Two Blocks from the White House

The Democrats surged to victory on midterm election night, taking back both the House and the Senate. As Republican strongholds crumbled, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter break down what this says about American voter sentiment, what the next two years of Trump's presidency could look like and how Canada-U.S. relations may change.

If the U.S. midterms don't go favourably for the Republicans, are there safeguards in place to prevent voter interference? Or might the Republicans emerge victorious despite what polls have said? Could the president be impeached if Democrats win both the House and Senate? And what might the results mean for the 2028 presidential election? Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry answer listeners' questions in the final days before the midterm election.

It's been a week of setbacks for the U.S. president. He fired his new press secretary only after five days on the job, amidst other staffing controversies in the White House. His approval ratings and consumer confidence are at a record low. And he's still criss-crossing the country and dumping on Canada, as he tries to rally Republican voters. With only two weeks left until midterm elections, guest correspondent Peter Armstrong joins Washington correspondents Katie Simpson and Willy Lowry to unpack the possible fallout from Trump's latest troubles. 

Ohio, Maine and Texas are the states to keep tabs on this midterm election, according to our Washington correspondents. Whether it's tension over data centre development in Ohio, debates over tariffs and trade ties with Canada in Maine, or concerns about a race so tight that they have Donald Trump flying to Texas three times in one month – Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter break down the high stakes in these key battlegrounds.

The chances of the Republicans winning the House in the U.S. midterms are increasingly slim, according to the polls. They may even lose the Senate, as Democrats continue to gain ground. But even if the Democrats sweep the midterm election in November, what difference could it make? Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter break down whether a party switch in Congress and the Senate could curb Donald Trump's power, and what it could mean for Canada-U.S. trade relations.

According to the polls, the Democrats are poised to take back both the House and the Senate in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections — a prospect that would have seemed improbable a year ago. But the polls have been wrong before. While Donald Trump's approval ratings have hit an all-time low, a lot can change for the Republican Party between now and Nov. 3. Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter take a look at where the midterm races are heating up, what's at stake for Republicans and Democrats, and just how worried Trump might be.  

Perhaps, but they're not the same ones that the U.S. has historically aligned with. While addressing global leaders at the UN, Trump said he could either make a deal with Iran or "annihilate the Islamic Republic." He signed a security deal with Greenland, after threatening to seize the territory for months. He also rejected international calls for oversight of AI, as he prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping. As Trump forges his own brand of diplomacy, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter ask: Who are Trump's allies anymore? And does he even care?

Canada is the only country that walked away from a trade deal with the U.S. when the terms didn't feel right. There has been widespread support at home, but Canadians have yet to feel the full economic impact of the Trump administration's tariffs. As Prime Minister Mark Carney tries to cushion the blow by pitching Canada to global business leaders and Europe, guest host Catherine Cullen joins Washington correspondents Katie Simpson and Paul Hunter to look at the risks Carney is taking.

There has been no shortage of news coming out of the White House this summer, and things are about to ramp up even more. From the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S., to the war in Iran and midterm elections in November, Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter are back together to give you the lowdown on what to expect in the next few months.

From boycotting U.S. products, to avoiding travel across the border, to political trash talk – the mood in Canada in relation to the U.S. is definitely "elbows up" these days. But have Americans even noticed they’re in a trade war with Canada? CBC's Washington correspondents Katie Nicholson and Louis Blouin join host Willy Lowry to unpack what they heard in Ohio and Iowa about the escalating tariffs and counter-tariffs, and how Americans feel it could impact their lives and their votes.