Americanswers! Is Iran really trying to kill Trump, and why is he threatening to bomb Oman?

**Justin Webb** (0:00)
Matt Chorley is away this week, which means we have a traditional edition of Americancers and the traditional range of issues. So for instance, Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, leaving the White House. Why? What does it do to the balance of power within the Trump White House? Plus, is Donald Trump morphing into Jimmy Carter, his worst nightmare? And what about the Air Force One palaver, the whole business of Donald Trump apparently being on Air Force One and then not being on Air Force One? And the potential dangers that there were for journalists because apparently there had been a threat to that aircraft. What really went on? What do we know about it? And where does it leave the relationship between the press and the presidency? Welcome to Americast.

**Marianna Spring** (0:46)
Americast from BBC News.

**Donald Trump** (0:49)
You hear that sound? Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.

**SPEAKER_5** (0:54)
We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it.

**Karoline Leavitt** (0:58)
This is a big cover-up and this administration is engaged in it.

**Justin Webb** (1:01)
This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome.

**Donald Trump** (1:03)
I have four words for you.

**Sarah Smith** (1:12)
Hello, it's Sarah in the BBC's Washington Bureau.

**Justin Webb** (1:15)
And it's Justin in the worldwide headquarters of Americast in London, England and Marianna, I am pleased to say, is not yet here, but is on her way here. So she's going to be joining me in just a few seconds time. Let's start without her, Sarah. Let's start with this question from Anna in Buckingham, who asks this. When Trump took up office for the second time, he seemed to have appointed a larger proportion of women to top jobs in his administration. With the announcement of Karoline Leavitt's resignation, it occurred to me that his inner circle is gradually becoming more testosterone driven as the midterms loom. Thoughts?

**Sarah Smith** (1:51)
So Karoline Leavitt is leaving as press secretary, she said, because having come back to work after the birth of her second child, the job was too all consuming and she wanted to go and spend more time with her family, which is of course always a terrible cliche in political resignations, isn't it? But on this occasion, it does seem to be true. There's no signs whatsoever of a falling out between her and President Trump, and he was incredibly generous about her when he was posting on social media, saying how much he would miss her and what a great job she was doing.
But Anna is absolutely right that two cabinet ministers who had been fired were both women, Pam Bondi as Attorney General and Christine Ohm as the Homeland Security Secretary, and they were both replaced by men. Suzie Wiles is still absolutely at the center of things though, as the Chief of Staff. Now, she's getting treated for breast cancer at the moment, but she's still at work, and seems to be one of the very, very few people in the White House who can speak truth to power, as we say in journalism, can tell Donald Trump that he's wrong. Now, she can't necessarily stop him doing things that she advises against, but he is prepared to listen to her in a way he doesn't listen to other men, interestingly. And Karoline Leavitt was one of the people also, I think, who was very close to him and could speak frankly to the president in a way that some other people simply don't dare. So it's an interesting dynamic that some of the people he seems to be prepared to listen to are women, not something you would necessarily have assumed about Donald Trump. But it is true that, yes, there are more and more men entering the cabinet as the women depart. We don't know who's going to replace Karoline, though.

**Justin Webb** (3:25)
On the subject of powerful women, I'm delighted to say that Marianna is here with me. Hi, Marianna.

**Marianna Spring** (3:32)
I'm mimicking being sick.

**Justin Webb** (3:35)
The point that Anna is making, Anna from Buckingham, is that he likes women to be around, but that actually he also likes men to be in charge. That is the shtick, exactly as you've been saying. And the great thing that sort of disproves that, I suppose, is Suzy Wiles. And to an extent as well, it's been Karoline Leavitt. And it was interesting. He's not always very generous about people, is he? It has to be said. And it is interesting listening to him. He really is about her.

**Donald Trump** (4:04)
Isn't she great? Is Karoline great? You know, when she goes on television, Fox, like, I mean, they dominate, they dominate when she gets up there with that beautiful face and those lips that don't stop, bop, bop, bop, like a little machine gun.