Two Blocks from the White House

U.S. President Donald Trump earned at least $2.2 billion US in his first year back in the White House in 2025. American historians say no previous sitting president has ever earned quite as much, so what ethical questions does this level of presidential profit raise? This week, Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Willy Lowry and guest host Katie Nicholson explore how Trump made money in crypto,...

Canada Day marks an important deadline for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. The trilateral trade deal is up for a mandatory review this year. While Canada and Mexico would like to extend it for 16 more years, it’s not clear what the Trump administration will do. With so much at stake economically, there’s no shortage of anxiety. Washington correspondents Willy Lowry, Paul Hunter and guest host Pe...

America’s top court is set to deliver decisions on more than a dozen major cases in the coming days. And with rulings on birthright citizenship, transgender athletes and the Federal Reserve on the docket, there’s a lot at stake as the U.S. president’s agenda is tested by the justice system. This week, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter ask: How far will the Suprem...

With a preliminary deal between the U.S. and Iran to end the war on the table, this week we're checking in on some key parts of the MAGA coalition, from conservative women at Turning Point USA Women’s Leadership Summit to the mostly male crowd at U.S. President Donald Trump’s UFC birthday bash at the White House.   To hold onto power, the Republicans will need Christian women and young m...

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off this week. With Canada, Mexico and the United States co-hosting, America and Israel at war with Iran, plus midterm elections around the corner, it's an undeniably political world event. In this episode, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry dive into the politics of sport and ask: Can Trump ride the World Cup wave? 

It’s the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, and so far planned celebrations range from a UFC fight at the White House to a concert series featuring 90s rapper Vanilla Ice. But with musical acts dropping out citing polarization, tension over the ongoing Iran war and sky-high gas prices, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry ask: How do you have a birthday pa...

From a $1.8 billion US fund for Donald Trump allies, which some critics call a 'MAGA slush fund', to retribution for Republicans who have spoken out against him, the U.S. president is pushing his personal agenda amid declining approval ratings and with the midterm elections right around the corner. This week on Two Blocks from the White House, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter a...

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs this week. It’s being called the end of an era, and some critics say the cancellation of the iconic late night talk show represents a broader attack on dissent during Donald Trump’s second administration. This week Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry ask: What, if anything, does Colbert’s cancellation say...

From UFOs to 'missing scientists', fringe ideas and conspiracy theories have come to the forefront during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration. This week, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry dig into the long history of conspiracy theories intersecting with American politics. Has Trump made conspiracy theories mainstream?

The race is on to redraw U.S. electoral districts after a landmark Supreme Court ruling last week on the Voting Rights Act. The court neutralized a longstanding piece of the voting rights legislation — a change that could have huge consequences for future U.S. election results. The 1965 Act was designed to ensure African American representation in Congress, but in a 6-3 decision, the top court rul...

Our Washington correspondent Paul Hunter was in the room at the White House correspondents’ dinner when shots rang out. Today on Two Blocks from the White House, he shares new details about the scene. Fellow correspondents Katie Simpson and Willy Lowry bring us the latest on the suspect. As the political fallout continues, we ask what a third alleged attempt to assassinate Donald Trump says about...

Paul Hunter was at the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting on Saturday.   We're working on a new Two Blocks from the White House episode on the fallout from the shooting, to drop on Wednesday. But until then, here’s Paul speaking with Front Burner host Jayme Poisson about what happened when shots rang out. 

From a gigantic arch set to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, to the deployment of National Guard troops, to the construction of a massive White House ballroom, the face of America’s capital city is changing during Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president. And while some critics have dismissed Trump’s projects as garish, the president is undeniably leaving his stamp on the histo...

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...