Power Play

It’s been six years since a British prime minister met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Could Keir Starmer's encounter with the president at this week’s G20 lead to a thaw after years of frosty relations as the world prepares for a possible trade war when Donald Trump returns to the White House?  The quiet quads of Oxford University might seem a world apart from the high diplomacy on the other side of the globe. But China’s influence in Britain’s universities is far from remote — not least for a former senior politician hoping to lead one of the most powerful centers of learning in the world. Host Anne McElvoy talks to William Hague, the former British foreign secretary, who is front-runner to become the university’s next chancellor. Next week, tens of thousands of Oxford alumni and faculty members will decide who becomes the university's titular head, serving a full 10-year term.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there much the outgoing U.S. administration can do to salvage its climate change agenda as Donald Trump surrounds himself with global warming skeptics in his new team? Host Anne McElvoy talks to one of those playing a leading role at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ali Zaidi is assistant to President Biden and White House national climate adviser.  They discuss what the Biden administration is seeking to accomplish in its last weeks in office and what it's seeking from the climate talks. Later, she's joined by Karl Mathiesen, senior climate correspondent at POLITICO Europe, to survey the state of play as the first week of negotiations draw to a close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the 50,000-odd delegates attending this year’s sprawling COP29 UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, you can hear the wheels of climate diplomacy turning. But even 6,000 miles from Washington, D.C., you don’t have to go far before Donald Trump intrudes on the conversation. Will he follow through on plans to dilute or abandon the climate initiatives of the incumbent Biden administration? Host Anne McElvoy begins Power Play’s coverage of the talks in Baku by chatting with Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of the environment and climate change, about how Canada and the rest of the world are preparing for Trump’s next presidency. She also talks with climate campaigner Paul Polman — a former Unilever CEO — on his serious concerns about the Azerbaijani hosts of COP29 and about his encounter with Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

remarkable comeback to the White House. By any standards, his victory over Kamala Harris was historic. What does it mean for the U.S. and its place in the world? Host Anne McElvoy was in POLITICO's Washington, D.C. newsroom to see how the election unfolded. She talks to John Harris, global editor-in-chief — a veteran of many races for the White House — and in Philadelphia, to Senior Political Columnist Jonathan Martin. Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs reporter, also joins to discuss the president-elect's various legal battles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britain’s Conservative Party chooses their new leader in a few days. Kemi Badenoch has emerged as the favorite to win, but her combative style and a number of bruising exchanges with her rival, Robert Jenrick, have prompted questions about the breadth of her appeal. Power Play host Anne McElvoy talks to Badenoch about whether she can restore her party’s fortunes after Rishi Sunak’s last few troubled years in office, culminating in the heaviest election defeat in their history. What is her final pitch to party members in the last days of the contest, and might she struggle to be heard just days after Sir Keir Starmer’s government delivered its keynote budget? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.K. and Germany have signed a defense deal to bolster NATO and European security. But will it do anything to meet their immediate needs and alter the course of the war in Ukraine? Host Anne McElvoy talks to John Healey, the U.K. Defence Secretary — one of the most senior jobs in PM Keir Starmer’s government, which has just passed its first 100 days in office. She sat down with Healey at London’s historic Trinity House, where his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, came to sign a deal to strengthen co-operation between Europe two biggest defense spenders and donors to Ukraine’s war effort. Despite the glad-handing, is there any room for optimism as the war enters another long winter and Americans head to the polls in an election that could have a decisive impact on the outcome? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few countries have as much influence inside and outside the Middle East as Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is an increasingly important power broker in the region, but can it help end the bloodshed and temper Iran’s ambitions?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.K. who, as a member of the House of Saud, has the ear of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What does he make of the U.S. threat to withhold military aid to Israel if it doesn’t allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza? What are the consequences for the region if Israel doesn’t comply? Six years on since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Anne presses the ambassador on what happened and how it has affected the Kingdom’s reputation abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The barrage of Hezbollah rockets, the amassing of Israeli ground forces in Lebanon and the prospect of a retaliatory strike on Iran mark the grim first anniversary of Oct. 7. As Israel considers its options, how much influence do the U.S and its allies have in shaping the response? Host Anne McElvoy talks to two guests with over half a century of top-level diplomacy in the region between them. David Satterfield was until recently the White House special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues and currently leads Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Nicholas Hopton was the U.K.’s ambassador to Iran, Yemen, Qatar and Libya, and is director general of the Middle East Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel's battle with Hezbollah and the recent retaliation from Iran has stoked fears of runaway escalation in the Middle East. Does Tony Blair, former British prime minister and veteran of the quest for a two state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict still believe the region can avoid all-out war? Host Anne McElvoy talks to the former PM about the deepening conflict in the Middle East and whether he sees any prospect of peace and stability. They also discuss the potential of technology to transform public services around the world, the subject of in his recent book, "On Leadership," the race for the White House and what he makes of the new Labour government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking on the presidency of the G7 next year, Canada should be in prime position to shape transatlantic relations alongside its dominant neighbor — regardless of who moves in to the White House. But does Justin Trudeau have what it takes to deliver?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to the Number 2 in Trudeau's government, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, about whether plummeting poll numbers and heavy by-election defeats suggest Canadians have lost faith in the long-serving premier. Trudeau's opponents, led by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, set the ball rolling this week with a motion of no-confidence in parliament. Later, Anne talks to Nick Taylor-Vaisey, author of POLITICO’s Ottawa Playbook on Trudeau's chances of survival in next year's general election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Hillbilly Elegy to vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance has come far since his  hardscrabble roots in Ohio to shape the Trump doctrine for the millennial generation. He’s also gained notoriety for upping the temperature of America’s heated political discourse. But there’s also a philosophical side to Vance, shaped by a network of advisers and supporters on the other side of the Atlantic. Host Anne McElvoy talks to two friends who have watched Vance's rise closely: James Orr, a professor of religion at Cambridge University and a leading figure behind the National Conservative movement in the U.K., and Rod Dreher, a former American Conservative columnist who has links to Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán. Anne is also joined by Jonathan Martin, POLITICO’s politics bureau chief and senior political columnist, to reflect on Vance's career prospects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sparks flew in the first U.S. presidential debate Tuesday night between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. How will the encounter shape the final stretch of the campaign to the Nov. 5 election — and what does it mean for the rest of the world?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to POLITICO’s Global Editor-in-Chief John Harris, a doyen of debate coverage, about Harris's goading of Trump and whether it marks a shift in the campaign. She is joined by John B. Emerson, a prominent Californian Democrat, who has raised funds for Kamala Harris in her home state. Having served in the Clinton administration before becoming the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Emerson discusses the impact of the debate on America’s allies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel between 2006 and 2009, believes Britain’s suspension of some of its arms exports is a “mistake” that won’t affect the country’s military campaign in Gaza and may prove a wasted opportunity for PM Keir Starmer to influence events in Gaza. Talking to host Anne McElvoy, Olmert criticizes Britain's decision and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the war. They also discuss whether the race for the White House will impact events in the Middle East. Later, Anne is joined by POLITICO Europe's opinion editor and veteran reporter on the region, Jamie Dettmer, to reflect on Netanyahu's record of survival and what America makes of Britain's change of tack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the U.S. presidential debate now confirmed, our guests explain the tips and tricks that could help Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win their first head-to-head encounter on Sept. 10 — and why there has been a pre-debate row over format and mics. Host Anne McElvoy is joined by Brett O’Donnell, a veteran expert on preparing candidates for debate on both sides of the pond, having coached Republicans Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush, as well as prepping Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for their televised tussles in the U.K. POLITICO’s Rachael Bade, co-author of our Playbook in Washington, reveals which way the political winds are blowing, following last week’s momentous Democratic National Convention and how the rival  Trump-Harris campaigns are preparing for the forthcoming debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris wound up the Democratic National Convention in Chicago by staking her claim to be the next president of the United States. Does the Democrat have the momentum to beat Donald Trump? Moments after the Harris finale at the DNC, host Anne McElvoy sat down with John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, and Eugene Daniels, White House correspondent and co-author of POLITICO's D.C. Playbook. They discuss Harris' pitch and what she needs to do in the next weeks of a closely fought race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live on stage at the CNN-POLITICO Grill in Chicago, host Anne McElvoy talks to U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois senator — a decorated war veteran — has fiercely defended the military record of Tim Walz, the running mate of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, against Republican criticism that he exaggerated his service. Here at the DNC, Duckworth discusses Harris' economic plans and talks passionately about her use of IVF as a row deepens with Republicans over fertility treatment. She goes on to say that Harris will "kick [Trump's] butt" when they meet in their televised debate next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s the “queen of Europe” and her reign is set for another five years. Ursula von der Leyen’s reelection as president of the European Commission comes amid the war in Ukraine and a rise of the far right. She is a figure who seeks to bring calm to political storms. But could the outcome of the race for the White House change that?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to two of POLITICO’s keenest observers of the transatlantic relationship, Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini and Jakob Hanke Vela who is heading to Washington to launch POLITICO's new DC Decoded newsletter, linking Washington and Berlin.  Later, she'll speak to a VDL insider — Virginijus Sinkevičius served as European commissioner for environment until two weeks ago and is now a member of the European Parliament and a vice president of the Green group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris' sudden elevation to likely Democrat nominee has transformed the race for the White House. As President Biden passed the baton, can she beat a resurgent Donald Trump? Host Anne McElvoy talks to the doyen of American constitutional experts, Philip Bobbitt, about the significance of the Biden transition to Harris. As Lyndon Baines Johnson's nephew, he has a personal connection with the last time a president stood aside — in 1968 — a year that rocked the Democratic Party. Later, she explores how this week has galvanized the race with John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, and Ryan Lizza, host of POLITICO’s "Deep Dive" podcast and co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been an eventful few days at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, are preparing to take the stage for their set-piece speeches. How will they set the tone for the election campaign? Inside the convention center, host Anne McElvoy talks to Hogan Gidley, press secretary during Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, about the key messages the former president will be hoping to land with voters in the battleground states that will determine the race. Later she's joined by POLITICO's A-Team to take the temperature of a dramatic week: John Harris, global editor-in-chief, and Eugene Daniels, POLITICO’s White House correspondent and co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Daniels has also just been appointed president of the White House Correspondents’ Association for 2024-25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reince Priebus is one the Republican Party's veteran power brokers. He served Donald Trump as his first White House chief of staff and chairs the host committee at this year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. As Republican delegates gather in the aftermath of a dramatic couple of days, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Priebus live on stage at the CNN-POLITICO Grill. They discuss the attempted assassination, its impact on the party and the significance of his choice of a vice presidential running mate. Later, Anne talks to POLITICO's Global Editor-in-Chief, John Harris, about the surreal atmosphere at the convention and what it means for the race for the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices