Podcast

Americano

The next chapter in American politics has begun, but is it going to be any less crazy? The Spectator’s Americano podcast delivers in-depth discussions with the best American pundits to keep you in the loop. Presented by Freddy Gray.

The next chapter in American politics has begun, but is it going to be any less crazy? The Spectator’s Americano podcast delivers in-depth discussions with the best American pundits to keep you in the loop. Presented by Freddy Gray.

Americano

Why Trump wins and why Reform can win

Freddy Gray is joined by author Ann Coulter in London, to discuss why she backs the rise of Reform UK, how immigration main issue voters care about this election and why she’s supports Trump in his second term. Ann Coulter’s Substack can be found at: anncoulter.substack.com

Play 28 mins

Americano

How progressivism killed American Protestantism

Freddy Gray speaks to Christopher Mondics who is a legal affairs writer about how the left-wing orthodoxy has destroyed Protestantism in America. They discuss the mainline denominations in America, how ‘wokeness’ infiltrated the churches and why, despite some drop off, religion is still so present in America.

Play

Americano

Trump, MAGA, and US foreign policy

Kate Andrews speaks to Damir Marusic, assignment editor at The Washington Post and co-founder of Wisdom of Crowds. They examine Donald Trump’s surprising foreign policy moves in his second term: his position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, why he’s armed Ukraine despite MAGA frustration, and whether his instincts are reshaping Republican foreign policy for good.

Play

Americano

What should we make of Trump’s trip to the UK?

Donald Trump is in Scotland, holding court at Turnberry. He’s welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course, and had a long discussion with reporters at a wide ranging press conference, that covered Russia, Gaza, and his long running feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan. To unpack it all, Freddy is joined by

Play

Americano

Lionel Shriver on Trump’s vendetta, Mamdani’s ‘stupid’ ideas & sentimental immigration

Deputy US editor Kate Andrews is joined by author and Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver to assess Donald Trump’s turbulent second term. They discuss the rise of socialism in New York, why fairness is warping immigration policy, and whether Trump’s obsession with lawfare and vengeance is undoing his own presidency.

Play 36 mins

Americano

Douglas Murray on conspiracy America, lawfare & the new age of suspicion

Donald Trump promised to release the Epstein files – so why hasn’t he? Spectator columnist Douglas Murray joins Kate Andrews to discuss the scandal that won’t go away, what it says about trust in institutions, and why even Trump’s most loyal supporters are starting to turn on him.

Play

Americano

Is Epstein the new Russiagate?

Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator writer Roger Kimball. They delve into the Epstein claims, the media’s handling of the story, Trump’s economic agenda, and whether the MAGA movement is holding strong or starting to splinter.

Play 28 mins

Americano

Will AI have rights?

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator writer Paul Wood about his piece this the latest edition of Spectator World on AI and whether it will soon have rights. This first came about when Paul went to live in Rome and discovered some of the work the Vatican has been doing in AI.

Play 17 mins

Americano

Trump – the conventional foreign policy President?

Trump has said he’s “very, very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened severe tariffs against them if there’s no deal on Ukraine within 50 days. He’s also sending more weapons to Ukraine in coordination with NATO. What’s behind his change of heart on foreign policy, and how’s his MAGA base responding? Freddy Gray is joined by

Play 28 mins

Americano

Is Texas eating Hollywood?

Freddy Gray is joined by editor-at-large of The Spectator World, Ben Domenech. They discuss why Hollywood productions are being drawn away from California to states like Texas, and what this could mean for the future of filmmaking in America. Ben writes about this in the new edition of Spectator World, and you can subscribe to

Play 20 mins

Americano

Is Ghislaine Maxwell serving time for Epstein’s crimes?

The FBI has declared there is no client list linked to Jeffrey Epstein—an announcement that pours cold water on years of speculation about a secret roster of powerful figures tied to his sex trafficking crimes. But what does this mean for Ghislaine Maxwell, who remains behind bars for her role in Epstein’s network? Ian Maxwell,

Play 35 mins

Americano

Did Condé Nast shape the world?

In this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks with New York Times writer and debut author Michael Grynbaum about his new book Empire of the Elite, a sweeping history of Condé Nast – the media empire that once dictated American taste, fashion, and celebrity. From Anna Wintour’s carefully staged exit to the vanished world of

Play 35 mins

Americano

Victor Davis Hanson on left-wing rage, Musk’s grudge, & America’s identity crisis

Victor Davis Hanson, classicist, historian, and author of The End of Everything, joins Freddy Gray to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s shock candidacy win, the future of the Democratic Party, and rising class tensions in American politics. They also explore third-party prospects, Trump’s economic policies, and shifting global dynamics.

Play

Americano

Why Venice deserves Jeff Bezos’s wedding

Jeff Bezos is getting married in Venice – but not everyone is celebrating. Venetians have staged small protests, accusing the billionaire of symbolising the city’s takeover by the ultra-rich. But is this anything new? Associate editor Owen Matthews joins Freddy Gray to discuss.

Play 13 mins

Americano

How did Zohran Mamdani win?

Against all odds, Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and proud ‘Muslim democratic socialist’ won as as the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. Aidan McLaughlin wrote about this for Spectator World. On this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks to Aidan about how Mamdani defeated the favourite Andrew Cuomo, whether his success is

Play 20 mins

Americano

Why did Trump strike Iran?

Over the weekend, the US conducted strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran is weighing a response, and Trump has raised the possibility of a change in leadership in Iran. To discuss what comes next and why this move seems to counter everything we know about ‘America First’, Freddy Gray is joined by editor of the

Play

Americano

Who is Trump listening to on Iran?

Freddy Gray speaks to Kelley Vlahos DC-based writer, editor and senior advisor at the Quincy Institute about the developing situation between Israel, Iran and America. The President has warned that despite winning the electorate over on an ‘America First’ mandate, the US armed force may intervene on Iran. Freddy and Kelley discuss who Trump is

Play

Americano

What are the LA riots about?

Freddy Gray and Dan McCarthy discuss the LA riots, why they are different to the protests on Capitol Hill and how Trump will respond.

Play 25 mins

Americano

Operation Rising: will Trump get dragged into the Israel-Iran conflict?

Relations between Iran and Israel are deteriorating rapidly, with comparisons being drawn to Israel’s 1981 strike on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be advocating for regime change in Tehran, reportedly encouraging the United States to take military action. Donald Trump, who previously came close to authorising a strike, is

Play 20 mins

Americano

Left-wing violence is being normalised

In the new edition of Spectator World, author and anthropologist Max Horder argues the US is experiencing a change in its psyche, and left-wing violence is being normalised. He joins Freddy Gray on the Americano podcast to discuss the various examples attached to this, and what the dereliction of democratic disagreement means for us all.

Play 19 mins

Americano

Did the swamp drain Elon Musk?

Billionaire Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump have had a very public falling out. Musk, whose time running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came to an end last month, publicly criticised Trump’s spending bill (the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’). The row then erupted onto social media with Trump expressing his disappointment with

Play 23 mins

Americano

America’s white guilt hangover

From the decline of meritocracy to the rise of anti-Western ideology, author Heather Mac Donald joins Freddy Gray to discuss race, merit, and victim hierarchy. Why is the West so desperate to self-cancel? And is now a moment of reckoning considering we’re five years on from the BLM protests?

Play 36 mins

Americano

What does Sam Altman want?

Freddy Gray speaks to writer and author Karen Hao, whose new book Empire of AI looks at a new, ominous age of empire with OpenAI. On the podcast they discuss the impacts of artificial intelligence on society and democracy and how Open AI founder Sam Altman has become a controversial figure. 

Play 27 mins

Americano

Errol Musk on Trump vs white racism in South Africa

Donald Trump exposed South Africa’s leader Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House yesterday over what he refered to as white racism against the farmers in South Africa. Freddy Gray speaks to Errol Musk — father of Elon Musk — from Cape Town about Trump’s confrontation. Errol shares personal experiences of being attacked on a farm,

Play 33 mins

Americano

Was Zbigniew Brzezinski a Cold War prophet?

Polish émigré Zbigniew Brzezinski – known as ‘Zbig’ – rose to prominence in America during the Cold War as a key intellectual architect of US foreign policy. He was National Security Advisor to President Carter and was a trusted advisor to many US presidents from John F Kennedy onwards. Yet, despite helping to shape American

Play 30 mins

Americano

What is Trump doing in the Middle East?

President Trump is an America Firster, but he has an undeniable affinity for the Arab world. He would have made a good sheik: he doesn’t drink, he loves developing flashy properties to show off his power and wealth, and he’s brutally realistic about the role of oil (and other commodities) in world politics. On his

Play 29 mins

Americano

What the f*** happened to Biden? The Insiders’ story

Freddy Gray speaks to Chris Whipple, whose latest book Lesson Learned from Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History gives an insiders’ analysis having spoken to the people closest to both campaigns.

Play 23 mins

Americano

Is the trade deal a coup for Starmer?

Trump has announced a beautiful new deal with the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and President shared a phone call to congratulate one another. It is the first trade deal agreed after Mr Trump began his second presidential term in January, and after he imposed strict tariffs on countries around the world in April. Freddy

Play 26 mins

Americano

How to revive the American mind

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator World’s Editor-at-Large Ben Domenech about this month’s issue, the Reviving of the American Mind, and Ben’s interview with Christopher Rufo. 

Play 25 mins

Americano

Victor Davis Hanson on DEI, counter revolutions and why Trump is a ‘tragic hero’

Victor Davis Hanson joins Spectator TV to talk about the first 101 days of Donald Trump’s second presidency, describing it as a bold counterrevolution against decades of cultural, political, and economic drift. He discusses Trump’s sweeping agenda—from closing the border and challenging DEI initiatives to confronting foreign policy orthodoxy and trade imbalances—framing it as a

Play 49 mins