From Trump’s tariffs to bozo eruptions, our 'recovering partisans' break down the campaign’s second week

Canada was spared  Wednesday when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced new punishing tariffs on the rest of the world. But many Canadian industries are already feeling the pinch from tariffs Trump had imposed earlier, and big job losses are on the horizon. 

This week, Liberal Leader Mark Carney headed to Ottawa and put on his prime minister’s hat to respond to the crisis, just as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was attempting a different strategy to address the Trump threat — to the country and to his own election campaign.

This week, our panel of “recovering partisans” joins us to discuss the campaign’s second week, from Trump’s tariffs and who they politically benefit, to the policy offerings and the response  — or lack of response — to candidates saying things they simply shouldn’t. 

But first, Abacus Data’s David Coletto gives us the lie of the land: what’s moved, what hasn’t and what to make  of it.

In this episode: David Christopherson, the former NDP MP for Hamilton Centre; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia; Karen Vecchio, the outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London; John McKay, the outgoing Liberal MP for Scarborough—Guildwood; and David Coletto, the CEO of Abacus Data. Hosted by Althia Raj. 

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Some of the audio clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, CTV, Global, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN and ABC.