Americast

Jim Messina, Democrat strategist and Obama’s former campaign manager gives us the inside track on what Democrats will look for in their next presidential candidate for 2028, and how the race has already started. Jim Messina and Justin discuss the priorities for a future candidate and why money (and the ability to raise millions) is essential.
We also unpack the results and look at how the Democrats achieved huge midterm gains, and what their priorities should be for Congress.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
GUEST:
• Jim Messina, Barack Obama's 2012 campaign manager
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Kyhree Gray. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

After one of the most disastrous set of midterm results in US political history, how are Republicans dealing with the outcome, and where does it leave a JD Vance presidential run in 2028?
The bad news for Republicans is that the midterm results aren’t yet finalised and there could be more bad news in the Senate races taking place in Mississippi and Alaska. Those results are not yet in.
Regardless, senior Republicans have already gone public with their own take for the party’s performance, most notably vice president JD Vance, who’s broken ranks by publicly declaring that the party’s losses were caused by Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
That’s led to reporting suggesting that Pete Hegseth’s position as US defence secretary could now be under threat with Donald Trump considering whether to remove him from his position.
As the inquest begins within the Republican Party, the entire Americast crew get together to unpack what Democratic control of Congress will mean for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby, Nik Sindle and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Phillip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

What’s next for the Democrats, and for the last two years of Trump’s presidency? As Democrats make sweeping gains across traditional red states in America, Justin, Anthony and Sarah discuss how it was done, and the impact for Democrats and Donald Trump.
Kansas has elected its first Democratic senator since the 1930s. South Carolina has rejected a Senate candidate strongly endorsed by Donald Trump. And Iowa and Ohio have also gone to the Democrats. Mississippi, meanwhile, is still too close to call. The president has said he will accept the results. But with Democrats in control of Congress, what can he still get done?
Justin, Sarah and Anthony ask what this means for the rest of the Trump presidency, and which way both parties might now turn as they look ahead to 2028.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Oliver Bowbrick, Alix Pickles and Nik Sindle. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

The Democrats have made seismic gains by taking Texas, Kansas and South Carolina senate seats.
After taking back control of the House of Representatives, it was then confirmed that James Talarico had won the Democrat’s first Senate seat in Texas in decades, while Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932.
With more results still to come in, Donald Trump proclaimed on Truth Social overnight “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”.
What do the results so far mean for Democrats and Republicans, and just how bad a night could this turn out to be for the president?
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was James Piper. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

When will we know the results and what are the key races to watch out for?
Anthony and Justin give you the definitive guide to the US midterm elections, including the races and themes they think are important, and what they’ll be looking out for when results start coming in.
In this episode, we talk exit polls, projected results, and timings for when we know who has won, and which party will take control of the US House of Representatives and Senate. What could Democrats actually do, and what would it mean for the rest of Donald Trump’s second presidential term?
We also discuss the gubernatorial - governor - races taking place across the country and why they’re particularly significant. Plus, could more American states make it easier for their citizens to cast their votes?
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, George Dabby, Alix Pickles and Nik Sindle. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd