President Trump’s first 24 hours in the White House have certainly been the talking point here in Davos, as business leaders and politicians digest what the new era means for them and the rest of the world. Continuing Power Play's daily coverage from the World Economic Forum in Davos, host Anne McElvoy talks to two figures who know how the President operates and who have changed their minds about him. Anthony Scaramucci was briefly the White House’s communications director in Donald Trump’s firs...
Jan 22, 2025•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast New United States President Donald Trump declared a "new golden age" for America in an inauguration speech that defiantly set out his vision for his next four years at the White House. Will he fulfill his promises and how different will this presidency be to his last? Continuing Power Play's daily coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, host Anne McElvoy surveys the impact of the speech on U.S. politics and beyond. She talks to POLITICO's global editor-in-chief John Harris, who arrived in...
Jan 21, 2025•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s that time of year! Thousands of business leaders, politicians, tech maestros and an array of hangers are about to descend on the Swiss Alps. As the 55th meeting of the annual World Economic Forum gets underway in Davos, many eyes will be on Washington D.C. when Donald Trump takes the presidential oath — and a new global era begins. To open Power Play's daily coverage of Davos, host Anne McElvoy is joined by POLITICO's Jack Blanchard in Washington, where he starts today as the new managing e...
Jan 20, 2025•26 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast The war in Ukraine is about to enter its fourth year. Will the incoming administration in Washington bring it to an end — and what will that mean for the millions of refugees inside the war-torn country and the territories Russia occupies? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Tom Fletcher, United Nations undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, who has been in Ukraine to survey the toll the conflict has taken on the Ukrainian people and its infrastructure. They als...
Jan 16, 2025•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk's controversial postings on British politics have ignited the row over the United Kingdom's long-running child grooming scandal. Musk's interventions and his proximity to Donald Trump are becoming a prominent feature in political debate on both sides of the Atlantic. This week, host Anne McElvoy talks to Rupert Soames, chair of the Confederation of British Industry, the U.K.’s biggest business lobby group — and grandson of Winston Churchill — about what the new administration in Washin...
Jan 09, 2025•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast To ring in the New Year, here’s a recent episode from one of our sister podcasts in the U.S., Playbook Deep Dive, hosted by Rachel Bade and produced by Alex Keeney. Power Play with Anne McElvoy will return next week. Donald Trump’s Washington will be packed with big business heavyweights such as Elon Musk, Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents traditional business interests in D.C., has recently found itself estranged from its longtime allies...
Jan 02, 2025•39 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Out with the old and in with the new or in the case of 2025, it’s back to the future with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. As America and her allies prepares for Trump 2.0, what can we be certain of in an increasingly unpredictable and fractious world? In the final episode of Power Play this year, host Anne McElvoy is joined by POLITICO's Global Editor-in-chief John Harris and Nicholas Vinocur, editor-at-large in POLITICO's Europe newsroom and author of Brussels Playbook. They chew...
Dec 19, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The President-elect's in-tray is filling up fast. Wars in Gaza, Ukraine and the fallen regime in Syria are among the many geopolitical shifts facing Donald Trump's new administration, alongside a spate of challenges at home. Is the United States — and the world — ready for Trump 2.0? This week, Power Play brings you a trio of POLITICO insiders to reflect on Trump’s historic election win and what it will mean for those across the pond. Host Anne McElvoy is joined by Kate Day, POLITICO Europe's de...
Dec 12, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast The toppling of the French prime minister has caused a massive headache for French President Emmanuel Macron just days before he receives U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Paris. As one president returns to the world stage, could the other’s days be numbered? France is convulsed by crisis after its government suffered the humiliation of losing a no-confidence vote for the first time in over 60 years. Could Michel Barnier’s downfall hasten the demise of Emmanuel Macron and even trigger a finan...
Dec 05, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Donald Trump puts the finishing touches to his new administration in Washington, the talk of the town continues to revolve around Elon Musk. The world’s richest man has the ear of the president-elect. How long will it last? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Democratic `Representative Ro Khanna, who represents a large swath of Silicon Valley. Even in prosperous parts of the Golden State, the Democrats lost ground to Donald Trump’s resurgent Republican Party, just as they did across the rest of the co...
Nov 28, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 f...
Nov 21, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 14, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, Ca...
Nov 13, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 presi...
Nov 07, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Oct 31, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 st...
Oct 24, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 all...
Oct 17, 2024•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Oct 10, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 t...
Oct 03, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 p...
Sep 26, 2024•30 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Sep 19, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 12, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Lat...
Sep 05, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 fo...
Aug 29, 2024•33 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ra...
Aug 23, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 tre...
Aug 21, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Aug 01, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 e...
Jul 25, 2024•34 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast 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 dete...
Jul 17, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jul 15, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
