Power Play

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

Fresh from his landslide victory, Britain’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has flown to Washington to join other leaders of NATO countries as they meet for the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit. As the war in Ukraine takes another ugly turn following a week of heavy Russian bombardment, can NATO turn the tide of the losses? Host Anne McElvoy talks to General Patrick Sanders, who has recently left his role as head of the British Army, about the challenges facing NATO, why the UK needs to increase its defense budget and the new government's proposed defense pact with the EU. They also discuss his proposal for military service, which caused a storm earlier in the year and at the recent general election, as well as mental health in the military. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's all change in the U.K. Labour's historic landslide election victory beckons a different kind of leadership for Britain on the world stage after 14 years of Conservative rule. Keir Starmer, who stepped into his new job as PM, will have little time to define his approach to the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and contend with a more assertive China. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair's long-serving chief of staff in Downing Street and former diplomat, about how the new prime minister is likely to forge key relationships around the world. She's also joined by POLITICO's editor-at-large in Washington, Matt Kaminksi and POLITICO Europe’s editor-in-chief, Jamil Anderlini to discuss what Starmer’s victory means for the U.K's European and transatlantic relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent shift to the right in the European Parliament election doesn't bode well for the continent's dwindling band of social democratic leaders, one of the most prominent of whom, former Finnish PM Sanna Marin, was shown the door by voters last year. Finland is a country of renewed prominence due to its proximity to Putin's Russia — which led Marin to apply to join NATO, ending decades of Finnish neutrality. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Marin about Putin’s war in Ukraine, her warning that Europe needs to do more to meet the challenges posed by big tech, and why the continent needs more female leaders. Marin also leaves the door open to returning to elected politics, with a "never say never" mantra. The conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the recent Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which took place before the European election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election fever is gripping both sides of the North Atlantic. As Britain heads into the final weeks of a long election campaign, French voters face a snap parliamentary election. The Biden-Trump race for the White House draws ever closer. One man who knows about how to run a campaign is Jim Messina — known in Washington as "the fixer." Messina is the mastermind behind President Obama's re-election campaign in 2012 and David Cameron's surprise victory for Britain's Conservatives in 2015. In this week's edition, host Anne McElvoy asks him what advice he would give to President Biden as he prepares for the first televised debate with Donald Trump next week — and to Rishi Sunak, who's leading the Conservatives to what may be an historic defeat in the U.K. Messina says parties on both sides of the pond need to "shut up and listen to voters" about their concerns on immigration and the economy. "Voters are so much smarter than anyone gives them credit for," he tells McElvoy. "If you have bad ingredients, you're not gonna make a perfect cake," he adds — saying that a disciplined campaign can only achieve so much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a brave — some may say reckless — leader to call a general election when trailing in the polls by 20 percent. With three weeks to go to polling day on July 4, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s gamble looks like it will backfire, possibly spectacularly so, with perilous consequences for the country's oldest political party, the Conservatives. For one of the most powerful members of his Cabinet, the Chancellor — Britain's top finance minister — Jeremy Hunt, it means a fight for his political life. Host Anne McElvoy joins him on the campaign trail in his Surrey constituency, a place which used to be rock solid territory for the Conservatives. Hunt concedes that voters feel "battered" by the cost of living crisis and "quite understandably hold the guys at the top to account." Anne is also joined by POLITICO's deputy U.K. editor Rosa Prince for her reflections on the state of the campaign and Hunt's warning that a vote for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party could mean an "even bigger majority for Labour." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conviction of Donald Trump in a criminal trial in New York has electrified the race for the White House. But will it make a difference to how the arguments will play out in the campaign — especially on what the contest means for the rest of the world? K.T. McFarland is a leading supporter of Trump’s campaign, a MAGA Republican who served as his deputy national security adviser. She’s an influential voice on defense and foreign policy in Republican circles. Host Anne McElvoy talks to McFarland about how she thinks Trump could resolve the war in Ukraine and his plans to bring Putin's regime to its knees by weaponizing the price of oil. A veteran of the first Reagan administration, McFarland reflects on the former president’s legacy 20 years after his death and the state of the Atlantic alliance 80 years on since the D-Day landings in Normandy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, host Anne McElvoy asks Jane Hartley, United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, about the future of the transatlantic "special relationship." Hartley discussed the future of U.S.-U.K. relations in light of the International Criminal Court seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; revealed her surprise at the snap U.K. election called for July 4; and as a close ally of President Biden, explains why his age is an asset, not a problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Anne McElvoy talks to Leonid Volkov, who was Alexei Navalny's long-serving chief of staff and campaign manager, about his mission to provide a democratic alternative to Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime in the Kremlin. They spoke on the stage at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit. The sudden death of Navalny, the most prominent opposition leader in Russia, sent shockwaves around the world earlier this year. He died in suspicious circumstances while being held in an arctic prison colony. Many campaigners, including his widow and closest associates, will not rest until they get answers about what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's edition of Power Play comes from the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, where host Anne McElvoy talks to President Zelenskyy’s closest aide, Andriy Yermak, and former NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. As Russian forces advance on Kharkiv, delays in weapons deliveries from the U.S. and Europe are proving costly. Now the war has reached a critical moment for Zelenskyy's leadership — and Ukraine. They discuss its ability to withstand Russia's biggest attack yet, a new plan to accelerate NATO membership — and whether security guarantees from the West can bolster the embattled country's future security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the business leaders, philanthropists and other luminaries attending this year's Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles are politicians — looking to set the record straight, with an eye to future opportunities. Power Play host Anne McElvoy joined the Beverly Hills crowd — and talked to Kevin McCarthy, the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to be ousted during a legislative session. McCarthy reflects on his dramatic downfall and lauds the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elbridge Colby is a hot pick to be Donald Trump's national security adviser if the former president returns to the White House next year. It's a role which holds huge sway over America's position on the world stage. An influential voice in foreign policy circles in Washington, Colby leads the Marathon Initiative, a conservative think tank grappling with how America confronts an increasingly assertive China — a subject that is testing both Democrats and Republicans. In this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Colby, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Trump administration, about U.S. strategy towards China, Russia and Europe — and whether America can rely on its traditional allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"America will always defend democracy in its hour of need. We tell our allies: we will stand with you. We tell our adversaries: don’t mess with us." The words of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck a rare note of bipartisanship as Congress finally approved a multi-billion dollar package of support to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. For America’s allies, there was a collective sigh of relief. No more so than at the British Embassy in Washington, where host Anne McElvoy presents this week's special episode of Power Play. She talks to the outgoing ambassador, Karen Pierce, about whether the so-called "special relationship" will endure, despite the potential changes of government in Washington and London later this year and the spectre of war around the globe. Anne is also joined by John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, to mark a weekend of political showmanship and intrigue culminating in the annual White House Correspondents' dinner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices