Americano

Today Freddy is joined by Sarah Elliott, senior advisor for the US-UK special relationship unit at the Legatum Institute. They discuss Lord Cameron’s visit to America this week and the news that speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson snubbed a meeting with the UK foreign secretary. Is the special relationship still special? 

Suspected Israeli air strikes were launched on targets in Syria this week and Israel’s war in Gaza has entered its seventh month. Americano regular Jacob Heilbrunn joins Freddy to discuss what an escalating situation in the Middle East could mean for Joe Biden. What’s the Democrats’ strategy? And how could this impact the 2024 election?

Freddy is joined by evolutionary biologist and host of The DarkHorse Podcast Bret Weinstein. They discuss the Darien Gap, an area of Panama which has become a focal point for America’s migrant crisis. Bret has spent some time investigating the area: what’s going on? 

Freddy speaks to pollster Cliff Young about Biden’s recent gains. Is Florida becoming more of a swing state again? Does Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take more votes away from Biden or Trump? And how much pressure do pollsters feel to get things right?

Freddy Gray speaks to editor-at-large of the Wall Street Journal Gerard Baker about why the media’s wrong reporting of Trump’s “bloodshed” comments have played to his advantage; why America has lost trust in its institutions; and whether voters think the economy was better off under Trump. 

Freddy Gray speaks to political science researcher Richard Hanania about his (relative) optimism regarding the future of America, and how exactly Sydney Sweeney might have “ended wokeness.”

Freddy speaks to Rob Henderson, author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, in which he coins the term “luxury beliefs.” These are certain beliefs held by a section of the elite which confirm and elevate the status of those who hold them. As a consequence, they can cause harm to those…

Freddy Gray talks to political science lecturer Damon Linker about the latest developments in the Biden and Trump campaigns. Why did Biden’s fiery State of the Union Address provide him no uptick in the polls? In what ways does Trump fatigue affect each candidate’s chances? And does Trump’s greater popularity with non-white low propensity voters…

Freddy Gray speaks to Matt McDonald, The Spectator World’s managing editor about the campaign to ban TikTok and who from the Republican Party supports the bill.

Freddy Gray speaks to author Robert Bryce whose recent docuseries Power Politics & The Grid explores the growing vulnerabilities of America’s electric grid. On the podcast they talk about Trump versus Biden energy policy; why Europe needs America’s energy and what environmentalism could look like in 2024. 

Freddy Gray is joined by John R. MacArthur, president and publisher of Harper’s magazine, to discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his candidacy in the presidential election.

For this Super Tuesday discussion, Sarah Elliot, head of the Special Relationship Unit at the Legatum Institute, joins Freddy to chat about the predicted Trump-Biden victory; what Nikki Haley will do next and who could be Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick. 

Freddy talks to political technologist Eric Wilson about the role technology and media will play in the 2024 election. They cover the differences in strategy between the Democrats and the Republicans, why television is still the best medium for reaching voters, and the role of social media influencers. 

In this special episode of Americano, The Spectator‘s UK editor Fraser Nelson explores Trump’s candidacy with political commentator Deroy Murdock, and The Spectator‘s economics editor Kate Andrews.  They debate the influence of his rhetoric on American politics. How important is language? Will his achievements as president be enough to secure his re-election? Does personality Trump…

Freddy Gray speaks to James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at Focal Data, about the state of the polls. They discuss why vaccines have become a polarizing topic for this election; why bookmakers might be underestimating Joe Biden and the importance of the cost of living.

Freddy speaks to Christopher Caldwell, journalist and author of The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties, about the human rights movement. Can America’s influence be considered imperial? Is how we think of human rights outdated? And, what does the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2011 intervention in Libya tell us about the state of…

Freddy speaks to philosopher Slavoj Žižek ahead of what we understand will be Julian Assange’s final court appeal against extradition back to the US. The WikiLeaks founder has been wanted by the US authorities after he leaked tens of thousands of highly sensitive documents. On the podcast they discuss the parallels between Assange and Navalny,…

Freddy Gray speaks to JL Partners Director Scarlett Maguire about the swing states which could decide the 2024 election. 

Freddy is joined by Todd Bensman, fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and author of Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in US History. They discuss how to solve what is perhaps the issue of our time, why meaningful reform doesn’t seem to happen on immigration, and the extent of Biden’s physical…

Freddy Gray is joined by pollster and writer Patrick Ruffini. They talk about why the strengthening economy isn’t improving Biden’s numbers, and the other factors that will influence the 2024 election.

Last month Donald Trump was ordered to pay more than $83 million to E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused him of sexual assault. Freddy speaks to Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver about some of the oddities of this case against the former president. 

Freddy Gray is joined in the office by Mike Baker a former CIA operations officer, CEO of the global intelligence and security firm Portman Square Group and host of the popular news podcast The President’s Daily Brief. 

Freddy Gray sits down with host and producer of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast Galen Druke to discuss whether a Taylor Swift endorsement could sway the general election.

Freddy speaks to Jonathan Askonas, assistant professor of politics at the Catholic University of America about Jon Stewart’s return to TV, and what role, albeit inadvertent, he played in Tucker’s media success.

Freddy Gray is joined in New Hampshire by Ben Domenech, Fox News contributor and editor-at-large of The Spectator World. On the podcast they discuss the pro-Trump establishment of the Republican Party; how the Republican cohort have changed since the Obama election and what issues Trump can identify that appeal to voters. 

For this special Americano podcast, Freddy Gray is in New Hampshire with The Spectator World team, Matt McDonald and Zack Christenson, covering the chilly primaries. Are both Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley’s defeats a foregone conclusion?

Freddy Gray speaks to Republican strategist Luke Thompson about Trump’s landslide Iowa win; how much Trump’s legal proceedings will interfere with his campaign and who could be his deputy.

Freddy Gray speaks to Daniel McCarthy, editor of the conservative review Modern Age, about all things Donald Trump. Do his ongoing trials help or hinder his campaign? Do the Democrats want him to be the Republican candidate or not? And is there a bureaucratic “permanent power” that Trump would overthrow if he succeeds?

Freddy Gray is joined by pollster James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners. They speak about the upcoming Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and whether Trump’s opponents have any chance of beating him. They also discuss the impact of Trump’s trials, and JL Partners’s viral word cloud which both Biden and Trump have been attempting…

For the first Americano episode of 2024, Freddy Gray is joined by Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, to discuss Claudine Gay’s resignation from Harvard University. On the podcast Freddy and Peter discuss Gay’s accusations of plagiarism; how the row has became wrapped up in racism, and what this means for the…

Freddy Gray speaks to classicist, military historian and author Victor Davis Hanson. In an end of year review, they talk about antisemitism in the US today, the battle between right and left since 2016 and a potential future Trump presidency. 

Freddy Gray speaks to Robert Bryce who is an author and expert on energy, power and politics. On the podcast, Robert talks about the economic implications of Europe’s net zero targets; why we should push for nuclear energy; and shares the human stories behind electricity.

Freddy Gray is reunited with Charles Lipson and Jacob Heilbrunn to debate the impact of Biden’s Middle East policy, and his shaky reputation at home. Is he a Cold War liberal, out of touch with the modern Democratic Party?

Amber Athey and Daniel McCarthy editor of Modern Age Journal and columnist at The Spectator join the Americano podcast to breakdown the long House speaker battle which has finally culminated in Trumpist Mike Johnson getting selected.  

This week Freddy speaks to Dennis Ross, former Middle East coordinator under President Clinton and current professor of the practice of diplomacy at Georgetown University. They discuss Biden’s visit to Israel this week, how his policy towards the Middle East borrows from Trump and Obama, and how we can discern between the public posturing and…

This week Freddy speaks to Andrew Cockburn, Washington editor of Harper’s magazine, about America’s response to the developments in the Middle East. On the podcast they discuss the “Squad” (a section of Democrats who have been making pro-Palestinian noises), how America and Israel’s surveillance system allowed the attack to happen and the importance of the…

Freddy Gray is joined by Charlie Gammell, a historian and former diplomat who was on the Iran desk at the foreign office. On the podcast they discuss the new Iran-US deal where six prisoners have been released on either side and $6 billion sent back to Iran. There has been political backlash with the Republicans…

This week Freddy Gray speaks to politics lecturer and writer Damon Linker about the ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden. With Trump facing his own criminal charges, will stories about potential Biden corruption muddy the waters for voters?

This week Freddy speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, about Vivek Ramaswamy. What does he stand for? Could he be the ideal candidate for Trump’s vice president? 

Freddy Gray speaks to Inez Stepman, a Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute who was last on Americano to discuss the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. As seen in the November midterms, could this be a winning issue for the Democrats who are gearing up for the general election?

Kate Andrews speaks to Freddy Gray and CEO of Truth Social, Devin Nunes in the week that Donald Trump refused to attend the Republican Fox News debates. Instead, the presidential candidate who is leading in the polls was interviewed by Tucker Carlson on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Only 72 percent of Americans can read to a sixth-grade level. Freddy is joined by Peter W. Wood to talk about how this has happened — and why it is getting worse. What political and cultural factors have diminished the importance of reading and writing in education — and with students already using AI, where…

The US government is apparently hiding a program to capture and reverse-engineer UFOs. At a congressional hearing last month, David Grusch, a former intelligence official who worked with a Pentagon team looking into UFOs, said “non-human” objects had been recovered by the government. Are they finding aliens, or Chinese and Russian drones? What’s behind the…

Freddy Gray sits down with The Spectator’s Washington editor, Amber Athey to discuss the USWNT’s defeat in the World Cup and why some are fed up with their politics.

Freddy is joined this week by Roger Kimball, editor of the New Criterion and Spectator contributing editor and columnist, to talk about the diminishing power of Ron DeSantis. It wasn’t so long ago he looked like a serious challenger that could beat Donald Trump to the Republican nomination. Where did it all go wrong?

Freddy Gray sits down with Jacob Heilbrunn to discuss Donald Trump’s latest indictment over January 6. The former president faces seventy-eight charges which, if found guilty, could mean he faces several years in prison. 

On his recent visit to the UK, Spectator World columnist and Modern Age editor Daniel McCarthy sat down with Freddy to discuss what lessons American Republicans should learn from the doldrums into which the Tory Party has steered itself.

Freddy Gray speaks to Joel Kotkin who is the author of The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class. On the podcast, they discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley. With mass layoffs in the tech sector and a post-pandemic real estate downturn, Kotkin argues the Valley is entering a period of long-term decline…

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator columnist Douglas Murray who wrote in the UK magazine about Joe Biden’s endless gaffes and the incompetence which Douglas argues has spilled into the rest of the party.

This week Freddy is joined by Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, and Charles Lipson, professor of political science at the University of Chicago. They discuss Charles’s recent piece in The Spectator’s US edition where he argues that the walls are closing in on old Joe, in relation to the Hunter Biden story. Is the president’s involvement…

Freddy is joined by a great American filmmaker, Oliver Stone, and a great Argentinian filmmaker, Fernando Sulichin. Their new documentary Nuclear Now proposes nuclear energy as the solution to the climate crisis. On the podcast, they address global concerns about adding nuclear to the energy mix, compare the nuclear policy of Presidents Biden and Trump and discuss…

Freddy Gray is joined by Steve Edginton, video comment editor at the Telegraph and host of the Off Script podcast to discuss curious case of Sir Kim Darroch. A former civil servant has accused the government of an attempt to cover up “crimes” by the former British ambassador to the US, who he claims leaked intelligence to…

Freddy Gray speaks to Michael Anton, professor at Hillsdale College and former member of the National Security Council under George W. Bush and Donald Trump. On the podcast Freddy and Michael discuss his speech at the London National Conservatism Conference about Winston Churchill’s Grand Strategy in an American context. 

Freddy Gray is joined by filmmaker, Alex Holder who had access to Trump’s inner circle when making the documentary Unprecedented. On the podcast, they discuss Trump’s supporter base, his relationship with his children and why Ivanka is the favorite. 

Freddy speaks to Semafor cofounder Ben Smith, formerly of the New York Times, BuzzFeed News and Politico, whose new book Traffic is an origins story for digital media. On the podcast they discuss how a new genre of journalism was birthed from a desire to cause trouble online, whether woke culture spawned from digital media and if…

Freddy Gray speaks to Ed Condon, editor of the Pillar. They discuss Biden’s Catholicism; how it plays out in his politics and whether it will be a big part of his presidential campaign. 

Freddy discusses with Michael Wolff

Lew Lukens, former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London, joins Amber Athey

Donald Trump was in court last week where he pleaded not guilty to thirty-four counts of falsifying records. To discuss, Freddy Gray is joined by lawyer Alan Dershowitz and Charles Lipson, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Chicago.

Freddy speaks to Roger Kimball, editor of the New Criterion and Spectator contributing editor to discuss new footage which has emerged from January 6.

Freddy Gray speaks to Shawn McCreesh, a features writer at New York magazine who recently spent time with Republican congressman George Santos.

Heather Mac Donald joins Freddy Gray for this week’s Americano. Heather is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of When Race Trumps Merit. On the podcast, Heather breaks down what she describes as a “regressive equity epidemic” in which race overtakes merit in almost all areas of society.

Freddy Gray speaks to Professor John Mearsheimer, the political scientist and international relations scholar, about America’s foreign policy on the war in Ukraine.

Freddy Gray talks to the Bloomberg journalist and podcaster Joseph Weisenthal about the likely rise of America’s debt ceiling… once again.

President Biden is visiting Mexico this week to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. Biden is expected to bring up illegal immigration with Obrador, and hopes that he can offer him some way out of what is becoming a spiraling crisis. But is any help coming? Freddy…

This week Freddy is joined by Matt McDonald, US managing editor of The Spectator, who is covering the midterms from Georgia. What will the result of the runoff be there and could this decide who takes control of the Senate?

Freddy Gray speaks to Yoram Hazony, the author of Conservatism: A Rediscovery, about the midterm results, and what happens next to national conservatism in the United States.

Republican strategist Luke Thompson returns to Americano to give Freddy Gray the lowdown on how things are shaping up ahead of the midterm elections in November.

This week Freddy speaks to Madeleine Kearns, staff writer at the National Review, about President Joe Biden’s decree that cannabis possession should no longer be a federal crime. Is this a vote winner or will the decision end in disaster?

Freddy speaks to journalist and political analyst Sean Trende about what we can expect from the November midterms. Is there a red wave incoming? Or will the Democrats do better than expected?

Freddy Gray speaks to Nicholas Eberstadt, author of Men Without Work, about why, despite good employment figures, American men aren’t working in the same way they used to.

On Tuesday Liz Cheney lost the Republican nomination for Wyoming’s House seat to the Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman. Freddy Gray is joined by the author and journalist James Pogue to discuss the impact of the result.

Freddy Gray speaks to Amber Athey about Monday’s FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago, and Donald Trump’s subsequent release of a video that looks suspiciously like a prelude to a campaign in 2024.

Freddy Gray speaks with Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, ahead of Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. They discuss if this is a turning point in US relations with Taiwan, whether we are heading for World War Three, or if Pelosi is calling China’s bluff.

Freddy Gray speaks to Sergey Radchenko a Cold War historian and Wilson E. Schmidt distinguished professor at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and visiting professor at Cardiff University. They discuss a recent speech by Henry Kissinger who believes that Ukraine should made territorial concessions to…

Freddy Gray speaks to the Republican strategist Luke Thompson, discussing the nail-biting race between Pennsylvania’s candidates for the US Senate, featuring Trump-backed candidate Dr. Oz.

Freddy Gray speaks to Kat Rosenfield, the author and UnHerd columnist, about Elon Musk’s proposal to buy a controlling stake in the social media giant. Rosenfield’s latest book, No One Will Miss Her, is published by HarperCollins and is available to buy now.

A recent poll showed that if a general election was to be held today between Trump and Biden, the 45th president would be successful in winning back the White House. But what is it, in just over a year, that has led to such a flip? Freddy talks with Trump spokesman Liz Harrington on Trump’s…

Freddy talks to Anatoly Karlin, author of the Powerful Takes Substack. Speaking from Moscow, Anatoly discloses the extent of support for anti-war protests in Russia and the role of the US in inciting nationalism in Ukraine.