Americano

Freddy Gray sits down with Jacob Heilbrunn to discuss Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to send long-range missiles into Russia, how significant this decision is ahead of an incoming Trump administration — and what American foreign policy could look like with Trump. 

Freddy Gray is joined by political operator and consultant Roger Stone, a Floridian, to discuss Trump’s cabinet appointees. Susie Wiles, Marco Rubio, Matt Gaetz are all set to be part of Trump’s new team — what’s behind Florida’s growing influence within the Republican Party?

As Donald Trump selects his new cabinet, Elon Musk has been chosen to head up the new efficiency department. Douglas Murray, Spectator columnist, joins Americano host Freddy Gray to discuss. How will their relationship shape Trump’s presidency? What will Musk’s ownership of X, formerly Twitter, mean for free speech? And will their newfound friendship last…

Freddy Gray is joined by Todd Bensman, journalist and fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. They discuss the border crisis that Trump will inherit from the Democrats and whether he can do anything to solve it. 

Freddy Gray speaks to The Spectator’s Russia editor Owen Matthews about Trump’s plan for Ukraine. How much leverage does he have in negotiations with Putin? Plus, what does a Trump presidency mean for the future of NATO itself?

Kate Andrews is joined by Nick Gillespie, host of The Reason Interview and Freddy Gray. They discuss whether Trump 2.0 could be different in his final time in office. Will he “drain the swamp?” And will the Democrats learn the lessons from their election loss?

Kamala Harris has delivered her concession speech, signaling the start of the Democrat post-mortem. Donald Trump has secured a total victory, the kind which gives him a mandate to make some pretty radical reforms. Americano guest host Kate Andrews is joined by Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, to discuss what a second Trump term…

Of the seven crucial swing states, Trump has so far won North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Republicans have taken the Senate back from the Democrats. How did things go so badly for Kamala Harris? Is this the end of identity politics? Lionel Shriver, author and columnist, joins The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews…

Donald Trump has won the election and will be 47th president of the United States after winning the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Georgia. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” the Republican candidate told supporters. “This is a magnificent victory for the American people, that will allow us…

Results are coming in across the United States and the early signs look very good for Donald Trump. At the time of recording, the betting markets are with him and the famous New York Times “Needle” has swung to a “likely” Trump victory. To give you the latest updates, Kate Andrews is joined by The…

Last night, Donald Trump appeared for what will be his last ever presidential campaign rally, for a crowd of about 12,000 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He stuck with tradition and ran through many of his greatest hits — dishing out insults, talking about his scrape with death, and dancing to “YMCA.” But he also hammered…

Freddy keeps up Americano tradition by speaking to Daniel McCarthy ahead of the election. On the podcast they discuss how Trump’s get-out-the-vote project is working and the impact low-propensity voters could have on the result, whether this election will be plagued by inefficiencies in the American electoral system and if J.D. Vance is actually the heir apparent…

Spectator contributor Lionel Shriver declares she is America’s “last undecided voter.” Why? Is it the candidates’ characters that put her off voting for them, or the policies they represent? Lionel joins guest host Kate Andrews to discuss further. 

As we get closer to the election, Kate Andrews, The Spectator‘s economics editor, joins Freddy Gray to host Americano. On this episode, she speaks to Megan McArdle, columnist at the Washington Post. They discuss why Donald Trump and Kamala Harris aren’t campaigning in swing states, and why it’s so difficult to predict the election result.

In this special live edition of Americano, Freddy Gray chairs a panel discussion with The Spectator’s Kate Andrews, the Telegraph’s Tim Stanley and pollster James Kanagasooriam on the upcoming US election. He’s then joined by Nigel Farage, Member of Parliament for Clacton, leader of Reform UK and friend of Donald Trump, to unpack how the presidential…

Keir Starmer can’t even fly to Samoa without another international British embarrassment breaking out. The latest is an angry accusation from Donald Trump’s campaign that Labour is committing the crime of “election interference” in the United States. “The British are coming!” screamed a typically camp Trump-Vance official press release last night. The campaign denounced Britain’s…

To discuss whether the Electoral College is out of date and in need of reform, Freddy Gray is joined by Michael Kazin — a professor of history at Georgetown University and emeritus coeditor of Dissent. His most recent book, What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party, has just been released in paperback.

Two weeks to go until the American election and politics is ever more divisive. Freddy Gray is joined by The Spectator’s Kate Andrews and lecturer at Queen Mary University of London Dr. Richard Johnson about the Latino vote, class politics, abortion and both guests make predictions for the 2024 election.

Polling suggests that the Catholic vote helped Trump win in 2016 and helped Biden win in 2020. Biden is also the most church-going president by far. With issues like immigration and abortion high on the agenda for voters, where will the Catholic vote land? And how important is the idea of being culturally Catholic compared…

Indian Americans are the second-largest immigrant group in the United States. They’re also one of the most successful. That includes the election campaign; Kamala Harris, Usha Vance, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy. Freddy Gray is joined by Shruti Rajagopalan, economist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. They discuss the buzz around Indian Americans in…

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 organized parts of the Democratic Party?  With Luke’s unique…

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…

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…

Israel has launched what it has described as “limited, localized and targeted ground raids” in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s deputy leader says they’re ready for a ground offensive. It comes as more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks in Lebanon. Could they be heading for all-out war? Is it possible that…

The vice presidential nominees J.D. Vance and Tim Walz went head-to-head in a televised debate on October 2. 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 he…

What if, in this razor-thin election, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris fall one vote short of 270? Freddy Gray is joined by Charles Lipson to answer that question. You can read the rest of his piece here.

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. 

Cenk Uygur is a broadcaster and host of The Young Turks show. On the show Freddy Gray speaks to Cenk about the 2024 US election and Kamala’s “word salads”; language used by the Democrats on abortion and whether Kamala can strike a chord with the pro-Palestine voters in America.

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…

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 on Sunday afternoon was not nearly as threatening or deadly as the shooting nine weeks ago in Butler, Pennsylvania — but questions…

Millions of viewers tuned in to watch the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Tuesday 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.

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.

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 America will end up with Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in the White House. Nate Silver is one of America’s most well-respected pollsters. The…

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 World, fills in for Freddy while he’s…

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,…

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy 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 he…

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 Donald Trump…

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 its climax,…

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…

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 America and whether the right-wing men are…

Since Kamala Harris ascended to the top of the ticket, there have been reports of meltdowns in Trumpworld, with some 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 Tim Walz pick came as a shock to many Democrats,…

Venezuela’s leader President Nicolás Maduro is still maneuvering 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…

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 favorite alongside Josh Shapiro. But who is Tim Walz? And can he stand up to J.D. Vance in the debates?

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…

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. 

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…

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…

Journalist Christopher Caldwell joins Freddy Gray to discuss Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance. Once “NeverTrump,” now a close ally of the former president; what’s J.D, Vance’s route into Trumpian politics? Freddy and Christopher also ask who is J.D. Vance, what’s Hillbilly Elegy and what’s the strategy behind Donald Trump’s choice? 

Freddy Gray is joined by writer Roger Kimball. With the dust beginning to settle from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, they look at how this could have happened, and what’s gone wrong. They also take a look at how important Donald Trump’s vice president pick will be, and who might be in the running.

Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt while speaking at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Freddy Gray speaks to The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews about what we know so far, and where the presidential campaign goes from here. 

Freddy 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.

As speculation over whether Biden will remain in the presidential race continues, Freddy Gray speaks to journalist and founder of News Items John Ellis about what could happen next. How did Democrats end up in this situation and who holds the most power in influencing Biden’s decision? They also look ahead to next week’s Republican National Convention…

The war in Ukraine is only bogging America down, says Elbridge Colby, a former national security advisor to the Trump administration. On this episode of Americano, Colby tells host Freddy Gray why the US should — and likely will — reduce its support to Ukraine and Europe, to focus on the increasing threat China poses…

The dust has settled from a catastrophic TV debate for Joe Biden. What are the possible options going forward? Are things changing behind the scenes? Freddy Gray assesses the situation with Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest. 

Freddy Gray speaks to pollster Patrick Ruffini about the first 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Just how bad was it and can Biden survive his performance? They discuss the reaction to the debate, including a surprising theory going around Republican circles. 

Freddy Gray speaks to academic and Spectator writer Charles Lipson about what to expect from tonight’s presidential debates and whether Trump or Biden’s performance could influence the election. 

Freddy speaks to Jacob Howland, provost and dean of the Intellectual Foundations Program at the University of Austin, about the spread of college protests across American universities in response to the Israel-Gaza conflict. How have campuses become such hotbeds of anti-Israeli sentiment and what has the influence of Marxism been? They also discuss the intersection…

Freddy is joined by Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS and columnist for the Washington Post. They discuss liberalism, the state of America, and identity politics. They also cover Fareed’s new book, Age of Revolutions, which asks one central question: what are the causes of the seismic social disruptions we are going through and…

Kate Andrews speaks to Michael Cannon, the director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, to discuss how the US government prevents medical professionals and entrepreneurs from offering higher-quality, lower-cost care. Michael explains what policies can improve access to healthcare — both in America and Europe.

Freddy Gray speaks to Jeremy Carl, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute. They discuss his book, The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism is Tearing America Apart. They also cover affirmative action and where America goes from here.

Freddy Gray speaks to Haz al-Din, one of the leading theorists of MAGA Communism. They ask, what does the term mean, is it feasible and how would they like to change America? 

Freddy Gray is joined by Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who has served as media consultant to seven US presidential campaigns. They discuss Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, his search for a vice president and if there’s any way Joe Biden can tarnish his image. 

Freddy Gray is joined by Christopher Butler who is executive director at Americans for Tax Reform to discuss what Trump’s trade policy might look like in a second term. Should economists be worried about a 10 percent tariff?

Freddy Gray speaks to Ben Smith and Nayeema Raza from the Mixed Signals podcast. They discuss the state of American media, whether the US has any appetite for public service broadcasting and whether America is too cynical about the press.

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to talk about the powder keg situation in Eastern Europe, why Putin is possibly the least hawkish of possible Russian leaders and why Israel has lost escalation dominance.

Donald Trump has been found guilty of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records. The Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver joins Freddy Gray to respond to the news. Was it a fair trial? What could it mean for the 2024 presidential election? And what are the wider implications for American democracy?

Freddy Gray speaks to author and Spectator contributing editor Jacob Heilbrunn about what another term in office for Donald Trump might mean for America’s foreign policy, its relationship with Israel and the war in Ukraine. How have his views changed since last time? And what will his relationship with Putin be like?

Next week the world may know whether Donald Trump becomes the first US president to receive a criminal conviction. But could this verdict help or hinder him? Tom Lubbock, co-founder of pollsters JL Partners, joins Freddy Gray to discuss. They also analyze the dynamics at play in current polling: why is Trump doing better in…

New York Post writer Miranda Devine joins Freddy Gray to discuss Joe Biden’s unpopularity. Why are Americans increasingly not supporting him? And how have Biden family scandals and rumours affected trust in the president? In a week that Biden gave a commencement speech, they also discuss the recent controversy over NFL kicker Harrison Butker’s speech.…

Matt McDonald, managing editor of the US edition of The Spectator, joins Freddy Gray to discuss whether Biden is losing the swing states, the potential outcome of the Trump-Biden TV debates and who the polls are spelling trouble for. 

Freddy Gray talks to columnist and commentator Guy Benson about who is in the running to be Trump’s VP. Who does Trump want? But more importantly what does the Trump ticket need? Also: Biden/Trump debates appear to have been confirmed. Who will the debates benefit most? And how relevant are they in the digital age?

Freddy Gray talks to writer Curtis Yarvin about how Alexander Hamilton was America’s Napoleon, why Putin is more of a royal than King Charles and why Yarvin admires FDR. Yarvin is voting for Joe Biden at the next election, but not for the reasons you might think. Could Biden 2024 strengthen the case for American isolationism?

Freddy Gray speaks to the journalist Nellie Bowles about her new book: Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches From the Wrong Side of History. As someone who had fit into the progressive umbrella, her book recounts issues that arose when she started to question the nature of the movement itself. Freddy and Nellie discuss the challenges of the progressive-conservative…

Freddy speaks to Norman Ornstein, political scientist and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. They discuss the possibility of Donald Trump becoming a dictator, his ongoing court cases and if there’s a double standard in the treatment of Trump versus Biden.

Freddy speaks to Victor Davis Hanson, classicist, military historian and political commentator. They discuss his new book The End of Everything and ask whether the west should be taking note of history in order to avoid annihilation, and where the US is heading. 

Freddy Gray speaks to writer, podcaster and musician Coleman Hughes. His latest book The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America put forward Martin Luther King’s teachings for a colorblind society. On the podcast they discuss Coleman’s recently appearance on The View; whether Coleman thinks Trump is racist and how the Israel-Gaza war exposed the failings of…

Freddy speaks to Angus Hanton, entrepreneur and author of Vassal State: How America Runs Britain, and William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party. They discuss the “Special Relationship” between the US and the UK, and ask whether it might be detrimental to British business. 

Freddy speaks to the diplomat and author Dennis B. Ross, who worked under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He was a special advisor on the Persian Gulf. They discuss the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the flak that Joe Biden has come under for his response. Can the US…

Freddy Gray is joined Alan Dershowitz, American lawyer and author of Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process and Our Constitutional Rule of Law. They discuss Trump’s “hush money” trial, what it means for the election and what it tells us about the flaws in the American legal system. 

This week, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a law from 1864 that bans nearly all abortions in the state. But where do Trump and Biden stand on abortion — and will it be a deciding factor in the 2024 election? Freddy is joined by Inez Stepman, fellow at the Claremont Institute, and Daniel McCarthy, editor of…