Ben Rhodes, the ex-White House deputy national security adviser and confidante to President Obama, comes on to talk about the global rise of authoritarianism and how American foreign policy helped shape what he calls the “the 9/11 generation.”  And there’s a sensational comeback for one of the most influential men in Washington. Not Jon Sopel, another beauty (he’s still in London.) But Donald Trump, is preparing to hold the first post-presidential rally. We hear from POLITICO’s White House insider Anita Kumar about how Trump plans to stay relevant and why he’s always the elephant in the room for Joe Biden.

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The authoritative twice-weekly US news and politics podcast from BBC News, Americast investigates the social and cultural issues that define America today. Is Joe Biden too old to win another go in the White House? What does Donald Trump’s latest criminal charge mean for the Republican campaign? And why have issues such as LGBT rights, global warming and the war effort in Ukraine become so divisive across the US political spectrum? From foreign policy to pop culture, Americast keeps you up to date and in the know about the stories that matter with on-the-ground insights from right across the US. Americast is hosted by trusted journalists including the BBC’s North America editor Sarah Smith, North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, presenter Justin Webb, and disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring. Joined by special guests each week such as former chief medical adviser to the president, Dr Anthony Fauci, former FBI director James Comey, CNN anchor and author Jake Tapper, Succession actress J Smith-Cameron, and Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire from podcast RedHanded, they look at America through an international lens, trying to make sense of the increasingly polarised political debate. Each week on Americast, Marianna Spring also brings listeners the latest update on BBC Undercover Voters, the award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. Marianna has created undercover voters – multiple social media accounts belonging to different characters who sit across the US political divide. By tracking the content that is pushed at each of them, this investigation will cover a turbulent time for US politics with speculation over a Trump bid for the presidency and Biden facing domestic and international challenges. 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast Find out more about our award-winning "undercover voters" here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.

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Donald Trump is no stranger to Megyn Kelly. The pair had a very public fallout in 2015 after the former Fox anchor questioned his temperament in a Republican Party debate. These days the pair are back on speaking terms, with Trump often choosing to do longer interviews with one of America’s most recognisable broadcasters. And on the day he became the first ever president to face a criminal trial, Megyn Kelly joins us to give her thoughts on how much the trial could affect the outcome of November’s election, the Democrat’s strategy to beat him, and whether we might see a televised debate between the candidates. HOSTS: 
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter 
• Sarah Smith, North America editor GUEST: 
• Megyn Kelly, journalist and host of the Megyn Kelly Show podcast 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155  This episode was made by George Dabby with Catherine Fusillo, Claire Betzer and Natasha Mayo. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Megyn Kelly on Trump's Trial, Abortion and TV Debates

In a heavily-trailed announcement on Monday, Donald Trump released a video on his Truth Social platform to announce his position on abortion.  Having been considered one of the most anti-abortion presidents in history, he has now said it is a matter for states to decide and later confirmed he would not sign a federal abortion ban. His stance has led to a backlash from senior Republicans, including his former vice president, Mike Pence. Could the backlash extend to the ballot box in November? HOSTS: 
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter 
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent  GUEST:
• Lisa Lerer, political correspondent for The New York Times 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast  Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.  US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155  This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray, Natasha Mayo, Catherine Fusillo, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Has Abortion Eclipsed Trump’s Campaign?

Orenthal James Simpson, known to the world as OJ, lived many lives. First as one of the greatest ever running backs in the history of the NFL, then as a Hollywood movie star.  His fame skyrocketed, however, when he was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The ensuing ‘trial of the century’ gripped and divided the nation. As the news broke, the team interrupted their normal recording to relive the shocking events of his life, trial, and acquittal. Anthony, who was then living in LA, recalls the backdrop of racial tension that underpinned the murder case that gripped the US. HOSTS: 
* Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
* 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
* Or use #Americast  Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.  US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155  This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Life and Death of OJ Simpson

Americanswers is back! In the latest edition of Americanswers, Miles Taylor and Katie Hill join us once more to answer your questions.  This week we look at some challenges from listeners about the evidence of social media’s polarising effect in the US, and whether we do enough to hear from Donald Trump’s supporters. We also look at the foreign policy record of the former president as we assess whether the US was safer under his watch. HOSTS: 
•  Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter 
•  Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent GUESTS: 
•  Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland Security
•  Katie Hill, former Democratic congresswoman 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
•  Or use #Americast  US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155  This episode was made by George Dabby with Catherine Fusillo, Claire Betzer and Natasha Mayo. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Americanswers: Trump Diplomacy, NPR and How Do Algorithms REALLY work?

Joe Biden and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Thursday for the first time since the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza this week. Netanyahu has called the incident an “unintended strike”, but the White House has said it’s ‘outraged’. Back home, US policy toward the Gaza war is causing problems for the president. A growing campaign of voters are using their ballot to protest Biden’s handling of the crisis. Jeremy Bowen joins us from Jerusalem to assess whether the US/Israel relationship has ever been this strained and we assess how Joe Biden can deal with the domestic ramifications of the war ahead of the 2024 election. HOSTS: 
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter 
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent 
• Katty Kay US Special Correspondent GUEST:
• Jeremy Bowen, International Editor 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 Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast  Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.  US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155  This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo, Claire Betzer and Natasha Mayo. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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