The Munk Debates Podcast

Rudyard and Janice begin today’s show with Russia and Ukraine exchanging strikes following a brief, Trump-brokered energy ceasefire that lasted just 48 hours. Is Zelensky’s open defiance of Trump connected to Starlink being shut off in Ukraine and a series of Russian ballistic missile strikes launched without warning? The Trump administration appears to be ratcheting up pressure on Kyiv, punishing...

Andrew and Rudyard begin today’s show with Trump’s decision to waive sanctions on Russian diesel in an effort to bring down fuel prices ahead of the midterms. Trump is once again putting Putin’s interests ahead of Ukraine’s and showing his admiration for authoritarian leaders whom he wishes to emulate. The move risks bolstering Putin and increasing pressure on Ukraine, while Trump shifts blame for...

Rudyard and Janice begin today’s show with Trump’s mixed messaging on Iran. While Trump has suggested that military action may be delayed until after the midterms, reports indicate that the U.S. military is preparing for potential strikes. With Trump’s statements increasingly difficult to take at face value, the focus shifts to more concrete signals, such as military deployments. Meanwhile, Iran’s...

Rudyard and Andrew focus today’s show on the separatist movements gaining traction across Canada. Quebec voters appear poised to elect a separatist government, potentially setting the stage for another referendum in the coming years. What do we know about PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon? And how might Mark Carney’s popularity in Quebec affect Plamondon’s separatist ambitions? They then turn to...

Rudyard and Janice begin today’s show with news that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier is being deployed to the Middle East and the signal this is sending to Iran and the region. With Tehran facing a blockade and struggling to earn hard currency, the U.S. calculation points to escalation after the midterms. What could a major Democratic victory in the midterms mean for Trump’s ability to...

What can we expect from a make-or-break federal budget delivered in the middle of a trade war? Rudyard and Andrew look at the growing appetite in the business community for broad tax reform—and ask whether now is the moment for Canada to make itself as competitive as possible for investment. If the government wants to deliver meaningful tax cuts, they argue, it will need to tackle spending, includ...

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he studied the possibility of U.S.-led military action against Canada in an hour-long interview with The New York Times . Meanwhile, politicians across Canada—from Doug Ford to Carney and David Eby—are enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to their “elbows up” approach to Trump. But is it time to call out this rhetoric as unhelpful—and potentially an impediment to f...

Parliament opened yesterday with the PM determined to keep his momentum going: a labour reform bill and a major liberalization of project permitting, including for pipelines. What happened to the Trudeau-era Liberals now getting behind Carney’s more conservative agenda? Are we witnessing the beginnings of a broader Canadian realignment, with the Liberals making breakthroughs in Saskatchewan and Al...

Trump says he is weighing whether to "annihilate" Iran next week. Is this another empty threat? We have reached a point where it is increasingly difficult to know how much weight to put behind his threats. The bond markets are beginning to speak, inflation is rising, and U.S. military capabilities are under strain. Trump pays attention to all three. The constraints on both sides are far tighter th...

Andrew and Rudyard begin with several important announcements from Carney’s investment summit, including a cut to the marginal effective tax rate on new investment and the opening of Canada’s airports to private investment. The government is aggressively courting both domestic and foreign capital. There is still much more to do on tax and spending reform, and Canada needs to get serious about its...

Friday Focus returns from its summer hiatus to unpack two major geopolitical flashpoints. First, the trade war with the United States—and its consequences. There has been a narrowing of the debate around Carney's approach. People are being labelled disloyal for dissenting from his strategy, but we need space for differing views. Tariffs are easy to impose and difficult to unwind. Will Trump turn t...

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, we’re revisiting one of the classic debates from the series’ 18-year history: the Munk Debate on Religion, held in 2010 before a sold-out crowd of 3,000 at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world. Arguing for the motion former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had recently...

Rudyard and Andrew unpack a consequential week in the Canada-U.S. trade war, from Trump’s increasingly erratic and provocative behaviour—including the absurd renaming of Lake Ontario—to his apparent preference for perpetual conflict over a lasting trade peace. Andrew believes Canada needs to diversify trade and reduce its vulnerability to U.S. pressure and manipulation. Will Trump’s approach alien...

Rudyard and Andrew react to the intensifying Canada-U.S. trade war. Trump is threatening additional tariffs starting January 1, and it’s increasingly clear he was intent on escalating regardless of whether or not Carney walked away from the deal. Carney is putting his Davos message into action: middle powers need to free themselves from the grip of hegemons. It was the right call, with broad agree...

Rudyard and Andrew unpack leaks from ongoing U.S.-Canada trade talks, which are focused only on the immediate threat of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods rather than negotiating a long-term deal. Even if Canada averts some of these tariffs, CUSMA negotiations lie ahead—and the leaks suggest we may not get full tariff relief on the issues that matter most, including steel, autos, software and lumber, w...

On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast we are sharing the full Munk Debate on anti-Zionism, which took place in June 2024 in front of a sold out crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, anti-Zionism is antisemitism Arguing for the motion was award winning journalist, best-selling author, and former Munk Debater Douglas Murray. His...

August 19 is fast approaching, and despite efforts to reach a deal, there is a real possibility that negotiations could collapse altogether. Do Canadian concessions actually reduce threats from Trump, or simply invite more demands? And if Trump agrees to a deal, will he renege later and demand more? Andrew argues that “ragging the puck”—stretching negotiations out as long as possible—may be Canada...

This special episode features the Munk Debate on the Gene Editing, held before a live audience of 800 students and faculty at Deerfield Academy in April 2026. Arguing in favour of the motion was the biophysicist, best-selling author, biotechnology entrepreneur, and the former director of the Program on Medicine, Technology and Society at UCLA School of Medicine, Gregory Stock . His debate partner...

What is the point of negotiating with Donald Trump when experience suggests that agreements may not be binding, concessions may not be reciprocal, and terms may not be honoured? Reports now suggest the Canadian government is preparing to make significant concessions, including allowing more American dairy into the Canadian market. But in this climate, and with this president, any Canadian concessi...

This special episode features the full Munk Debate on the Crisis of Liberalism, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall in November 2023. Arguing for the motion was the controversial British M.P. and former cabinet minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg. He was joined by the American writer and columnist who has shaped a generation’s thinking on the important issues of our time: Geor...

Andrew and Rudyard open the show by examining the competing priorities confronting Prime Minister Carney's government. On one hand is the immediate geopolitical imperative: reducing Canada's dependence on a U.S. trading partner that President Trump has shown a willingness to weaponize, making export diversification an urgent national priority. On the other is the growing threat of climate change,...

This special episode features the full Munk Debate on Mainstream Media, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall in the fall of 2022. Arguing for the resolution Be it Resolved, don't trust mainstream media , was the associate editor of The Spectator magazine, Fox News contributor, and bestselling author of The War on the West, Douglas Murray . He was be joined by Substack...

Rudyard and Andrew begin by unpacking the latest escalation in the U.S.–Iran conflict. Andrew argues that Trump cannot simply walk away if he wants to prevent Iran from gaining leverage over the global economy—but where does escalation lead? Will striking power plants and bridges bring him any closer to his objectives? They then examine Trump's latest round of tariffs, including a new 50% tariff o...

This special episode features the full Munk Debate on Trump's America, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall in May 2025. The debate resolution was: Be it Resolved, this is America's golden age Arguing in favour of the motion was the political consultant, pollster and senior counselor to President Trump during his first term in office, Kellyanne Conway . Her debate par...

Rudyard and Andrew unpack President Trump's speech last night, in which he cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections and alleged foreign interference ahead of the midterms. Will this strategy backfire by depressing Republican turnout? And how far might Trump go in attempting to shape the outcome in November? In the second half of the show (for paid subscribers), Rudyard and Andrew are joined b...