Politics Weekly America
The Guardian
Every Friday, Guardian columnist and former Washington correspondent, Jonathan Freedland, invites experts to help analyse the latest in American politics. From politicians to journalists covering the White House and beyond, Jonathan and his guests give listeners behind the scenes access to how the American political machine works. With a global network of over 900 journalists and five dedicated editions covering news in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and beyond, the Guardian offers comprehensive reporting across every continent.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Politics
Networks:
The Guardian
Description:
Every Friday, Guardian columnist and former Washington correspondent, Jonathan Freedland, invites experts to help analyse the latest in American politics. From politicians to journalists covering the White House and beyond, Jonathan and his guests give listeners behind the scenes access to how the American political machine works. With a global network of over 900 journalists and five dedicated editions covering news in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and beyond, the Guardian offers comprehensive reporting across every continent.
Language:
English
Episodes
Watch out Greenland: Trump is pro-imperialism now
1/8/2026
If it’s not threats of military action against Colombia and Cuba, or talk of taking Greenland from Denmark, it’s seizing oil tankers in European and Caribbean waters. All of it has world leaders scrambling to figure out how to handle Donald Trump’s revived form of US imperialism. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Pulitzer-winning author Anne Applebaum about what to expect from a world changing by the hour at the hands of the US president
Duration:00:28:15
Trump captures Maduro and vows to ‘run’ Venezuela
1/3/2026
Early on Saturday morning, Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Hours later, they were indicted on drug and weapons offences in New York. Later on Saturday, he suggested that the US was “going to run” the country for the time being Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, about whether or not Trump is likely to end his military campaign in the region – or if this is just the beginning
Duration:00:20:12
Revisited: Is Trump building a political dynasty? – episode three
1/1/2026
Jonathan Freedland and the Politics Weekly America team are taking a break this week, so we’re replaying a special series made during the summer, all about the Trump family and whether the president is planning to pass on the political baton once he has to leave office. In the final episode of our special Politics Weekly America series, Eric Cortellessa, Rosie Gray and Dan Adler look ahead to the future of the Trump family’s political ambitions. Could one of Donald Trump’s children take up the political mantle? Or might the president wish to keep politics all to himself?
Duration:00:31:22
Revisited: Is Trump building a political dynasty? – episode two
12/31/2025
Jonathan Freedland and the Politics Weekly America team are taking a break this week, so we’re replaying a special series made during the summer, all about the Trump family and whether the president is planning to pass on the political baton once he has to leave office. In the second episode of our special Politics Weekly America series, the reporters Ashley Parker, Rosie Gray and Eric Cortellessa explain why some of Trump’s family decided to step back from political life, and who stepped up to get him back to the White House
Duration:00:30:50
Revisited: Is Trump building a political dynasty? – episode one
12/30/2025
Jonathan Freedland and the Politics Weekly America team are taking a break this week, so we’re replaying a special series made during the summer, all about the Trump family and whether the president is planning to pass on the political baton once he has to leave office. In the first episode, the author Gwenda Blair and the reporters Rosie Gray and Ashley Parker introduce us to the family members who helped Donald Trump succeed on his road to the White House and in his time in office
Duration:00:33:40
A Christmas message
12/26/2025
Jonathan Freedland and the Politics Weekly America team are taking a break this week, but will be back with a new episode in the new year
Duration:00:00:50
Trump in the White House: is it time to call it corruption?
12/19/2025
The White House has consistently denied that Donald Trump has ever engaged in conflicts of interest while president. But experts have been tallying up examples of decisions made over the last 12 months which, they say, amount to corruption coming from the highest office. Jonathan Freedland is joined by the anthropologist Prof Janine Wedel, as they wade through the most egregious allegations of corruption from Trump’s first year in office
Duration:00:28:12
The Birth Keepers: I choose this – episode one
12/13/2025
The Free Birth Society was selling pregnant women a simple message. They could exit the medical system and take back their power. By free birthing. But Nicole Garrison believes FBS ideology nearly cost her her life. This is episode one of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne Listen to the full series from The Guardian Investigates podcast
Duration:00:36:59
The real reason behind Trump’s nasty breakup with Europe
12/12/2025
This week, Donald Trump described Europe as ‘weak’ and ‘decaying’ and warned of ‘civilisational collapse’ on the continent due to immigration. His administration also published its blueprint for national security, which suggests that democracy might not be as important to the Trump White House as it has been for previous administrations. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the US military scholar Joseph Stieb about the Trump administration’s national security strategy
Duration:00:27:01
“This is war”: Is Trump about to invade Venezuela?
12/5/2025
Donald Trump has in recent months turned his attention to ousting Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. But the US president and his secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, are under scrutiny over military strikes on suspected drug boats from Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Tom Phillips about why people are accusing Trump of war crimes
Duration:00:28:08
Has a Texas law created ‘abortion bounty hunters’?
12/4/2025
A law has come into effect in Texas that will allow individuals in the state to sue abortion pill providers in other states. Proponents say it is a way to enforce abortion restrictions in Texas. Opponents worry about the methods complainants might use to find their evidence.
In this special episode, the Guardian US reproductive health and justice reporter Carter Sherman speaks to people who are using, providing and protecting abortion pills and those fighting against them in Texas
Duration:00:37:06
Maga moms, Trump babies and Erika Kirk: Republicans woo women in run-up to midterms
11/28/2025
Erika Kirk – the widow of Charlie Kirk, the rightwing activist killed in Utah in September – has indicated she would be willing to support JD Vance in a 2028 presidential bid. Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, invites senior Republicans on to her podcast for discussions with conservative women. And the Trump administration is developing baby-boom policies it hopes will help gain the backing of women in the midterm elections. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi about the Republican drive to win over women
Duration:00:27:16
Trump’s U-turn on the Epstein files and his bust-up with Marjorie Taylor Greene
11/21/2025
In an incredible U-turn, Donald Trump this week signed a bill directing the justice department to release more files from the investigation into the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes amid a huge bust-up with his former firebrand loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has led the calls for him to release the documents. Is this the start of a Maga breakdown? And where will this increasingly hostile row between them go? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Rolling Stone reporter Nikki McCann Ramirez about how the former allies fell out and what will happen next with the Epstein files
Duration:00:27:42
The Epstein files are back to haunt Trump
11/13/2025
Just when Donald Trump thought he could celebrate the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, the Democrats had a trick up their sleeve. They released another batch of emails, some from the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who wrote that ‘of course he knew about the girls’, referring to Trump. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s George Chidi about why the Epstein files will not go away and how the saga is likely to unfold over the next few weeks
Duration:00:25:24
As Americans face going hungry, Trump builds a ballroom
11/7/2025
The US government shutdown became the longest in history this week, crossing the 36-day mark. Food stamp benefits have been delayed for millions of Americans, and 10% fewer flights are going to take off from major airports across the country because government employees aren’t turning up to work since their pay was stopped. Rachel Leingang and David Smith discuss why the president has decided to focus his time on grand architectural plans instead
Duration:00:21:21
Mamdani wins in New York and takes the fight to Trump
11/5/2025
This time last year, no one had really heard of him. Now, Zohran Mamdani is the first Muslim, millennial and south Asian mayor of America’s largest city. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ed Pilkington about Mamdani’s historic win, his challenge to the president, and what the Democrats should take away from a successful night at the ballot box
Duration:00:29:54
Why is Trump talking about nuclear weapons?
10/31/2025
Less than an hour before Donald Trump met the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to discuss a deal that could end the trade war between the two superpowers, the US president posted on Truth Social that he had directed the Pentagon to match Russia and China in nuclear weapons testing. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Jonathan Czin, the former director for China at the National Security Council, about why Trump did this and whether he or Xi left South Korea feeling the strongest
Duration:00:32:19
Is Trump preparing for civil war?
10/24/2025
Millions of people across the US attended No Kings protests against Donald Trump last weekend. The president publicly denied he wanted to be a king, but he posted an AI-generated video of himself dressed as one, flying a fighter jet and dumping excrement on protesters. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the political scientist Barbara Walter about the tactics the Trump administration is using against protesters
Duration:00:28:58
Donald Trump: King of the world?
10/17/2025
Donald Trump has his hands in multiple pies around the world. Not satisfied with the Middle East, the president is attempting to end the war in Ukraine, influence elections in Argentina and manage conflict with Venezuela. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Andrew Roth about what happened to the ‘America first’ president. Having made himself the king of America, does Trump want to be king of the world?
Duration:00:30:00
Gaza ceasefire plan: how much credit does Trump deserve?
10/9/2025
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday night that Israel and Hamas had agreed the first phase of a new ceasefire deal in Gaza. We’ve been here before, but is it different this time? Has Trump proved the doubters wrong? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Julian Borger about the prospect for peace in the Middle East and the US president’s role in getting to this point
Duration:00:28:20