Trump

Donald Trump’s latest clash with the Pope has stunned even the more hardened of America-watchers. According to the President of the United States Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion people, is ‘WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy.’ He also claimed that, ‘If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.’ Is the war in Iran the only reason the Pope and the President have clashed? And what does it tell us about religious relations in the US today? In a special podcast collaboration, the host of Holy Smoke Damian Thompson and the host of Americano Freddy Gray discuss the dispute.

As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, what is Trump’s game plan? The Spectator’s cover piece this week, by Geoffrey Cain, argues that Trump’s ultimate target in this war is China; every dictator gone, weakens the Chinese regime. As Freddy Gray explains further on the podcast, Trump’s worldview is shaped by the events he grew up with – including then President Nixon’s visit to China in the 1970s. As well as making sense of Trump’s plan, the Spectator team take us through the dramatic events of the past week, including how Starmer appears to have alienated Britain’s allies over Iran. Plus – Lord Glasman makes the case for Reza Pahlavi, the Crown

Spectator World columnist – and Heritage Foundation fellow – Daniel McCarthy joins Freddy Gray to explain how Trump’s war with Iran could mark the end of an era, that of neoconservatism. For Daniel, there is no contradiction between Trump’s ‘America First’ policy and its overseas interventions: Trump is pursuing a version of hegemony that will reduce the need for future interventions. If all goes to plan, this could mark an ideological watershed that stretches back to the first Gulf War in the early 1990s – but it’s a big ‘if’. What if the conflict spirals out of control? To what extent was this driven by Trump, or by Netanyahu? And

Freddy is joined by historian and former diplomat, Charlie Gammell. They discuss the situation in Iran, whether the US is heading for a decisive confrontation, and examine the regional consequences: proxy warfare, Gulf energy security, Pakistan’s delicate position, and migration pressures on Europe.

Daniel Di Martino, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins Freddy Gray to discuss the ongoing situation in Venezuela. Over a month on from the ‘bold and spectacular raid’ and capture of Maduro, Daniel explains the reasons why he has hope in the government of Delcy Rodriguez and the changes that have occurred since – from the increase in the oil price to the release of political prisoners. With only three years left of the Trump presidency, how can he be sure that the interim president isn’t just playing for time? We hope our listeners will forgive the abrupt ending to this Americano episode, as the Spectator’s street was briefly

Freddy Gray is joined by John Carney, who leads finance and economics news for Breitbart, to discuss what Donald Trump will say at the World Economic Forum. Will the president ‘stick it to Davos man’ about tariffs and the world’s trade reliance on China? They also discuss how Trump’s quest to resolve the cost of living crisis has led him to find common ground with unlikely figures: Zohran Mamdani and Elizabeth Warren.

Lawyer Alan Dershowitz joins Freddy Gray to react to the 20,000 newly released Epstein emails — and why he believes far more remains hidden. He discusses Trump’s appearance in the documents, the contradictions in Virginia Giuffre’s testimony, the FBI’s real “client list”, and why judges are still sealing major depositions.

To watch the debate in full, go to https://spectator.com/article/americano-live-is-america-great-again/ American commentator Ann Coulter and British columnist Peter Hitchens join host Freddy Gray live in London to debate whether America is great again—and what the Trump era means for both sides of the Atlantic. From immigration and national identity to executive power and the rule of law, they clash over whether Trump has delivered real change or simply accelerated a dangerous new politics.