Episodes

  • What the hell is Gerrymandering? – Trump, Texas and the death of democracy

    What the hell is Gerrymandering? – Trump, Texas and the death of democracy
    Aug 18 2025
    There’s weird political meddling happening in Texas and it all revolves around “gerrymandering”. What’s that all about, then? David Daley, author of Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections and Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count joins us to discuss. Buy Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Trump, Big Balls and Washington – Explained

    Trump, Big Balls and Washington – Explained
    Aug 15 2025
    Trump has sent in troops in a bid to take over Washington, D.C. in a draconian move seemingly sparked by a bloke called Big Balls being attacked. Nope, us neither. We try to make it make sense, friends, we really try. All that plus more like a story about Laura Loomer, Marjorie Taylor Greene and a sandwich. Again, sorry. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Trump vs. the US economy – If it’s broke, don’t break it more!

    Trump vs. the US economy – If it’s broke, don’t break it more!
    Aug 11 2025
    Trump’s economic plans of tariffs for the sake of tariffs ain’t working well. We speak to Mark Zandi, from Moody’s Analytics, to find out why it’s all going so wrong. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Nikki McCanmn Ramirez, Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Video and audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Trump: I hate numbers but I love Sydney Sweeney!

    Trump: I hate numbers but I love Sydney Sweeney!
    Aug 8 2025
    Trump has waged war on statistics as he looks to take charge of the truth in America. Meanwhile, people are losing it over Sydney Sweeney and her jeans/genes – why are the right wing so weird? Nikki, Jarv and Chris dive into all this and more. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Nikki McCanmn Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • Why hasn’t Trump stopped Netanyahu?

    Why hasn’t Trump stopped Netanyahu?
    Aug 4 2025
    Trump “broke” with Netanyahu recently by accepting the reality that people, including many children, are starving in Gaza. But despite this slight change in tone, will this lead to any real change in action from the US president? Chris and Jarv speak to Professor Yossi Mekelberg, senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, to discuss Trump and Netanyahu’s relationship, how Trump could end this if he wanted to and what other leaders should do to stop the atrocities. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Trump's crazy week – Scotland rants, Epstein trouble, the Unabomber and more!

    Trump's crazy week – Scotland rants, Epstein trouble, the Unabomber and more!
    Aug 1 2025
    Trump has been getting weirder and somehow MAGA and the GOP are ignoring it. Plus, he’s talking himself in knots over Epstein — does he understand how big a problem this is? Nikki and Jarv discuss all that and more in our 100th episode! Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Go to https://surfshark.com/amfric or use code AMFRIC at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Written and presented by Nikki McCanm Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Trump vs. the media – Has he killed it or is he keeping it alive?

    Trump vs. the media – Has he killed it or is he keeping it alive?
    Jul 27 2025
    Donald Trump continues to bully news outlets in the US, suing Murdoch and seemingly getting Stephen Colbert fired. Why can’t the media stand up to him? Is it even trying anymore? Or is it time to declare the mainstream media dead? Jeff Jarvis, media critic and author of the BuzzMachine blog joins Jarv and Nikki to discuss all that and more. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Video Editor/ producer: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • Trump’s Epstein distraction plan – Remember Obama and Clinton?!?!

    Trump’s Epstein distraction plan – Remember Obama and Clinton?!?!
    Jul 25 2025
    Trump’s really pulling out all the stops and playing all the old hits to try and distract from the Epstein list. Even though it doesn’t exist and he’s definitely not on it and even if he was that doesn’t mean anything anyway! Nikki, Jarv and Chris discuss his skittishness and attempt to shift focus to Barack Obama instead. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram TikTok Go to https://surfshark.com/amfric or use code AMFRIC at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis Audio and video editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins