Michelle Obama, through Oprah. Plus, we look at what policy was spoken about – and what was absent. Then, we pick apart Trump’s meltdown as he fails to handle people being mean, nasty, bullies about him. And, if that weren’t enough, Zoe Clark of Michigan Public joins us to discuss how the state will be key in November’s vote.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Does Trump really think Musk can save his campaign?

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:38:00 -0000

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 theories about crowds at Harris rallies. Plus, Project 2025 is pushing more crazy policies for the next conservative US president. Andy Kroll, from ProPublica, obtained 14 hours of videos from the group – he explains what they mean and the ties to Trump they reveal.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

Buy The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America

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Tim Walz: Is Harris's VP pick really so perfect? — plus, Project 2025 madness explained

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:31:00 -0000

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 everyone’s gone crazy about him. The Dems are crazy in love, the Republicans, just straight up crazy. Is he so great – is there a bad thing we can say about him? Plus, Project 2025 has been a buzzword in attacks on Trump – how linked to him is it, how scary are its proposals, and should we take it seriously? Philip Bump, author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America and a columnist for the Washington Post joins us to discuss.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones chat about the latest issues in US politics – and reveal a band they all like too.

through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Why calling Trump and JD Vance “weird” works – plus, where the election will be won

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:15:00 -0000

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 not weird reaction. We discuss Kamala Harris’s latest tactic. Plus, we discuss more Trump drama after that disastrous interview, where he questioned Harris’s race. And, in a deep dive explainer, we discuss not only how but where the election will be won.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics – joined this week by special guest Kat Abughazaleh, of Mother Jones.

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Kamala Harris, Brat Summer, JD Vance's couch and more – with guest Molly Jong-Fast

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:51:00 -0000

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 unpack the ‘Brat’ meme tidal wave, her fundraising triumphs and everything else you need to know. Very, very special guest Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair correspondent and host of Fast Politics, joins us to give her take on Biden dropping out and what will come next.

Then Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the rest, including some very unfortunate sofa rumours.

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Joe Biden quits the race… what now?

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 22:29:00 -0000

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 Team Democracy, or taking a terrifying gamble? Can a new candidate stop the rot in the Dems’ polling? Will the Democrats go with Harris and if so, who will run with her? On an unprecedented weekend, Nikki, Chris and Jarv look at an utterly changed electoral reality – Harris’s special strengths – and how this seasoned prosecutor would fare up against Trump.

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis, Nikki McCann Rámirez and Chris Jones. Produced by Simon Williams. Group editor Andrew Harrison. American Friction is a Podmasters production.

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Trump and JD Vance take over the GOP — plus, how did American politics get so volatile?

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:40:00 -0000

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 f*ck is JD Vance and what is his problem? We discuss the VP pick. Plus, Gary Gerstle, Paul Mellon Professor of American history at the University of Cambridge, joins us to discuss shifts in American politics, MAGAnomics and more.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Trump shooting: What comes next?

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 19:16:00 -0000

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has left America shaken, more fractured than it already was, and confused. In the aftermath of the shooting of the former president, at a rally in Pennsylvania, the world’s focus has been dragged to the USA. We discuss what we know, what we don’t, how to talk about something this momentous, and where we go from here.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis, from Paper Cuts and Oh God, What Now?, and Chris Jones, The Bunker, talk through the initial fallout in this extra episode, which doubled as a group therapy session.

• The Pension Confident Podcast from PensionBee aims to improve listeners’ understanding of personal finance – whether that’s helping you to navigate the cost of living crisis, exploring the impact of your relationship status on your finances or discussing how to teach kids about money. Listen to the latest episode here: https://link.chtbl.com/FSF2Yu6y

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Clooney Tunes: The Presidential race gets weirder – Plus, can the Supreme Court ever be fixed?

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:09:00 -0000

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 own party and donors. Who’s got his back and who simply wants to see the back of him? Plus, can the Supreme Court be fixed? Chris and Nikki speak to Michigan University law professor and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, Leah Litman.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Trump’s Supreme Court victory - Plus, why do so many Christian voters support a convicted felon?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:17:00 -0000

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 prosecution. That is music to Donald Trump’s ears who’s facing more charges in the coming months. What does this change, and does it mean a president can now assassinate an opponent and get away with it? Plus, former advisor and speech writer for George W. Bush, Peter Wehner, joins the panel to discuss why he could never vote for the GOP whilst Trump is at the helm.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Biden's election debate horror show – plus the global events voters care about most

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:58:00 -0000

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 damage his election hopes? Plus, Nikki and Chris are joined by Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent, Nahal Toosi, to find out how the War in Gaza, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the threat from China is impacting how people might choose to vote come November.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

We are streaming LIVE on election night! Come and join your favourite panellists from Oh God, What Now?, The Bunker and Paper Cuts on YouTube from 10pm on Thursday 4th July as we react to the results live - you won't want to miss it. Visit https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow and subscribe now.

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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The Trump vs. Biden brain battle – plus, what the hell is a ‘cheap fake’?

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:13:00 -0000

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 shortcomings in the process. Who’s winning the battle of the brains? Plus, as weird clips of each candidate spread across the internet, media reporter Justin Baragona joins us to discuss the ‘cheap fake’ trend.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Does Hunter's conviction hurt Joe Biden's campaign? – plus, why the American media is f*cked

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0000

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 weaponise this? And will it work? Plus, we discuss Trump vs. sharks and electricity and other assorted weirdness. Then Jeff Jarvis, author of The Gutenberg Parenthesis and voice behind the BuzzMachine blog joins to discuss the state of the US media landscape and how this will shape voters’ decisions.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest from the campaign trail.

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Guilty verdict sends Trump world loco – plus, right-wingers fight themselves

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:18:00 -0000

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 violence. We discuss the craziness and how more ordinary Americans have reacted too. And, the Freedom Caucus is full of drama – we explain the right-wing Mean Girls. Plus, election denial and why covid conspiracies still matter.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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Trump trial verdict: Don found guilty on 34 charges — plus, is abortion 2024’s key election issue?

Fri, 31 May 2024 15:18:00 -0000

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 – guilty on all 34 charges. What a time to be alive. So, what does it mean for the election? Plus, Laura Kusisto of the Wall Street Journal joins us to talk about how abortion is the biggest issue for voters in 2024.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

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How to p*ss off Trump, with The Lincoln Project — plus, Nikki Haley loves Don, Biden gets nasty and more court drama

Fri, 24 May 2024 13:08:00 -0000

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 Trump’s trial and Supreme Court chaos. Plus, Biden on the attack – going harder at Don than we’ve seen so far. And, Nikki Haley is backing Trump now, what a surprise. Plus, Reed Galen – former Republican campaign operative and co-founder of The Lincoln Project joins to discuss how the group takes on the former president and get right inside his head.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US politics.

Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk

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The Trump vs Biden TV debates are GO – Plus “Satire IS the opposition,” says boss of The Onion

Fri, 17 May 2024 14:10:00 -0000

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 useful argument (fat chance) or a new low in WWE politics? Plus: Trump team tries to paint prosecution witness Michael Cohen as a liar, Steve Bannon might be going to jail (yay) and Farage says the Don has offered him a job (what?).

And special guest Ben Collins, CEO of the original satirical news site The Onion, on why comedy is the real powerhouse of opposition in American politics. With Chris Jones and Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone.

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Trump gets a Stormy ‘spanking’ — and how QAnon continues to warp minds in 2024

Fri, 10 May 2024 14:04:00 -0000

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 about his alleged but literal spanking, as described by Stormy Daniels. And we ask – what will voters think of it all? Plus, QAnon – how are conspiracy wingnuts shaping the election? Then we dig into the latest polling, look at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s latest failure and much more.

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, joins Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones to discuss the latest issues in US politics – and Mike Rothschild, author of Jewish Space Lasers and The Storm is Upon Us, dials in to discuss conspiracy theories – and how they might change how voters think.

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Alarm before the storm! – The Biden vs. Trump countdown, with guest Molly Jong-Fast

Fri, 03 May 2024 12:00:00 -0000

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 go, how (and where) are Biden and Trump still neck and neck? How is Trump’s trial for paying off Stormy Daniels taking shape? Are the campus Gaza protests and the police crackdown affecting the election? And should shooting a dog rule you out of elected office?

Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, joins Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones to discuss the latest issues in US politics – and Vanity Fair special correspondent and Fast Politics podcast host Molly Jong-Fast beams in from New York to give her take on the polls, the mood of the voters and the whole electoral thing.

• “You have one candidate who wants to end American democracy and one who is old. Somehow the media is treating these two things as though they are the same.” – Molly Jong-Fast

• “He’s been rehabilitated somehow since changing teams, but Michael Cohen has always been a sleazebag.” – Nikki McCann Ramírez

• “If Trump wins, will we have elections in four years? I don’t know.” – Molly Jong-Fast

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