Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Trump a better friend to Britain than Biden?

Jul 21, 2025

The hosts dive into the unique dynamics of US-UK relations, spotlighting Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland and contrasting him with Biden. They unravel the Epstein scandal's impact on Trump's loyal supporters, exploring the tension between loyalty and truth. Another fascinating topic is the move to lower the voting age to 16 in the UK, examining its potential effects on American politics. Additionally, they discuss the America Party and its possible disruption of the political landscape, all while addressing the role of social media in shaping today’s political discourse.

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INSIGHT

Trump's Rift Over Epstein Files

Donald Trump's failure to reveal the Epstein client list has caused a rift with his MAGA base.
This shows a limit to his influence, as his base suspects he might be hiding something.

INSIGHT

MAGA Base Suspicious of Trump

The MAGA online community sees Trump's Epstein silence as a betrayal of their anti-establishment hopes.
They suspect he might be part of the cover-up, shaking their trust in him.

INSIGHT

Secrecy of Grand Jury Transcripts

Grand jury transcripts in high-profile cases are generally sealed to protect witnesses and jurors.
Trump seeks unsealing Epstein transcripts, but key evidence likely lies outside these documents.

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As Trump heads to the UK this week in an unprecedented second state visit, the Americast team discuss whether the historic ‘special relationship’ between the UK and USA is better than ever - and what to look out for ahead of the president’s trip to Scotland.

The team also unpack why the Epstein files are continuing to divide Trump from his MAGA base, and whether or not Elon Musk’s much-anticipated America Party really could change the face of American politics.

And as England and Wales move to lower the voting age to 16, the team predict the political outcomes of more Gen Z voters taking to the American ballot box.

Matt Chorley is joined by the full roster of Americast experts on 5 Live this week, to answer your questions on the week’s biggest stories.

HOSTS: • Matt Chorley, 5 Live presenter • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior 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 Tim Walklate and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The social producer was Sophie Millward. 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 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.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm Radical: BBC Sounds - Radical with Amol Rajan - Available Episodes