Podcast

Americano

American politics is ever more divisive and The Spectator‘s Americano podcast delivers in-depth discussions with the best American pundits to keep you in the loop. Presented by Freddy Gray.

American politics is ever more divisive and The Spectator‘s Americano podcast delivers in-depth discussions with the best American pundits to keep you in the loop. Presented by Freddy Gray.

Americano

Which campaign has the better ground game?

Republican strategist, and friend of Americano, Luke Thompson joins Freddy Gray to talk about the ground game of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. From postal voting, to party registration, to machine politics, whose is better? And what impact did Biden’s exit from the race have on the organised parts of the Democratic Party?  With Luke’s unique

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Americano

Should a true populist not support Trump?

Journalist, historian and friend of Americano Thomas Frank joins Freddy Gray to dissect the state of American politics. Author of books, including the famed What’s the matter with Kansas? How conservatives won the heart of America and, most recently, The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism, Frank talks about his research into the origins of populism, the

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Americano

Is the enlightenment over?

Amy Wax is a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, known for her views on race, culture, and social policy. Recently, Amy faced suspension from her teaching duties following remarks that sparked debates over academic freedom and the limits of discourse in the classroom. Amy joins Freddy Gray on the Americano show to

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Americano

Is JD Vance the next Republican presidential nominee?

Last night the Vice Presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz went head to head in a televised debate. It began with the war erupting in the Middle East, followed by a clash over abortion and immigration. Freddy Gray speaks to Sarah Eliot from Republicans Overseas about why Vance came out on top, and whether

Play 18 mins

Americano

Will America go to war with Iran?

Israel has launched what it has described as “limited, localised and targeted ground raids” in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s deputy leader says they’re ready for a ground offensive. It comes as more than 1000 people have been killed in the past two weeks in Lebanon. Could they be heading for all-out war? Is it possible that

Play 42 mins

Americano

What happens if the American election is a tie?

America has a peculiar way of deciding national elections. Instead of a cumulative national vote, the president and vice president are determined by fifty separate state elections. The top ticket in each state (except Nebraska and Maine) receives all that state’s electoral votes, no matter how slim the margin of victory. Each state’s electoral votes

Play 32 mins

Americano

Will Pennsylvania decide the US election?

Freddy Gray is joined by Oliver Bateman, historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. They discuss how important Pennsylvania will be during the election, the mail-in ballot system, and the state of the race. 

Play 31 mins

Americano

Are Big Tech monopolies the biggest threat to democracy?

A handful of Big Tech companies seem to run our lives, and there’s a good argument that they can be considered monopolies within their industries. In a landmark ruling recently, a US judge found that Google acted illegally with their exercise of monopoly power within the online search industry. On this episode, Freddy is joined

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Americano

Are Democrats to blame for the repeated attempts to kill Trump?

As if there hadn’t been enough drama in America in 2024, Donald Trump has survived another assassination attempt. The attempted killing of the 45th president at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida yesterday afternoon was not nearly as threatening or deadly as the shooting nine weeks ago in Butler, Pennsylvania – but questions remain

Play 23 mins

Americano

What did we learn from the Harris Trump debate?

Millions of viewers tuned in to watch the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump last night. Was there really any big winner from the evening? Freddy Gray is joined by Sarah Elliott, spokeswoman for Republicans Overseas UK, to assess the highlights and discuss where the race might go following their first interaction.

Play 24 mins

Americano

Has Trump lost his mojo? Andrew Neil & Piers Morgan on America’s 2024 election

The Spectator’s chairman Andrew Neil and journalist Piers Morgan join Freddy Gray, host of the Americano show, to analyse the presidential race so far. Piers reveals what Donald Trump told him after he was shot, and they Andrew and Piers both give their predictions on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will win their first

Play 28 mins

Americano

Has everyone got election fatigue?

Freddy Gray is joined by Bridget Phetasy, comedian and Spectator World columnist. They discuss whether everyone is suffering a bit of election, and Trump fatigue – including Trump himself. They also cover Putin trolling America, and Bridget gives her predictions for the upcoming presidential debate.

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Americano

Risk-takers, US election & the power of luck in politics – with Nate Silver

Labor Day is a critical mile-marker on the road to the general election. Now just two months away, pollsters are busy processing data and making predictions, but nobody really knows whether it will be Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in the White House. Nate Silver is one of America’s most well-respected pollsters. The former poker

Play 34 mins

Americano

Will Kamala actually build the wall?

In a CNN interview, Kamala Harris has been pressed on why her policies on immigration have become more moderate since 2019, when she ran for president. Republicans have been accusing her of flip-flopping on her border wall policy. In this episode, Matt McDonald, managing editor of The Spectator’s US edition, fills in for Freddy whilst

Play 32 mins

Americano

Harris-Walz interview: what did we learn?

Kamala Harris and Vice President nominee Tim Walz have done their first interview together for CNN. They covered Kamala’s first day in office if elected, Israel-Gaza, Walz’s army credentials and the economy. Harris has been under scrutiny having avoided all media interviews since Biden’s decision to step down. Did she do it justice? Jon Levine

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Americano

John Mearsheimer on Ukraine, Israel-Gaza and the US election

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to discuss the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, and the influence of both on the US election. The Israel-Gaza conflict has led to internal divisions within the democratic party, how will Kamala Harris deal with this? And as the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ebbing, what does

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Americano

What do the Democrats believe in?

Freddy Gray speaks to Aidan McLaughlin, the editor in chief of Mediaite, and Andrew Cockburn, the Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine, as the Democratic National Convention draws to a close. Kamala Harris has had a dramatic rise to the top of the democratic ticket, but what does she really believe in? And is opposition to

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Americano

What’s happened to RFK Jr?

Third-party candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr is widely expected to drop out of the US presidential race soon, and possibly endorse Donald Trump. Live from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Freddy Gray speaks to Ben Domenech, the Editor at Large of The Spectator World, about how this could affect the election.  As the DNC approaches

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Americano

Biden’s farewell & the power of Pelosi

President Joe Biden wrapped up the DNC’s first night by beginning his long political farewell. Due scheduling issues, the speech was bumped from prime-time TV, sparking outrage with his team. Biden has spoken at every convention since 1976 – how memorable was the send off? Freddy Gray speaks to Christopher Hale a Democratic operative and

Play 23 mins

Americano

Democrats, Labour & ‘working people’

It is day one of the DNC. Freddy Gray meets two Labour MPs, Lucy Rigby (North Northampton) and Mike Tapp (Dover and Deal) who have been invited to the convention to inform the Democrats on how to appeal to ‘working people’.

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Americano

What do Americans think of Britain’s online policing?

Douglas Murray joins Freddy Gray to discuss free speech in Britain following the sentences handed down after the riots, how different free speech is in America, and how Douglas himself became a victim of online hate. 

Play 29 mins

Americano

Is Elon Musk a great man of history?

On this week’s episode of Americano, Freddy Gray sits down with journalist and Spectator author Ed West who writes the Substack Wrong Side of History and Richard Hanania who writes the Richard Hanania Newsletter to discuss Elon Musk’s interview with Donald Trump on Twitter (X), how much influence Twitter has both in the UK and

Play 34 mins

Americano

Is Trump having a meltdown?

Since Kamala Harris ascended to top of the ticket, there have been reports of meltdowns in Trump world, with Republican strategists suggesting Trump is having a public breakdown. Has the era of a thoughtful, poignant Trump already disappeared? Also on the podcast, Kamala Harris’s VP pick came as a shock to many Democrats, with insiders

Play 37 mins

Americano

Who is Kamala’s VP pick – Tim Walz?

Freddy Gray sits down with political commentator and podcaster Dash Dobrofsky to discuss today’s news that Kamala Harris has picked Tim Walz to be her running mate. The Governor of Minnesota was joint favourite alongside Josh Shapiro. But who is Tim Walz? And can he stand up to JD Vance in the debates?

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Americano

What will Biden do about Venezuela?

Venezuela’s leader President Nicolas Maduro is still manoeuvring to stay in power, following disputed election results and hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to protest. The opposition maintains that the result is fraudulent. Biden is facing increased pressure to intervene. What will his next move be? Freddy Gray is joined by Eli Lake, reporter

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Americano

How long will Kamalamania last?

In the short time since Joe Biden has stepped aside for Kamala Harris’s candidacy, the Democratic party has totally switched on the gears for ‘Kamalamania’. On this episode, Freddy Gray talks to Kate Andrews about the disingenuousness of the hype, how social media drives it (and in particular, TikTok), and whether the enthusiasm for Kamala

Play 26 mins

Americano

Will Kamala Harris implode? With Alex Castellanos

Freddy Gray is joined by political consultant Alex Castellanos to discuss the candidacy of Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ nominee for President and why, at this moment, she is the biggest threat to Donald Trump – but how long will that last? This was originally recorded for Spectator TV.  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.

Play 36 mins

Americano

Biden backs out: can anything stop Kamala Harris?

What happens after Joe Biden? The President has announced that he won’t run for re-election. Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris, his Vice President, to be the new Democratic nominee. Can she convince Democratic voters, and the rest of the US? The Spectator’s Freddy Gray and Kate Andrews are joined by Tim Stanley, columnist for the

Play 19 mins

Americano

How much pressure is Biden under?

As more Democrats call for Joe Biden to pull out of the presidential race, Freddy Gray is joined by Damon Linker and Jacob Heilbrunn to discuss what could happen next. Who is influencing his decision and how transparent are top Democrats being with the public? They also discuss potential contenders to replace Biden, including Vice-President

Play 26 mins

Americano

Eric Kaufmann on DEI, the contagion effect and free speech

The Spectator’s Freddy Gray sits down with author and professor of politics Eric Kaufmann. They discuss the dangers of DEI, why Eric blames the bleeding heart liberals for the woke contagion and why it is possible much worst than originally thought. You can also watch this episode on Spectator TV:

Play 49 mins