The Munk Debates Podcast

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice discuss the social and political fa...

Donald Trump's AI image to threaten "war" on the city of Chicago is further evidence that he is stuck in a spiral feedback loop with his followers, in which he has to get more outrageous to keep generating shock and attention from his supporters and the media. This will lead to a long term deterioration of the standards of public life, legitimizing corruption and cruelty unbound by constraints. Ru...

This week's SCO summit in China projected a series of powerful images about the rise of China and the cleaving of the world into two power blocs. Putin, Xi, and Kim Jong Un watching the military parade at Tiananmen Square was a performance of a great power, as was Narendra Modi's public display of friendship with Xi and Putin. Donald Trump's treatment of US allies is turning away in-between countr...

Rudyard and Andrew start the show talking about this week's China summit with 20 leaders of non-Western countries, including India, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Narendra Modi's public display of friendship with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin is a searing indictment of the Trump administration and his disastrous tariff policies. Andrew argues that while countries in the global south might not be o...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice start the show with Trump's firing...

In the past week alone there has been an FBI raid on John Bolton's home and a threat to investigate former New Jersey governor Chris Christie due to his criticism of Trump. Every day there are new indicators to suggest the US is rapidly descending into dictatorship, with the President using the power of his office for his own ends. How can Americans stop this momentum? Andrew and Rudyard then turn...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice open today's Friday Focus with the...

Rudyard and Andrew unpack the latest meeting between Trump, Zelensky and European leaders that seems to have yielded no real progress in resolving the war in Ukraine. Trump indicated a willingness to offer security guarantees, but if Ukraine isn't admitted into NATO, will an Article 5 type protection promise carry any weight? What did Trump promise Putin on Friday that scared European leaders to d...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice open today's show reacting to China...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice start the show talking about develo...

Rudyard and Andrew start the show trying to understand why Trump's radical steps on immigration, education, and foreign policy have been met with so little resistance. Where are the checks and balances? Trump doesn't live by the usual dictates that other presidents have. He's not bound by conscience, obedience to convention, or public opinion, and the final test will come when or if he defies a Su...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice start today's show with Trump's lat...

Rudyard and Andrew start the show assessing Trump's new trade deal with the EU: no relief on tariffs, carve outs that favour the US, and uncertainty for Europe down the road. Why did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agree to this deal? Why aren't all countries currently negotiating with the US working together to create a united front? And does the EU's deal provide a w...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice open today's show talking about sta...

Rudyard and Andrew talk about the conspiracy moment we are living through. Why is the political right so drawn to conspiracy theories? Andrew suggests that to be conservative is to be skeptical and contrarian, which leads to questioning scientific fact and evidence. It's particularly rife at this moment, when so many people feel powerless and mistrustful of the government. Epstein is especially at...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice open today's show with the Epstein...

What should we make of Trump's latest 35% tariff threat on Canada? Rudyard and Andrew agree that while this is not surprising given who we are dealing with, it's also not unique to Canada, with Europe and Mexico likewise getting hit with a tariff threat as well. We are not dealing with a normal interlocutor, and anybody who talks about Trump being a natural negotiator is not familiar with the...

The full version of today's special Friday Focus is available to all paying and non-paying subscribers. Rudyard and Janice devote today's entire show to one of the biggest news stories of the year that is not being covered by mainstream outlets: an upcoming change in the Google search engine that will have a devastating effect on everything from business profitability to how we consume news....

Another week brings another tariff threat from the Trump administration, without clarity on who is being targeted and for what reason. Andrew argues that the media must resist applying normal rules of rational behaviour that you would expect from any other presidency. Trump is becoming increasingly erratic in his second term and must continue exceeding expectations with his bad behaviour to satisf...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice open the show unpacking the effect...

Mark Carney is learning quickly - as the digital services tax debacle proved - that attempting good faith negotiations with the US President does guarantee a positive or lasting agreement. What is the point of making concessions of any kind when the goal posts keep moving? Rudyard and Andrew then turn to America's decision to pause weapon shipments to Ukraine on the heels of easing sanctions again...

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice start today's show unpacking the in...

The full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.  Rudyard and Janice begin today's special Friday Focus episode with the Trump initiated ceasefire that allows both Israel and Iran to claim some measure of victory. But does Trump have the power to make the truce hold? Bibi is learning that American help comes with a price, and the Israeli PM is no longer in the driver's se...

The full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.  In this emergency Friday Focus episode, Rudyard and Janice assess what the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities mean for the future of the Middle East. What are the big takeaways from this game changing moment in the region? Has Iran's capacity to enrich uranium been permanently disabled? And finally, and perhaps most im...

The full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.  Rudyard and Janice start today's show talking about the long term prospects of this war: while Israel has had amazing military successes in the first week, their ability to intercept Iran's ballistic missiles will diminish as this war drags on. Is there a diplomatic opportunity to bring this conflict to an end? And if...