Two Blocks from the White House

Recent episodes

1. Why can’t Trump leave Canada alone?

   Jul 29, 202631 min

   Listening to U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada can’t do anything right these days. From the costs for the Gordie Howe bridge to wildfire smoke to a new round of tariffs, the relationship between the two countries is under renewed scrutiny from the president and U.S. lawmakers. Washington correspondents Willy Lowry, Katie Simpson and guest host Mike Crawley dig into what might be fuelling this ramped-up focus on Canada, and what it might take to turn the page.

2. Why is Trump threatening Canada with new 50% tariffs?

   Jul 22, 202632 min

   The U.S. trade war with Canada escalated on Monday when President Donald Trump announced that his administration would be imposing new 50 per cent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian exports in 30 days' time. Washington correspondents Willy Lowry, Katie Simpson and guest host Mike Crawley explain everything we know about these new tariffs and ask what they mean for the strained U.S.-Canada relationship.

3. What’s going on with the U.S. Senate right now?

   Jul 15, 202632 min

   Three major news stories about the U.S. Senate are sparking questions about the upcoming fall midterms. Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Katie Simpson and Willy Lowry discuss the death of Republican Lindsey Graham, the ongoing absence of Republican Mitch McConnell and the campaign collapse of Democratic senate candidate Graham Platner.

4. How Trump made $2.2B US in his 1st year back in office

   Jul 8, 202630 min

   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, how it compares to past presidents’ earnings and how much it matters in the end to voters.

5. The CUSMA review deadline is here. What now?

   Jul 1, 202625 min

   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 Peter Armstrong ask: What happens after the July 1 deadline? Note: this episode was taped on June 30.

6. How far will the U.S. Supreme Court allow Trump to go?

   Jun 24, 202632 min

   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 Supreme Court allow Donald Trump to go?

7. MAGA coalition check-in: From Christian conservative women to young men

   Jun 17, 202630 min

   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 men to come out for the U.S. midterm elections. Washington correspondents Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Louis Blouin ask: How are those groups feeling about the GOP after months of war and high gas prices?

8. Trump takes aim at sports, from the World Cup to NBA finals

   Jun 10, 202626 min

   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?

9. America's 250th birthday: From Vanilla Ice to a UFC White House fight

   Jun 3, 202628 min

   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 party if no one’s in the mood to celebrate?

10. Will Donald Trump's revenge tour backfire?

    May 27, 202632 min

    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 and Louis Blouin ask: How far can Donald Trump go before paying the political price?

11. What Stephen Colbert’s cancellation says about Trump’s America

    May 20, 202629 min

    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 about the state of free speech in Trump’s America?

12. Has Trump made conspiracy theories mainstream?

    May 13, 202627 min

    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?

13. Is U.S. voting set to change forever?

    May 6, 202627 min

    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 ruled that a congressional map in Louisiana was unconstitutional because the state gave too much consideration to race when drawing up its voting districts. Following the court ruling, many states began redrawing existing electoral maps, with Florida passing a gerrymandered map giving Republicans more of an advantage in the state just hours after the Supreme Court decision was released. CBC Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Katie Simpson and Willy Lowry unpack what the ruling could mean for U.S. politics.

14. 'I think about the gunshots': The fallout from the correspondents' dinner

    Apr 29, 202634 min

    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 the state of America.

15. Paul Hunter recounts the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting on Front Burner

    Apr 27, 202636 min

    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.

16. The ‘Trumpification’ of D.C.

    Apr 22, 202628 min

    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 historic district. Today on Two Blocks from the White House, CBC’s Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Willy Lowry and Katie Simpson report.

17. The volatile value of brand Trump

    Apr 15, 202632 min

    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 right-wing populist leader Viktor Orbán was defeated after 16 years in power in a landmark election. Just days before that, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance was in Budapest campaigning for Orbán on behalf of the Trump administration. CBC’s Washington correspondents Willy Lowry and Katie Simpson, along with Radio-Canada’s U.S. correspondent Louis Blouin, report on the volatile value of Trump’s brand.

18. From ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ to a 2-week ceasefire

    Apr 8, 202628 min

    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 Katie Simpson, Willy Lowry and Paul Hunter try to find an answer.

19. On the road with CBC’s Washington correspondents

    Apr 1, 202638 min

    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 about the biggest stories in American politics and Canada-U.S. relations when we look at them from an outside of Washington perspective.

20. How the midterms are already shaping everything

    Mar 25, 202627 min

    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 other operations stretching beyond the U.S. borders. CBC's Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Willy Lowry and Katie Simpson bring us up to speed on how the midterms are influencing the political calculus, what they're watching for and why the outcome of this vote is so crucial to Republicans and Democrats alike.