America has been a tumultuous place in recent years. Justin Glawe has been at the frontline of much of that chaos, covering carnage and unrest across the United States. He joins Chris to discuss what he’s learned from reporting on turmoil across America, as outlined in his book If I Am Coming to Your Town, Something Terrible Has Happened: The Life and Times of a Domestic War Correspondent, Buy If I Am Coming to Your Town, Something Terrible Has Happened 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. We’re now on Youtube. Follow us on social media:  BlueSky   Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones. Video and Audio editor: 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

Trump is at odds with the Senate and tearing apart members of his own party. How will this temper tantrum play out? Nikki and Jarv discuss.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch. We’re now on Youtube Follow us on social media:  BlueSky   Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramirez. Video and Audio editor: 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

The UFC spectacle at the White House showed a new level of trashy corruption from Trump. Why did he do it and why does he love the man behind the UFC, Dana White, so much? Jack Crosbie, senior writer at Rolling Stone, joins Chris and Jarv to discuss.  Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch We’re now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follow us on social media:  BlueSky Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: 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

Trump has signed a deal agreeing to get a deal to end the war in Iran. He’s claiming a major victory, but it’s clearly a capitulation. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss.  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 Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Video and audio editor: 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

Donald Trump says he alone can fix Washington — but is one unelected official actually running the show? Chris and Jarv are joined by journalist Andy Kroll to discuss the rise of Russell Vought, the budget chief using the Office of Management and Budget to quietly expand Trump’s power from inside the White House. 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, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump insists he never said he would end any wars and denies being booed at a recent Knicks game — despite footage suggesting otherwise. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss whether the president is becoming increasingly detached from reality, or simply doubling down on his own version of events. 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 Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump has posted thousands of times on his social media platform Truth Social in just a few months, usually cranking out double figures of posts a day. Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR has analysed a massive stack of these to see what Trump’s obsessions are.  Read Danielle’s piece on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/08/nx-s1-5749358/trump-truth-social-online-posts-iran-white-house-ballroom  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 Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump keeps insisting he “doesn’t care” — about Iran, Americans’ finances, or even the midterms. Nikki, Chris and Jarv discuss whether the president is growing tired of the job he fought so hard to win, and why Trump is suddenly talking up potential successors… 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 Follow us on social media:  BlueSky   Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America is in a crisis, but that doesn’t mean it’s beyond saving. Reverend Professor Keith Magee, chair of The Guardian Foundation, joins Jarv to discuss how empathy could help to reset the United States. 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 Follow us on social media:  BlueSky   Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Video and Audio editor: 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

Trump says he’s perfectly healthy — but does anyone believe him? And will we ever know the truth? Chris and Jarv are joined by podcast favourite Casey Burgat to unpack Trump’s latest medical report, the details it left out, and the growing obsession in Washington over the President’s health. Check out Casey’s work: https://www.caseyburgat.com/ 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 Follow us on social media:  BlueSky   Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. Video and Audio editor: Tom Taylor. 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