Freddy Gray

Freddy Gray

Freddy Gray is deputy editor of The Spectator and the editor of the US edition. He hosts Americano on YouTube.

Why the Trump-Russia story never ends

From our UK edition

In June, Tulsi Gabbard found herself in a difficult position. As a dovish Iraq war veteran who happens to be Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, she’d spent weeks trying to stop America launching air strikes against Iran. She’d cited intelligence reports which contradicted Israeli suggestions that Tehran was just days away from having a nuclear bomb. Trump didn’t want to know. ‘I don’t care what she says,’ he told reporters, before ordering the strikes on Iran. Gabbard had been humiliated. Surely she had to resign? Nothing is sure in Trumpworld, however, and humiliation is half the fun. Rather than falling out with the Donald, Gabbard instead redoubled her efforts to please him.

Ann Coulter: On immigration, Trump 2.0 and the Epstein Files

Ann Coulter, an American author, lawyer and conservative media pundit, joined Freddy Gray on the Americano podcast last Friday to discuss why she backs the UK's Reform party, why she supports Trump in his second term, what's really going on with the Epstein files and more. Here are some highlights from their conversation. Why don’t politicians follow through on illegal immigration promises? Ann Coulter: Americans have been voting not to give illegals benefits, to deport them, to make sure they can't vote, for now almost half a century, and the politicians will never give it to us. That was what was so striking about Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. Oh my gosh, they really seemed to mean it.

Freddy Gray and Ann Coulter

Why Trump wins and why Reform can win

From our UK edition

28 min listen

Freddy Gray is joined by author Ann Coulter in London, to discuss why she backs the rise of Reform UK, how immigration main issue voters care about this election and why she's supports Trump in his second term. Ann Coulter's Substack can be found at: anncoulter.substack.

How progressivism killed American Protestantism

From our UK edition

Freddy Gray speaks to Christopher Mondics who is a legal affairs writer about how the left-wing orthodoxy has destroyed Protestantism in America. They discuss the mainline denominations in America, how 'wokeness' infiltrated the churches and why, despite some drop off, religion is still so present in America.

Trump deals

The Art of the Dealmaker-in-Chief

Who really thought Donald Trump’s America was about to join the stampede of first-world powers promising to recognize Palestine at the United Nations?  "Wow!" He exclaimed this morning on Truth Social. "Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them."  All over the world, commentators convinced themselves that Trump’s expression of concern on Monday about "real starvation" in Gaza meant he was pivoting with global opinion and against Israel.  It turns out, however, that Team Trump is not for turning when it comes to the Middle East. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has accused the countries now embracing Palestinian statehood of falling for "Hamas propaganda".

What should we make of Trump’s trip to the UK?

From our UK edition

Donald Trump is in Scotland, holding court at Turnberry. He's welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course, and had a long discussion with reporters at a wide ranging press conference, that covered Russia, Gaza, and his long running feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan. To unpack it all, Freddy is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, and deputy US editor Kate Andrews.

What should we make of the Starmer-Trump relationship?

From our UK edition

It’s often the rotator blades of Marine One that blare over Donald Trump’s voice as he stands near the helipad on the south lawn of the White House. In Turnberry, Scotland, it was bagpipes. Trump, playing host to the British Prime Minister in Britain, performed his now familiar ingratiation ritual as he welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course. “Our relationship is unparalleled,” he said, above the din. He flattered the PM’s wife and even suggested, in his delightful nonsensical way, that she is a well-known figure all over the United States.   Lucy Dunn is joined by US editor Freddy Gray and political editor Tim Shipman to discuss what the trip means, and what we should make of the Starmer-Trump relationship.

Starmer’s disingenuousness on free speech won’t fool Trump

From our UK edition

It’s often the rotator blades of Marine One that blare over Donald Trump’s voice as he stands near the helipad on the south lawn of the White House. In Turnberry, in Scotland, it was bagpipes. Trump, playing host to the Prime Minister, performed his now familiar ingratiation ritual as he welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course. 'Our relationship is unparalleled,' he said, above the din. He flattered the PM’s wife and even suggested, in his delightful nonsensical way, that she is a well-known figure all over the United States. Finally, the bagpiping stopped and the world could hear as Trump and the reporters rattled through the news-points. Somebody fired off a question about free speech.

Is Epstein the new Russiagate?

From our UK edition

28 min listen

Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator writer Roger Kimball. They delve into the Epstein claims, the media's handling of the story, Trump’s economic agenda, and whether the MAGA movement is holding strong or starting to splinter.

Will AI have rights?

From our UK edition

17 min listen

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator writer Paul Wood about his piece this the latest edition of Spectator World on AI and whether it will soon have rights. This first came about when Paul went to live in Rome and discovered some of the work the Vatican has been doing in AI.

Trump – the conventional foreign policy President?

From our UK edition

28 min listen

Trump has said he's "very, very unhappy" with Russia, and threatened severe tariffs against them if there's no deal on Ukraine within 50 days. He's also sending more weapons to Ukraine in coordination with NATO. What's behind his change of heart on foreign policy, and how's his MAGA base responding? Freddy Gray is joined by deputy US editor Kate Andrews, and Sergey Radchenko, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. You can watch this episode here.

Why does Trump like Starmer so much?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

It can now be revealed that a Ministry of Defence data leak has cost the UK some £7 billion and put thousands of Afghans at risk of death. A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022. Ministers were informed of the debacle in August 2023; since then, an unprecedented super-injunction has been in place to stop the press from reporting details. What does this mean for successive governments?

Is Texas eating Hollywood?

From our UK edition

20 min listen

Freddy Gray is joined by editor-at-large of The Spectator World, Ben Domenech. They discuss why Hollywood productions are being drawn away from California to states like Texas, and what this could mean for the future of filmmaking in America. Ben writes about this in the new edition of Spectator World, and you can subscribe to the print magazine here: https://thespectator.

The end is AI: the August issue of The Spectator coming soon

Artificial intelligence can be an elusive topic for good journalism. Everybody wants to talk about it; nobody has much to say. Yet it is the biggest – and potentially scariest – subject of our time. We are hurtling towards potentially the biggest technological shift in history and nobody knows quite what to do about it. That’s why we have decided to make AI the focus of our August edition. We believe it’s another gem. Inside, we have Marc Warner, CEO of the AI company Faculty, warning that we may be on the cusp of developing an alien intelligence far beyond our control. Rachel Tyrell (a pseudonym) looks at the furious race between tech moguls to reach the super-intelligence finish line.

AI

Is Ghislaine Maxwell serving time for Epstein’s crimes?

From our UK edition

35 min listen

The FBI has declared there is no client list linked to Jeffrey Epstein—an announcement that pours cold water on years of speculation about a secret roster of powerful figures tied to his sex trafficking crimes. But what does this mean for Ghislaine Maxwell, who remains behind bars for her role in Epstein’s network? Ian Maxwell, British businessman and brother of Ghislaine Maxwell, responds to the FBI’s statement and argues that his sister’s conviction was the result of a deeply flawed trial. Ian describes Ghislaine’s harsh prison conditions, her ongoing legal battles—including a possible Supreme Court appeal—and maintains that she is innocent, determined to clear her name, and still paying the price for Epstein’s crimes.

Crooks

Will the FBI shed light on the Trump shooting?

Kash Patel and Dan Bongino have this week found out the painful way that running the Federal Bureau of Investigation is a lot harder than podcasting. Having spent years on endless shows suggesting that the "Epstein Files" could reveal the Deep State’s darkest secrets, the now Director and Deputy Director of the FBI find themselves insisting that, contrary to what they may have said, Jeffrey Epstein did, in fact, kill himself; that he did not have a list of blackmailable clients; and that he sexually abused more than 1,000 girls pretty much all by himself.Nobody believes that, of course, and Donald Trump’s angry reaction on Tuesday to a reporter who dared to ask about the most famous sex offender of all time, has done nothing to put the conspiracy theories to rest.

Can Keir defrost the ‘entente glaciale’?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Zut alors! The French are in town. Emmanuel Macron is on his state visit this week, spending time today with the King and tomorrow with the Prime Minister. His itinerary includes a state dinner and an address to both Houses of Parliament this afternoon. All the pageantry, of course, is for a reason: to defrost what Tim Shipman calls the ‘entente glaciale’ and the stalemate over migration. Keir will be hoping to get the French to sign a ‘one in, one out’ migration deal – with Labour seemingly surprised that, upon coming into power, the French didn’t roll over and make concessions on small boats when a left-wing government took office. Can we expect a new entente cordiale? Is there anything in it for Macron when it comes to stopping the boats?

Did Condé Nast shape the world?

From our UK edition

35 min listen

In this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks with New York Times writer and debut author Michael Grynbaum about his new book Empire of the Elite, a sweeping history of Condé Nast – the media empire that once dictated American taste, fashion, and celebrity. From Anna Wintour’s carefully staged exit to the vanished world of glossy magazine grandeur, Grynbaum charts how the institution that once crowned cultural royalty is struggling to stay relevant in an era of TikTok stars and Substack columnists. On the podcast they explore the rise of celebrity culture, the influence of British identity on Condé’s editorial direction, and the complex relationship between Donald Trump and the house that built (and later disowned) him.

Trump scrambles to close the deal

In the early hours of this morning, Donald Trump must have been thinking that, compared to passing legislation through Congress, Middle Eastern diplomacy was a doddle. "FOR REPUBLICANS THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE!" he Truth-Socialled at about 1 a.m., as a small band of conservative rebels threatened to block the passage of his big, beautiful bill in the House of Representatives. "RIDICULOUS!!" Trump desperately wants to celebrate Independence Day at the White House tomorrow with a flamboyant signing ceremony for his domestic spending mega-bill. It would mark, in his mind, another week of winning bigly. Of course, the rule of Republican politics in the 2020s is simple: what Donald wants, Donald gets.

Big beautiful bill