Americanswers! Why don't the Democrats have a new leader yet?

Justin Webb (0:00)

Americanswers is back answering your questions after another busy week in American politics. There was the big meeting between Donald Trump and President Xi at the White House. It's not clear how much Xi's visit achieved in terms of resetting the US-China relationship, but will it deter Vladimir Putin from attacking NATO countries? Meanwhile, the Democrats still don't have a new leader. How could people vote for the Democrats without one in this year's midterms? And are we any closer to knowing who might take over? Indeed, is the leadership of a party a thing in American politics? Plus, Donald Trump is considering a ban on diesel exports, we're told, after US diesel prices hit new records, going past $6 a gallon.

Is this going to help him win the midterms? Welcome to Americancers.

Marianna Spring (0:50)

Americast from BBC News.

SPEAKER_4 (0:52)

Whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth because she's way out of your league.

SPEAKER_5 (0:58)

The tide is coming, and this time, we intend to win it all.

SPEAKER_6 (1:05)

See, he doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace, gifted by the Emir of Qatar.

SPEAKER_7 (1:17)

When I'm not around, you're going to be broke. There's not going to be anybody to report on.

SPEAKER_8 (1:21)

Nobody gives a damn about anybody else.

Justin Webb (1:28)

Hello, it's Justin in the Worldwide Headquarters of Americast in London, England.

Marianna Spring (1:32)

And it is Marianna sitting next to Justin.

Sumi Somaskanda (1:34)

Hello, it's Sumi sitting in Washington, DC.

Justin Webb (1:36)

And we're answering questions today. So let us start with one. It comes from an Americaster in Wales who asks this. It's extremely worrying news that Trump is considering cutting the exports of diesel, yet there is a suggestion this could also hurt the US. Could you explain how, please?

Sumi, there is, to put it mildly, a controversial plan, isn't it? Even if it is actually worthy of calling a plan.

Sumi Somaskanda (2:02)

Yeah, first we should say that there's been a growing amount of pressure on President Trump because of diesel prices. So in the last few weeks, we've seen those prices in the US reach new highs. And that's incredibly important to farmers, right? So they need diesel or use diesel for all parts of their business. And as a result of the ongoing wars in Iran and also, as President Trump has said, Ukraine striking Russian oil facilities, we've seen the disruption to diesel supply lead to much higher prices. And that has led some members of President Trump's own party, Republicans, like Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Remember Iowa is a big farming state, very rural state, and farming power is a good part of Iowa's economy.

They have called on President Trump to restrict diesel exports coming out from the US., saying that that would allow a stabilization of the supply in the US and push prices down. The problem with that is, as you said, Justin, it is a controversial proposal there to do so because for many reasons, but for one reason, if you actually restrict diesel exports, and that means that diesel prices would go down in the US., you could actually see it as an impact. Gas prices go up because diesel and gas are refined together, and so when one would go down, the other could go up because it's shared production. You see refineries in the US produce gas, and that creates surplus diesel as a by-product. So all of that gets very, very complex.

Justin Webb (3:30)

Yeah. Donald Trump himself is worth saying, doesn't seem to think it's that complicated, does he? So he was talking to Fox News, to a Fox News reporter when he went to a golf tournament on Sunday. Let's listen to what he says about it.

SPEAKER_8 (3:43)

Well, we're thinking about it very seriously. That can oftentimes lead to a little bit of an increase on gasoline for cars. So we're looking at it very seriously. We may do it.

The big problem is the refineries in Russia are being blown up. This isn't really a Middle Eastern problem. This is more of a Russia problem that Ukraine and Russia are going at it. And Ukraine is blowing up diesel refineries in Russia because they do a lot of the refining. But we'll take care of that situation. I think what's going to happen is we're going to win this war very soon. And as soon as we win it, it's going to go the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war. And the key is Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. That's the key.