Americanswers... on 5 Live! Did Trump ambush Zelensky?

12 snips

Mar 3, 2025

Tensions escalated during a fiery White House encounter between Trump and Zelensky, raising questions about premeditated motives versus spontaneous conflict. The podcast dives into the unpredictable dynamics of U.S. foreign policy, especially as public opinion and poll ratings fluctuate. It explores the GOP's internal struggles under Trump's sway and the courage shown by Zelensky amidst a shifting American support landscape, alongside the role of media in shaping political narratives in today's polarized climate.

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ANECDOTE

Oval Office Clash

Trump and Zelensky clashed angrily in the Oval Office.
Trump accused Zelensky of disrespect and ungratefulness.

INSIGHT

A Planned Humiliation?

Zelensky's meeting with Trump might have been a planned setup for public humiliation.
The clash highlighted differing priorities between the US and Ukraine.

INSIGHT

Submissive Leaders

Unlike Zelensky, Macron and Starmer appeared submissive to Trump.
Zelensky may have been ill-advised, failing to recognize the shift in US foreign policy.

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Presidents Trump and Zelensky clashed on Friday night in a furious exchange at the White House, during which Trump accused the Ukrainian president of “gambling with World War III.”

The future of the world now seems more uncertain, and people naturally have a lot of questions.The team try to provide them as they join Matt Chorley for a special edition of their weekly Q&A.

Was the conflict manufactured by a Trump-friendly reporter? How has Congress reacted? Has the incident hurt Trump in the polls? All will be answered in today's edition of Americanswers

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations 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

This episode was made by Rufus Gray and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producers were Ben Andrews and Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. 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. The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm