The Trump victory and the collapse of the Democratic Party vote completely shocked political onlookers. But how did it take the Dems so badly by surprise? And are they ready to reckon with their loss properly — and address the broader issues the party faces? Andrew Perez, senior politics editor at Rolling Stone, joins Nikki, Chris and Jarv to discuss.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction  We’re now on...

Trump is president elect. F*ck’s sake, Chris and Jarv were right and Nikki’s fears were realised. There’s no beating around the bush, this looks like a terrible night for Democrats and democracy at large. In an early hours record, we pick over what we know so far as Trump declares victory and TV stations call it. The Senate has gone GOP too, who knows how the House will go.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch:...

The election is nearly here. So, who’s going to win? We look at the state of play with a few days to go, and Jarv forces Chris and Nikki to talk about their gut feelings.  And friend of the podcast Molly Jong-Fast, of Fast Politics, joins to describe what she’s going to be focusing on on election night and discuss the latest issues.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction  We’re now on Youtube:...

• Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: patreon.com/americanfriction  While we’re all focussed on the horse race, the question people are focussing on less is what will the aftermath to November’s vote be like? We discuss how the fallout will look, and just how ugly it might get. Plus, Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University and author of Anatomy of a purple state: A North Carolina politics primer,...

Try the new science and psychology podcast Why? –  from the makers of American Friction. Why? is the podcast for curious minds. Every Thursday, presenter Emma Kennedy talks to experts and theorists to discover the science and psychology of why we are the way we are.  In the first episode: Why do people join cults? And how do they get out? Emma Kennedy talks to world-leading cult deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross and NXIVM cult survivor Sarah Edmondson to discover the strange allure of the cult...

Trump is cancelling interviews, refusing to answer questions and acting like a cursed wedding DJ at the moment. Has his campaign lost all direction? Plus, we discuss what it means to call him a fascist with Dorian Lynskey, co-author of Fascism: The Story of an Idea. And in a guest double whammy, journalist and author Justin Glawe joins to discuss Georgia and how events there will impact the election result and beyond.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free...

Harris went on a media frenzy this week – how did it go? What did we learn and what’s missing? And why has it made Trump lose it? Plus, we speak to Ashley Spillane, from social impact firm Impactual, about the power of celeb endorsements.  And, we announce we’re on Patreon! We want to keep going, but we need your support. Visit www.patreon.com/americanfriction to sign up for ad free episodes, extra bits, bonus editions and merch.  Follow us on social...

The Trump campaign has been a little bit “sane washed” after JD Vance’s polished debate performance. Sorry to tell you, Trump is still saying and doing crazy sh*t – and there’s more evidence from Jan 6 to unpack too. Plus, we look at issues for Harris with natural disasters at home and conflict abroad. And, Jessie Opoien from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel joins us to discuss how key Wisconsin will be to the result in November.   We’re now on Youtube:...

JD Vance and Tim Walz went head-to-head in what looks likely to be the final debate between candidates ahead of the presidential election. And they were surprisingly… nice to each other? What’s that all about? Recorded in the small hours of Wednesday, Nikki and Jacob discuss the VP debate and what it means for the race.  We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follow us on social media:  Twitter Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki...

The amount of scandals in US politics right now is hard to keep up with. But, fear not – we’re here to catch you up. And, we discuss what the latest Trump, Robinson, Adams and RFK Jr. stories mean for the election.  Plus, Peter Baker, chief White House Correspondent for the New York Times, joins Nikki and Jacob to discuss the feeling around the White House, how Biden fits into the race, and give his views on how things are going on the campaign trail.  We’re now on Youtube:...

It’s less than 50 days until the US presidential election and polls are on a knife edge. As Harris and Trump race to the finish — what could change things? Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the numbers, key issues and how the candidates are trying to gain the upper hand. Plus, Jon Ralston, editor of The Nevada Independent joins us to talk about why Nevada is going to be crucial in the election, in another swing state deep dive.  We’re now on...

In our latest US presidential election deep dive, we discuss the recent Trump assassination attempt. What do we know so far and how it will impact the election? As the Republicans look to pin the incident on Harris and Biden, we ask whether that will work – and just how cynical a ploy it is. Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the fallout in this latest bonus edition.  We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follow...

In this week's US presidential election deep dive, we analyse Donald’s Trump pledge of revenge against election workers – and discuss why we should take it seriously. Plus, Brandon Tensley of Capital B joins to discuss the issues that matter to Black voters in this election. Aaand, of course, we talk about Taylor Swift – and the right-wing creeps making themselves look really weird talking about her.  Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone magazine, Jacob Jarvis, and Chris Jones discuss the...

Join us for an in-depth analysis of the latest US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In this bonus episode, we dissect the highlights and lowlights of the TV showdown, including Trump’s bizarre and false comments about migrants eating pets. Nikki, Chris and Jacob give their hot takes and analyse the reaction. Who won the debate? Does any of it matter? All that and more in a special extra episode – don’t worry, we’re back on Friday with the main US election deep dive...

In this week's deep dive into the US presidential election, we examine why Donald Trump’s cognitive abilities and decline are receiving less scrutiny than Joe Biden’s did – and whether people are finally recognizing the former president’s deteriorating communication skills. Join us as Erin Griffith from The New York Times sheds light on Elon Musk's influence on politics and the increasing involvement of Silicon Valley billionaires in political affairs. We also cover the latest polling updates...

This week: Trump went on a tirade on Truth Social sharing misogynistic posts and QAnon conspiracy theories after the latest indictment against him. We discuss why he’s descending into the conspiracy wormhole. Plus, Harris gave her first interview as a presidential candidate – what did we learn and how did she do? And, Ronald J. Hansen of the Arizona Republic joins us to discuss why Arizona is such a key state in the election.  Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris...

This week: The DNC has been a lot. We give our instant reaction to Kamala Harris’ speech, then discuss wider themes and keynotes from Tim Walz, to Barack and Michelle Obama, through Oprah. Plus, we look at what policy was spoken about – and what was absent. Then, we pick apart Trump’s meltdown as he fails to handle people being mean, nasty, bullies about him. And, if that weren’t enough, Zoe Clark of Michigan Public joins us to discuss how the state will be key in November’s vote.     Nikki...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump is desperate for relevance so he’s tried chatting to Musk and pushing AI theories about crowds at Harris rallies. Plus, Project 2025 is pushing more crazy policies for the next conservative US president. Andy Kroll, from ProPublica, obtained 14 hours of videos from the group – he explains what they mean and the ties to Trump they reveal.     Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate – and everyone’s gone crazy about him. The Dems are crazy in love, the Republicans, just straight up crazy. Is he so great – is there a bad thing we can say about him? Plus, Project 2025 has been a buzzword in attacks on Trump – how linked to him is it, how scary are its proposals, and should we take it seriously? Philip Bump, author of The...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump and JD Vance have been really angry at being called weird – which is a totally not weird reaction. We discuss Kamala Harris’s latest tactic. Plus, we discuss more Trump drama after that disastrous interview, where he questioned Harris’s race. And, in a deep dive explainer, we discuss not only how but where the election will be won.  Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Kamala Harris is all set to replace Biden in 2024 – how’re things going so far? We unpack the ‘Brat’ meme tidal wave, her fundraising triumphs and everything else you need to know. Very, very special guest Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair correspondent and host of Fast Politics, joins us to give her take on Biden dropping out and what will come next.  Then Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones...

No Campaign For Old Men: Joe Biden rocks the 2024 Presidential race by pulling out and endorsing Kamala Harris. Is he bowing to the inevitable, taking one for Team Democracy, or taking a terrifying gamble? Can a new candidate stop the rot in the Dems’ polling? Will the Democrats go with Harris and if so, who will run with her? On an unprecedented weekend, Nikki, Chris and Jarv look at an utterly changed electoral reality – Harris’s special strengths – and how this seasoned prosecutor would...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. This week: Trump returns to the limelight at the RNC. Is the GOP totally his now? And who the f*ck is JD Vance and what is his problem? We discuss the VP pick. Plus, Gary Gerstle, Paul Mellon Professor of American history at the University of Cambridge, joins us to discuss shifts in American politics, MAGAnomics and more.  Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones discuss the latest issues in US...

The new series counting down to the US Presidential Election. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has left America shaken, more fractured than it already was, and confused. In the aftermath of the shooting of the former president, at a rally in Pennsylvania, the world’s focus has been dragged to the USA. We discuss what we know, what we don’t, how to talk about something this momentous, and where we go from here.  Nikki McCann Ramírez, of Rolling Stone, Jacob Jarvis, from Paper Cuts...