Two Blocks from the White House

Today we’re talking about how U.S. President Donald Trump's touch is backfiring, both at home and abroad, as Trump loomed large over two recent international elections.  On Monday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney clinched a majority government, a win being attributed in part to widespread anti-Trump sentiment among voters. And over the weekend in Hungary, Trump’s close ally and fellow rig...

The world held its breath Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure if Iran did not meet a deadline that night to open the Strait of Hormuz. Then, the same day, he accepted a Pakistan-brokered deal for a two-week ceasefire. After inciting outrage and then abruptly halting the war, what exactly has Trump accomplished in Iran? CBC’s Washington correspondents K...

Reporting on U.S. politics sometimes means leaving D.C. From war in Iran to whirlwind diplomatic meetings in France to a moon-bound mission in Florida, the CBC's Washington correspondents trade their seats two blocks from the White House for a trio of windows into the world.  Willy Lowry, Katie Simpson and Paul Hunter take us behind the scenes on their reporting and share what we can learn ab...

Winning is a word U.S. President Donald Trump likes to hear, and while midterm elections are months away, the November vote is definitely driving his decisions today.  With the cost of living and gas prices continuing to soar, the midterms are a chance for voters to weigh in on whether Trump has delivered on his promise to put America first, considering his administration's war with Iran and...

“WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!” This post by President Donald Trump is one of the many mixed messages sent from his Truth Social account this week. It contrasts with his earlier appeals for world leaders, including NATO countries such as Canada, to step up and help defend the critically important Strait of Hormuz.  As the war in the Middle East enters its third week, CBC’s Washington cor...

As the U.S. war in the Middle East continues, gas prices are on the rise and American voters are paying attention. Affordability remains a key issue, and President Donald Trump’s decision to wage war on Iran is drawing criticism not only from Democrats, but from within his MAGA base. As the November midterms approach, will the war overseas lead to a referendum on the Trump administration at home?...

Reactions to the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran are mixed. Members of Congress are accusing President Donald Trump of starting an illegal war, questioning why he failed to seek congressional approval ahead of the strikes. Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the military intervention will follow 'no stupid rules of engagement.' The operation has put U.S. allies in a tricky positio...

Clocking in at 108 minutes, U.S. President Donald Trump's state of the union address was the longest in U.S. history, with the only mention of Canada coming during a tribute to the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team. It’s all part of the 'U.S. is winning' message Trump is trying to push ahead of November's midterm elections. But is it working? The CBC's Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hu...

Mark Wiseman made his debut as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. this week, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. He starts the post in a complicated time for Canadian-U.S. relations, taking over from Kirsten Hillman, a stable presence and a dogged negotiator for Canada since her appointment in 2020. So what will this changing of the guard mean for Canada? CBC’s Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, K...

Did you catch the jeers? When U.S. Vice-President JD Vance was booed at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, it was not the welcome Americans are used to receiving on the global stage.  It’s not just at the Olympics. President Donald Trump seems fixated on bridges – both burning those that have historically existed between allies and blocking physical ones, like...

Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump started his ‘51st state’ rhetoric, Canadians have been parsing every word to discern what's real and what’s bluster. Last week, the White House was back at it, threatening tariffs on Bombardier and aircraft made in Canada. And Prime Minister Mark Carney was warned by the U.S. Treasury Secretary not to ‘pick a fight’ ahead of CUSMA trade negotiations.  Wh...

Could the unrest in Minneapolis be the political tipping point Donald Trump never saw coming? This week, the public face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino — is being pulled out of Minneapolis, replaced by border czar Tom Homan. The shift comes just days after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents, a second killing captured o...

The U.S. demands for Greenland ramped up this week, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs against EU countries that oppose his plan. Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back in a speech at Davos – calling for a rethinking of alliances, warning that 'great powers' are using economic integration as 'weapons.' What does this moment reveal about where Canada-U.S. relations are headed?...

Three days into the new year, the U.S. attacked Venezuela and removed President Nicolás Maduro. Threats against Colombia, Mexico, Greenland and Iran followed. Has U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to put 'America First' morphed into a foreign policy of imperialism and expansion? And if so, what does it mean for Canada? Fresh off reporting from the Venezuelan border, Paul Hunter joins fellow CB...

It’s always been prudent for Canadians to keep an eye on American politics. And with U.S. president Donald Trump back in the White House, it’s become essential. CBC’s Washington correspondents are here to cut through the noise and help make sense of it all. Fresh episodes and analysis every Wednesday, starting Jan. 14 .