Americast

Conspiracy theories are swirling, and in this episode we answer your questions about the shooting - targeting the president and top figures from his administration - at the White House correspondents dinner in Washington DC.
Justin and Anthony join Matt Chorley from 5 Live, where we also discuss questions around whether the US Secret Service should have evacuated President Trump more quickly, and why the Vice President JD Vance was whisked away from the stage before the president.
We also discuss the role of the “designated survivor” and whether this protocol was followed at the weekend - what does it mean, and could it have been?
We also talk about why the Trump administration is making threats about the Falkland Islands and the Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s view of talks in Europe about Iran.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email [email protected]
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Grace Reeve and Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm

The US president says the gunman who stormed a security perimeter at the White House correspondents’ dinner had written a “manifesto”.
Investigators are continuing to examine a possible motive for the attack which appeared to be aimed at the president and his top aides.
In this episode, Justin and Sarah talk to the BBC‘s state department correspondent Tom Bateman who was at the dinner and was in the room as it all happened.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
GUEST:
• Tom Bateman, BBC State Department Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email [email protected]
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Alix Pickles and Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

What happened when Americast’s Sarah Smith cold called the US president? In this episode, Sarah and Anthony thoroughly unpack her phone call with Donald Trump, how she planned the interview…and also, she tells us what happened when the US president unexpectedly called her back.
Listen to what Donald Trump told Sarah about next week’s state visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla, and how he thinks it could help repair relations with the UK. He also has advice for how Keir Starmer can recover after the fallout from Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Plus, Sarah asks Trump about his earlier threat to “wipe out” an entire civilisation in Iran.
HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email [email protected]
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Top Comment BBC Sounds - Top Comment - Available Episodes

A small election in Virginia looks set to have a major impact on Donald Trump’s power, and the capacity to derail the rest of the president’s second term in office.
Overnight, voters in Virginia approved a measure to redraw the state’s political map in favour of the Democrats, who now stand to gain as many as four additional seats in November’s midterms. Given Trump’s thin majority in the House of Representatives, that shift could be enough to flip Congress and put Democrats back in control of the nation’s legislature.
The debate around ‘gerrymandering’ began when Donald Trump urged conservatives to push through redistricting in their own states to redraw their own maps in favour of Republicans, sparking retaliation from Democrats in places like California and Utah.
The Democrats argue the Virginia election is about restoring fairness while Republicans have accused the party of acting like hypocrites. Will voters be turned off by the tactics, where does it all end, and which party stands to gain in the midterm elections?
HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email [email protected]
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm

BBC News investigates claims that traders have been betting millions of dollars just before president Trump makes major announcements over Iran. Some of the biggest movements have been in oil trades. Sarah, Justin, Anthony and Marianna join Matt Chorley on 5Live to answer your questions on what this means for the Trump administration and whether the US president is likely to investigate the claims?
We also discuss the FBI Director Kash Patel with new allegations of alcoholism and absenteeism made by the Atlantic. He denies them. However, critics say the timing of his new claims - that his department has evidence to prove the 2020 election was rigged - are conveniently timed to placate Donald Trump. Has he impressed the president enough so far to keep his position? Or could he be next to be fired?
Plus, we answer your questions on the FIFA world cup, where fans are outraged at astronomical travel fares, some of which are 11 times the usual price. Has Trump struck a deal with FIFA which puts profit over punters? And could outpricing fans end up hurting Trump’s image?
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
• Matt Chorley, 5 Live Presenter
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email [email protected]
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Top Comment BBC Sounds - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm